Meet Wine Girl: A Passport, a Palate & a Point of View

WINE GIRL'S NOTES · THE WINE EDIT · PART 01 

A curious palate. A well-traveled mind. A taste for the unexpected.

There's a particular kind of happiness in finding a little neighborhood café that wasn't on your itinerary. A handwritten list of wines. A waiter who has an opinion. Something delicious arriving at the table next to yours. You ask what it is, and suddenly your afternoon has a different plan.

That's the world of Wine Girl. Style matters; so do good shoes. But curiosity matters more. Here, wine is a way to understand the places we explore, the people we meet, and why certain moments stay with us.

Good taste isn't a price tag

We all know the feeling: a wine list appears, the prices rise, and suddenly choosing a bottle feels like taking an exam. But a celebrated label isn't automatically your favorite. A $20 bottle can teach you just as much about your palate as a $200 one. Price may reflect reputation, production costs, scarcity, and demand—not your personal pleasure.

Wine Girl's rule: Ask one interesting question before you order. Is it local? What grape is it made from? What would the person pouring it drink with dinner?

Three clues that help you find your wine

Freshness (acidity). Does it make your mouth water, like biting into a crisp green apple? Bright Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling often demonstrate this beautifully. Acidity is refreshing, not the same thing as sweetness.

Texture (body). Does the wine feel light and quick, or broad and velvety? Think skim milk versus cream as a metaphor for weight—not flavor. A fuller wine isn't inherently better.

Structure (tannins). Does a red leave your mouth feeling dry, like strong tea? That's often tannin, coming from grape skins, seeds, stems, and sometimes oak. Pinot Noir is often gentler than Cabernet Sauvignon, though individual wines vary.

The Wine Girl three-sip experiment

Take a small sip before food and notice its freshness. Sip again after a bite of something salty or creamy. Finally, write three honest words: one aroma, one texture, one feeling. “Cherry, silky, happy” is a perfectly valid tasting note. You don't need to borrow anyone else's vocabulary.

Your first stamp: make it personal

Begin your own Wine Girl Passport with four things: the bottle, where you enjoyed it, who was there, and whether you'd choose it again. The details make a wine memorable. The passport is a place to collect those discoveries rather than just scores.

Coming next: Wine Around the World—five regions, five grapes, and why place changes flavor. Then The Art of Pairing, where we'll put those discoveries on the dinner table.

A Thought to Take With You

Knowing what's fashionable is easy. Discovering what you genuinely like is far more interesting.

Wine is our subject. Life is our story.