Are you a wine snob? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to know if you are…

The 3 Question Wine Snob Test

1) Do you drink more than a bottle of wine per month?

2) Can you taste the difference between cheap and expensive wines?

3) Do you share thoughts about wine on social networks, journal about wines you drink or collect wine?

Interpreting Your Answers

1. According to The Wine Institute, Americans drink about 9.42 liters of wine per year on average. At about 750 milliliters per bottle (average size), that’s about 12.56 bottles per year. If you drink much more than a bottle per month, you’re an above-average wine drinker.
2. If you can taste cheap wine, The Guardian, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, has news for you. Recent scientific research suggests that average wine drinkers correctly discern between cheap and expensive wines 53% of the time by taste alone. If you can taste the difference most of the time, you have a pallet for wine.
3. According to the company Vintank, which monitors all kinds of discussions about wine online, just 5.45 million Americans at least mention wine online. The same research indicates that only 1.7 million of those people actually journal about wine in some capacity online, including on mobile apps like Drync. And according to Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, 70-90% of the wine purchased in America is consumed immediately, so if you’re buying expensive wines and actively collecting them, you’re definitely in the minority.

Wine Snob Tips: Saving Money on Wine

If you’re an oenophile — a wine connoisseur — chances are you’re interested in saving money on your hobby. Here are a few tips any good wine snob should know about saving money on wine:

1) Avoid wine by the glass.

Are you really just going to have one? Because there aren’t that many in a whole bottle or carafe. Wine by the glass is typically overpriced by a long shot, not to mention the fact that you have no idea how long the bottle’s been open when you order a single glass. A good wine snob refuses to drink stale red wine or warm white.

2) Avoid the second-cheapest wine on the list.

Most restaurant owners know enough about wine to know most folks won’t order the least expensive wine on the list. It looks cheap, right? This is why they often take a wine that’s equally low-priced and mark it up enough to make it the second-cheapest. This gives restaurant owners the chance to make better overall margins on all their wine. Wine snobs know this trick and spring for something a little more expensive.

3) Know your Pinot Grigios and Chardonnays.

These two wines are typically the most overpriced, because, again, they’re purchased so much more frequently than many others in America. If you are a fan of these whites, and get to know them well, you’ll be able to spot a good deal on the shelf at your local liquor store or at the restaurant.

Are you a wine snob? What tips do you have for saving money on wine? Share your thoughts on this subject below in our comments section