Shop wine by taste
Your taste is already telling you where to start
You do not need a formal wine vocabulary to find a bottle you will enjoy. Words like smooth, crisp, fruity, light, or bold are useful clues—especially when you explain what those words mean to you.
The goal is not to sound like an expert. It is to make your preference easy to understand.
“Get comfortable with your own vocabulary.”
Scott Atkinson, The Pig’s wine specialist
Four useful signals
Make a simple taste map
Choose the side that sounds closer to what you enjoy. You do not need an answer for every line; two or three signals are enough to begin. There is no right or wrong side.
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LightBodyFull
Think delicate and easygoing versus rich and weighty.
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DrySweetnessSweet
Think little noticeable sweetness versus clearly sweet.
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CrispTextureSoft
Think refreshing and bright versus round and gentle.
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SubtleIntensityBold
Think quiet flavors versus a wine that announces itself.
Example “I want a light, crisp white that is dry” is already a strong shopping direction.
Translate, do not correct
What your wine words might mean
Wine words are personal. As Scott explains, “One person’s smooth is another person’s sweet, is another person’s soft.” A short follow-up question is more useful than insisting on a textbook definition.
- Smooth
- Could mean low bitterness, soft tannin, a round texture, noticeable fruit, or a little sweetness. Add what you do not want: harsh, bitter, sharp, or heavy.
- Fruity
- Describes fruit flavors and aromas, not necessarily sugar. A wine can taste like berries, peach, or citrus and still be dry.
- Dry
- Usually means the wine has little noticeable sweetness. It does not automatically mean bitter, strong, or high in alcohol.
- Crisp
- Often points to refreshing acidity—the lively quality that makes your mouth water and keeps a wine feeling fresh.
- Bold
- May describe fuller body, darker fruit, stronger flavor, firmer tannin, or some combination of the four.
Turn clues into a starting point
Six style families to explore
These are conversation starters, not guarantees. Grape, place, producer, vintage, and winemaking can all change how a bottle tastes.
Light · crisp · dry
Crisp and bright whites
Start around sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, albariño, or dry riesling when freshness matters most.
Fuller · soft · dry
Rich and round whites
Chardonnay or viognier can be useful starting points when you want more weight, texture, or ripe fruit.
Aromatic · gently sweet
Softly sweet and fragrant
Look toward off-dry riesling, moscato, or other aromatic whites when a touch of sweetness feels welcoming.
Lighter · soft · red
Silky, easygoing reds
Pinot noir, gamay, grenache, or a softer merlot may fit when you want red wine without too much weight or grip.
Fruit-forward · generous
Juicy and expressive reds
Zinfandel, malbec, grenache, or warm-climate blends can lead toward ripe fruit and an open, generous style.
Full · structured · bold
Deep, structured reds
Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, or nebbiolo can offer more intensity and tannin when you enjoy a firmer wine.
A real bottle beats a perfect description
Examples make the conversation easier
“The vocabulary is one thing, but examples is another,” Scott says. A bottle you liked at dinner, a label you recognize, or a wine a friend served can reveal more than a long list of tasting terms.
You do not have to remember everything about it. The name, grape, region, producer, or even the label design can help the wine team identify patterns and suggest a next step.
“Everyone knows more than they think they do.”
The easiest wine habit
Save the front and back label
When you enjoy a bottle, take two quick photos: the front label so you can recognize it, and the back label for details that may help locate it or find something similar.
If the exact wine is unavailable later, those photos still give the team useful information about producer, grape, region, and style.
- Photograph the frontCapture the name and label clearly.
- Photograph the backSave the producer and import details.
- Add one noteWrite what you liked while it is fresh.
Your 20-second shopping script
Bring one example and two taste words
“I liked [this bottle]. I want something [taste word] and [taste word], and I’d like to stay under [$ amount].”
That is enough to begin. If the wine is for dinner or a gathering, add the food or occasion and the recommendation gets even more useful.
The rule that matters most
Drink what you like
“Drink what you like, and it doesn’t matter what anybody, including me, says.”
Scott Atkinson
Explore online when you want to browse, or bring your saved labels and taste words to your neighborhood Pig. The wine team can help turn what you already know into a bottle you are excited to open.