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You’re excited to wind down with a glass of wine after a long day, but when you uncork the bottle, you realize it isn’t quite to your liking. Is there any way to make it taste better? Thankfully, there are a ton of ways to change the taste after you pour a glass. We’ve put together a handy list of ways to make wine taste better, from mixing in new ingredients to simply letting it breathe. If you’re ready to kick back and take a sip, keep scrolling!

Things You Should Know

  • Mix wine with a small amount of lemon juice to brighten up a dull flavor.
  • Add a pinch of sugar to overly acidic wine.
  • Mix the wine to make another drink. You can make sangria, calimochos, or spritzers with wine that doesn't taste good on its own.
  • In general, be sure to chill and aerate your wine. Drinking out of appropriate wine glasses can also help maximize flavor.
2

Let it breathe.

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  1. To aerate your wine quickly, pour it into a wine decanter through an aeration funnel . The large width of the decanter creates more surface area, which speeds up the process. [3]
    • Alternatively, just uncork the bottle and let it sit for about an hour. You can also try stirring the wine, or even putting it in the blender for a few seconds!
    • Aerating is most effective on red wines, but can make a difference in the taste of white wines too.
    • Trying to enjoy some wine on a plane? Aerate those sealed, single-serving wine bottles by shaking them for 45-60 seconds before drinking. [4]
10

Make a tasty red or white sangria.

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  1. In a pinch, add some chopped fruit to your glass of red—anything works, but apples, citrus, and berries are delicious. If you plan to make sangria ahead of time, a splash of brandy and orange juice makes it more traditional. [14]
    • For a white sangria, add fruits like lemons, limes, peaches, or green apples with apple brandy and cane sugar. [15]
    • There are a lot of ways to make a tasty, refreshing sangria. Next time it’s hot outside, do a quick search online and try out a tempting recipe!
11

Turn red wine into mulled wine.

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  1. The flavor of the wine gets lost among the other ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about the taste you don’t like cutting through. Simmer red wine with brandy, fruit, and spices for a cozy, holiday drink. [16]
    • Try simmering a bottle of red with clementine slices, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 3 dried figs, 4 cloves, 3 whole peppercorns, and 50 mL (0.2 cups) of brandy. Fish out the whole spices and enjoy! [17]
    • Try adding blueberries, cinnamon, and clove to make German Glühwein.
    • There are a ton of mulled wine recipes online—do a quick search and find one that looks appealing!
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14

Nibble on cheese between sips.

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  1. Snack on a piece between sips and notice how you perceive the wine differently. Bad reds will taste less bitter or acidic and smell fruitier, and whites become more fragrant without losing sweetness. [20]
    • There’s a lot of science and history behind wine and cheese pairings, but to sum it up—pretty much any assortment of cheeses will make any wine taste better.
    • There’s little evidence of any cheese that makes wine taste worse , so feel free to grab your favorite and go to town!

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