Introducing: the Pocket Confidence Guide!
Introducing: the Pocket Confidence Guide!
Stop wasting money on wines you don't like and start discovering ones you do! Your guide to wine confidence awaits
Hi friends! I have exciting news to finally share!!!
If you’re a wine lover (kind of a given if you’re here?) I finally made something you’ve been asking for for months!
But first, a story…
(I promise it’s a good one, but scroll further down if you’re impatient)
I distinctly remember a traumatic experience years ago when I was first getting into wine and needed to pick up a bottle for a dinner party.
Exciting in theory - until I actually got to the whole decision making part.
I was living in San Francisco at the time, went to my closest bodega, headed to the wine aisle, and stood… paralyzed.
I clearly remember looking at the bottles, having no idea what they were, what the jargon meant on their labels, or why one wine was $5.99 and another was $35. What was the difference? Was there even one?? How was I supposed to know which one I would like? Which one my new friends would like???
The pressure to pick out a bottle I’d enjoy, let alone other people, was building.
I felt my face getting hot and pulse quicken as the manager walked over, asking politely if I needed help.
Of course I couldn’t ask for help! Admit I don’t know anything about wine and risk looking like an idiot?! Never.
I tried to keep my cool, playing a quick mental game of eenie meenie miney moe. I grabbed one at random.
$35 later, a near panic attack, and a glass in, I’d realized I made a mistake.
I hated the wine.
I felt embarrassed at my lack of knowledge, sophistication, and ability to know what I even liked.
And to top it all off, I was out $35.
I remember feeling so confused. Was there a wine 101 class I missed out on in life that everyone else took? Did everyone just understand the nuances of wine - how to differentiate them, appreciate them - and I was just absent that day??
This pattern continued every time I needed to pick up a bottle, and I always dreaded it.
Eventually I found a wine I enjoyed (19 Crimes red blend was my go-to back then) and purchased it every time, knowing it was safe and that I wouldn’t have to play wine roulette.
But I’d look longingly at the thousands of bottles lining the shelves, wondering what I was missing out on and if there’d ever come a day I felt more confident about this fermented grape juice everyone was crazy about.
Fast forward 10 years later…
Since having a career in wine + a sommelier certification + hosting thousands of wine tastings, I’ve learned a thing or two about it.
Wine shopping is still confusing, even to me sometimes, but I created something to help make it suck less.
One of the most requested items I’ve received is a wine guide. Something with the most useful information in one place. Things you’ve wanted to know about wine but have been too scared to ask.
So I spent the past few months doing exactly that. And in true Warner fashion, I did it with data.
Here’s where the nerdy fun happens
A few months ago I sent a survey out to 60+ of y’all on my Instagram to understand
1. what your biggest pain points were when it came to wine
2. what information you actually wanted that would make wine shopping easier & more enjoyable.
Here’s what I found out:
Most people shop for wine at grocery stores (37.5%) followed by speciality wine shops (25%)
Some of the most common words when asked to describe how you currently feel when shopping for wine were: overwhelmed, curious, unsure, confused.
This just confirms I wasn’t alone feeling this way in the wine aisle, and neither are you!!
The most common words when asked how you want to feel when shopping for wine were: confident, knowledgeable, adventurous, and excited
When asked what the biggest areas of confusion when shopping for wine are, your most common responses were:
“Overwhelm by the number of options to choose from” - 62.5%
“Worry I won’t like it, or that other people won’t like it” - 50%
“Unfamiliarity with a region or grape” - 37.5%
“Knowing what I like when I taste it, but not knowing what I’m looking for” - 29.7%
Armed with this info and a list of the top wine questions y’all have asked, I got to work.
I spent the past few months compiling and revising the most useful tips and tricks I personally use to shop for and discover quality wine I know I’ll enjoy. I hired a graphic designer to make it beautiful because let’s be real, that’s not my forte. And now it’s finallyyy ready!
Meet Pocket Confidence!
Introducing Pocket Confidence, a 26-page guide to help you become more confident shopping for and picking out wine!
I wrote it in the same way I talk and film my videos, so if you like those, I think you’ll be happy.
Some of my favorite (and most useful) sections include:
Tips I use to spot quality wines
Underrated regions to get the best bang for your buck
How to read a wine label & decode confusing terminology
Food & wine pairings 101
It’s like having a mini me in your pocket! I’ve taken the same tools I apply when selecting wines in my grocery store rec videos and given you the blueprint.
I feel so confident about the information in this guide and am thrilled to be sharing it with you.
To thank you for being a subscriber, I’m releasing it to you first before I publically post about it!
For the cost of a bottle of wine, you can skyrocket your confidence, stop wasting money on wines you don’t like, and start discovering ones you do.
Thank you as always for your support, for trusting me with answering your wine questions, and for turning Confidence Uncorked into a dream I never thought was possible 🙏
If you have any questions or thoughts about this guide or a future resource you’d love to see, please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email directly hello@confidenceuncorked.com