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A Veranda report draws on wine professionals Sarah Bray and Elyse Lovenworth to compare choosing wine with buying art. Their advice is to set a budget, describe the style or mood you want in everyday language, and ask a sommelier or wine seller for guidance; the analogy is a way to explain personal preference, not a claim that wine and art have the same value or purpose.
Wine professionals Sarah Bray and Elyse Lovenworth are urging diners and shoppers to approach wine choices as they might art purchases: start with a budget and a sense of the style or mood you want, then ask an expert to help narrow the options. The comparison, reported by Veranda, offers practical advice for people who feel unsure ordering wine, while emphasizing that taste is personal and a sommelier’s recommendation is an opinion, not a fact.
Bray, associate director of The Wine Center at Meadowood Napa Valley in California, says buyers should be more specific than simply asking for a color or category. Rather than requesting “a blue painting,” she says, a gallery visitor might name an artistic influence or where a work would fit. Applied to wine, that means describing a white as light and crisp or rich and silky, and doing the same for red, sparkling or rosé. Occasion and budget can help refine the request.
Lovenworth, a Philadelphia-based lead sommelier for online wine shop and tasting company Sommsation, says professionals can help customers who want to make an informed choice but lack confidence. The report says bringing photos of bottles or artwork a person likes—or dislikes—can give the conversation a useful starting point. The aim, according to the two professionals, is to help customers make choices with more confidence and discover wines they might not have tried.
The analogy also accounts for variation between bottles and vintages. Bray says wines from the same site can share characteristics while tasting different from year to year, because each vintage reflects a particular growing season and winemaking choices. She compares this to an artist returning to the same landscape: related works may share a subject but remain distinct. The report does not present this comparison as a technical measure of wine quality; it is a way to describe how craft and variation shape the experience.
A More Personal Way to Order
For diners, the practical point is that ordering wine does not require specialized vocabulary or a memorized list of grape varieties. Saying a wine should feel lively, cozy, elegant or bold gives a sommelier clues about the experience a customer wants. Describing texture—such as silky or grippy—can also help. The approach may make a restaurant interaction less intimidating for someone who is uncertain about the menu.
It also puts budget and preference ahead of prestige. Lovenworth says experts’ recommendations remain subjective and that the best bottle is the one the customer enjoys. That matters in a category often associated with luxury, where prices and reputation can make buyers feel that there is a single correct choice. The report does not promise that this method will identify a universally “best” wine or guarantee value; it frames clear communication as a way to find a better personal match.
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The Art Comparison Explained
The comparison emerged during a wine education class hosted by Bray, according to the Veranda report. It followed the publication’s earlier guide to ordering wine at a restaurant. The piece develops the connection through similarities in craft, expression and subjective response, rather than treating wine as literal visual art.
One difference is the meaning of “vintage.” In wine, the term refers to the year the grapes were grown; in art, the report describes it as an age category for works. The shared word is a prompt for comparison, not evidence that the terms have identical meanings. Bray’s point about changing vintages is that wines from a producer or site may retain a recognizable character while reflecting different conditions each year.
““That’s where art curators and sommeliers come in.””
— Elyse Lovenworth, lead sommelier for Sommsation
Where the Analogy Has Limits
The report offers professional perspectives and practical suggestions, not research showing that ordering wine this way leads to better purchases or lower spending. It provides no data on customer outcomes, pricing or how widely restaurants and retailers use the approach. The comparison is also interpretive: wine and art differ in how they are made, consumed, stored and valued.
The supplied material does not establish that any bottle will appreciate financially or that wine should be treated as an investment. It mentions that wine can be collected, but provides no evidence or financial guidance on resale value. Readers should understand the art analogy as a communication tool for expressing taste, not a guarantee about quality, market value or future returns.
Applying the Advice at Dinner
The next step is for a customer to tell a restaurant sommelier or shop owner what they plan to spend, the occasion, and a few qualities they like or want to avoid. A description such as “a crisp white that feels lively” is enough to begin; a photo of a wine previously enjoyed can add detail. Customers can ask for alternatives at different prices before choosing.
The Veranda report does not announce a new policy or scheduled industry change. Its guidance is available to use the next time someone orders or shops for wine, with the final choice left to the drinker’s taste.
Key Questions
What does it mean to choose wine like art?
It means starting with budget, personal style and the occasion, then describing the experience you want and asking a wine professional for suggestions. The comparison is about making a personal choice, not treating wine and art as identical.
What should I tell a sommelier if I do not know wine terms?
Use ordinary words for texture, mood or personality. You could ask for something crisp, silky, lively, cozy, elegant or bold, and mention bottles or styles you have liked or disliked.
Does the report say there is one best wine?
No. Lovenworth says wine recommendations are subjective and that the best wine is the one the person enjoys. The report gives advice for communicating preferences, not a universal ranking.
Does comparing wine to art mean a bottle is an investment?
No. The report discusses craft and collecting but does not establish that wine will rise in value or provide investment advice. Its central recommendation concerns choosing a bottle to enjoy.
Source: rss
