A Sommelier’s Lighthearted Take on New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions have a funny way of starting strong and fading fast. On January 1st, we’re full of optimism, bubbles in hand, convinced this is the year everything clicks. By mid-month, the gym bag is back in the trunk, the salad greens are suspiciously limp, and “Dry January” has quietly turned into “Well… maybe just this weekend.”

At SOMM&SOMM, we like resolutions that feel less like chores and more like curiosity. Wine and spirits were never meant to be about guilt or restriction. They’re about discovery, conversation, and the occasional surprise. So instead of promising less, why not promise better?

Let’s start with a little perspective.

The Bizarre Resolution Hall of Fame

(Yes, people really committed to these.)

“I will stop talking to my houseplants.”
Apparently the plants asked for space.

“I will only eat beige foods.”
A bold year for potatoes. A rough one for joy.

“I will learn to speak dolphin.”
Ambitious, optimistic, and short on study materials.

“I will stop Googling my own name.”
Usually broken before the Champagne goes flat.

“I will become famous without using the internet.”
A noble idea with a questionable business plan.

Note: Most resolutions fail because they’re either wildly unrealistic or painfully dull. Wine, thankfully, lives somewhere in between.

Wine and Spirit Resolutions (That Aren’t Dry January)

Dry January has its place, but it tends to dominate the conversation like an over-oaked Chardonnay at a dinner party. For those who prefer intention over abstinence, here are a few resolutions that encourage curiosity without sucking the fun out of the glass.

The SOMM&SOMM Resolution List

Obscure, fun, and actually doable

🍷 One Grape You’ve Never Heard Of Each Month

Skip Cabernet. Give Chardonnay a rest. Each month, seek out a grape you’ve probably never ordered before.

Think Assyrtiko, Timorasso, Mencía, Grignolino, or Xinomavro. Pronunciation is optional. Enjoyment is not.

Fun fact:
Italy alone has more than 500 documented indigenous grape varieties. You could drink a new one every week and still barely scratch the surface.

Start this resolution with a short toast 🍷
“To grapes with names we confidently mispronounce.”

🥃 Drink Older Than Your Drinking Habits

Once a month, choose something with real history behind it.

Armagnac instead of Cognac. Madeira instead of dessert wine. Genever instead of gin. Sherry that existed long before cocktail menus got clever.

Fun fact:
Madeira survived ocean voyages and tropical heat because it was intentionally heated. It’s one of the few wines that tastes better after being mistreated.

Toast to drinking nostalgically 🍷
“To spirits that have seen more history than we have.”

📝 The One-Sentence Wine Journal

Forget tasting grids and flavor wheels. Write one honest sentence per bottle.

“This tastes like fall arguing with summer.”
“I would absolutely drink this again, preferably outside.”
“Perfectly fine, but not worth pretending.”

Fun fact:
Your brain remembers how a wine made you feel more than what it tasted like. Emotion sticks. Technical notes fade.

Toast to echoing feelings 🍷
“To fewer notes and better memories.”

🍽️ Break One Pairing Rule Per Month

Once a month, intentionally color outside the lines.

Red wine with fish. Sherry with spicy takeout. Amaro at brunch. Sparkling wine with whatever you ordered last minute.

Fun fact:
Many classic pairings were discovered by accident, usually late at night and with zero planning.

Toast to discovery 🍷
“To wrong pairings that feel exactly right.”

🌍 The Passport Pour

Drink one wine or spirit from a country you’ve never explored in a glass.

Georgia. Slovenia. Uruguay. Israel. Mexico beyond tequila.

Fun fact:
Georgia is home to the oldest known winemaking tradition on earth, more than 8,000 years old, using clay vessels buried in the ground.

Toast to world travel… one glass at a time 🍷
“To stamps in the passport we keep on the shelf.”

⏳ The Slow Glass

Once a week, drink one glass only. Take 30 minutes to finish it. No phone. No TV. Just you and the glass.

Fun fact:
Wine changes in the glass. Aromas shift. Flavors open up. You notice things you miss when you rush.

Toast to quiet, intentional sips 🍷
“To slowing down enough to notice.”

🎭 Drink Blind, Decide Honestly

Once a month, taste something blind and commit to an opinion before you learn what it is. Wrong answers encouraged.

Fun fact:
Even Master Sommeliers get blind tastings wrong. Confidence comes before accuracy.

Toast to deductive tasting conversations:
“To being confidently wrong on the way to being right.”

A Final Thought on Resolutions

The best resolutions don’t punish. They invite.
They don’t restrict. They encourage.
They don’t dry you out. They open you up.

Wine and spirits aren’t about excess or abstinence. They’re about culture, connection, and curiosity. If you’re going to promise yourself anything this year, make it something that brings you back to the table.

May your resolutions age gracefully, your curiosity stay uncorked, and your glass always be half full. Preferably with something obscure.

Gregory Dean, SOMM&SOMM

Cheers 🍷