CHARLOTTE -- Whether you're a novice or pro wine drinker, you stand to learn something from Laura Maniec.
Maniec is just one of 32 female Master Sommeliers in the world.
She recently sat down with us to talk about her new wine bar and retail shop opening in Charlotte this week, and gave the following tips for wine drinkers everywhere:
1. Drink what you like. Keep in mind, "what grows together, goes together."
2. Champagne goes with everything!
3. Tannins are mostly used as a descriptor for red wine and are what give that dry sensation in the mouth. They come from the skins and stems of the grapes. They are vital in the aging of red wines.
4. Don't worry about the points scale, unless you are trying to impress someone. The wine points scale is the critics' way of judging a wine. The higher the wine on the scale, doesn't necessarily mean you'll like it anymore than one with a lower number.
5. A label tells you a lot. Many Europeans wines have AOC on the bottle which stands for the French term "appellation d'origine contrôlée." The region always will be listed before "AOC" on the bottle.
For more on Maniec's new wine bar and retail shop in Southpark, watch below: