Add ice cubes to bad wine (red or white) if you don’t have time to chill it before drinking. As the ice melts, it’ll water down the bad flavor, too.

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] X Research source

Pour just a little wine at a time. A glass that’s too full can’t breathe properly. [6] X Research source

If you have a sophisticated wine palette, experiment with mixing grape varieties. Who knows? You might end up with your own wine brand one day!

The scent of lemon will mix with the wine’s natural aromas, which helps balance the wine and lemon flavors. Lime juice will work in a pinch, but not as effectively because it doesn’t have as much citric acid.

The best sweetener is unfermented grape juice. Look for grape juice with no added preservatives or sugar at the grocery store.

Add as much carbonation to your wine as you like. A good place to start is 1 part soda water to 2 parts wine. [11] X Research source

Feel free to adjust the proportions of Coke to wine to your liking. Calimocho is also spelled as “kalimotxo” in some regions of Spain.

For a white sangria, add fruits like lemons, limes, peaches, or green apples with apple brandy and cane sugar. [15] X Research source 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!

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] X Research source 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!

Try hot cuisine like Indian or Thai food, Spanish chorizo, spicy salami, gumbo, or spicy soups.

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!

Other good food pairing options could be pork dishes, pizza, or pasta with red sauce.

Since smell guides our sense of taste, a better smelling wine will taste better too. If you can, use a penny made before 1982 (modern pennies have less copper in them, but will still work to some degree).