Red Wine 2
Red Wine, White Wine, and Rose Wine Discussed
Red Wine, White Wine, and Rose Wine:
All You Need to Know about the Basics
Wines are a little bit confusing; although everybody basically knows the difference between red wine, white wine and rose wines, a lot of other terms that are bandied about in the wine industry or are used on wine bottle labels can be confusing. What does Shiraz mean? What does table wine mean? Here is a beginner lesson in what all those confusing terms mean.
Wine 101
As mentioned before, wines are generally divided up into three groups: red wine, white wine, and rose wine. White wines and rose wines are usually served chilled, while red wines are served at room temperature or slightly below in order for their full bouquet to be appreciated.
Wine grapes vs. supermarket grapes
All wines sold in shops are made from grapes unless otherwise stated on the bottle. However, the grapes used in wine production are not the same as grapes that are sold in supermarkets to eat as food; on a sweetness scale of one to ten, supermarket grapes are about a 7.5, while grapes used in winemaking are about a 12.
Blended wines and table wines
Different varieties of grape make different types of wine that have completely different flavors, textures, and colors. The type, species or subspecies of grape that is used to make wine is called a varietal. Inexpensive wines generally use several different types of varietal; although many of these mixed varietal wines are good, they are considered to be of lower quality than single varietal wines or wines that are a blend of only two varietals. You can easily identify a wine that is made from many different kinds of grapes; the label will only say that the contents of the bottle are “white wine” “red wine” or “rose wine”. The label will not contain the names of any grape varietal. These wines are also called table wines or will have the French term “vin ordinaire” or ordinary wine. The wines may also be described as sweet, medium, or dry, with dry meaning the wine is not sweet in any way.
Varietals: Reds
Now this is where things get a bit more complicated. Wines can further be categorized according to the type of grape that was used in the wine’s production. For example, a wine bottle which contains the word “Shiraz” or the word “Malbec” means the wine inside was made almost exclusively with Shiraz grapes or with Malbec grapes. Each type of grape will make a wine that tastes subtly different. Here are a few of the most common red wine varietals and their main characteristics:
Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon A deeply colored wine that is high in tannins. Tastes of black fruit such as blackcurrant, vegetables such as bell peppers and can be high in acidity. Other tastes or flavors that may be present are black cherry, chocolate, vanilla and oak. The oak flavour is due to the oak barrels in which it may be aged. Cabernet Sauvignon wines pair well with beef, stews, steaks, strong cheeses and dark chocolate.
Merlot Merlot usually has a fuller body than Cabernet Sauvignon, but has a softer flavour and a medium tannin level. Tastes of red fruit such as strawberries; and wines that are made with super-ripe grapes will taste like fruitcake and chocolate. Food pairings include pork tenderloin, hamburgers, lamb, and hard cheeses.
Shiraz (Syrah) Deeply colored with medium to high tannin levels, this wine has a flavor that is reminiscent of blackberry, black pepper, warm spices and to some extent, chocolate and oak. Shiraz pairs very well with steak, grilled lamb, beef fondue, BBQ ribs, pork chops and hard cheese.
White Wines
White wines also come in varietals, and here are three of the most common:
Chardonnay A very delicate wine that is slightly fruity in flavour, and depending on the region where it is grown, is can taste of green apples, pear, citrus fruit, or tropical fruit. Chardonnay can also be oaky and buttery in character, and has high natural acidity. Food pairings include seafood, grilled vegetables, soft, creamy cheeses, asparagus and chicken.
Sauvignon Blanc A crisp, dry white wine of medium to high acidity that has flavors that make one think of gooseberries and green fruit. Sauvignon Blanc is a nice wine to have on its own, but it also goes well with marinated chicken, oysters, Swiss cheese and Cobb salad.
Riesling A wine that is slightly sweeter but can vary between sweet to dry. Tastes include green fruit, citrus, stone fruit, honey, mango and pineapple. Most Rieslings have high acidity, and pair well with trout, curries, and desserts such as pumpkin pie.
Rose Wines
Pronounced “ro-ZAY”, these are basically wines made with red varietals in which the grape skins were removed after a short while, resulting in a wine with slightly lighter characteristics and a pink color. Rose wines are always served chilled. Varietals used for making Rose, Rosado, Rosato or “blush” wines as they are also known, are Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Zinfandel or the Italian Sangiovese varietal.
Rose wines can range from very sweet to bone dry, with the European versions being the driest on the market. If a person has never tried wine before, rose wines are usually the perfect introduction as they are a bit lighter in tannins, which take some getting used to. Rose wines are also incredibly versatile when it comes to food pairings; because they have both the characteristics of white and red wines, they will go well with almost any meal.
How to Find Great Wines for Under $15
How to Find Great Wines for Under $15
The wine world is full of snobbery and some so-called “experts” will exclaim that good wines under $15 dollars don’t exist, and are always ready to ridicule the tastes and preferences of people who may not know much about wines. This is the part about wine education that can be very intimidating to some people. However, a beginner need not fear; learning about wines can be a lot of fun once the misplaced elitism is taken away. As many sommeliers and multi-starred chefs will say, the best wine is the wine that YOU like. And this is how you find which wines work best for you, at a price you can more than afford.
The best way to get to learn about wine and build up an idea of what you like and don’t like is to throw a party. That’s right. Instead of paying mega-bucks to go to a wine-tasting hosted by a shop or alcohol outlet, invite all of your friends over and have your own wine tasting. You and your friends don’t need any previous knowledge about wine for the event to work; in fact, in some cases it works better if people don’t have any preconceived notions about wine tastings.
In order to try the most wines possible at the event, each guest should bring along one bottle. The only rule is that the bottle of wine MUST cost under $15 or $10 if you and your friends are on a tight budget. If you or your friends have difficulty deciding on a wine when you’re in the shop, just ask an employee to help you; they usually know which wines are half-way decent. Just let the employee know you’re on a budget, and keep in mind that at this point, it doesn’t matter if the wine chosen is red or white; the name of the game is just trying new things.
Before your party guests arrive, make sure that you have a few snacks; have some sliced fruit, some sliced vegetables, some cheeses, cold-cuts and crackers and maybe some chips in nice bowls. Along with the nibbles, make sure that there is at least one sheet of paper and a pen or pencil for each guest to write with. Also make sure that you have a corkscrew and know how to use it so that you won’t be stuck trying to remove a wine cork with a butter knife or some other inappropriate instrument. Now you are all set for your wine tasting.
If 10 people show up to the wine tasting party, there will be 11 wines including your chosen bottle to sample from. The rules are simple; everybody tastes the same wine at the same time. Everybody writes down the name of the wine on their paper, and after tasting they must answer the question “Would you spend 15 bucks on this?” If a person answers “maybe”, it counts as a “no”; remember, we’re looking for wines that are great, not mediocre or passable.
Guests can eat snacks the entire time, and encourage everyone to write down any observations about the wine that they may have, such as foods they think may go well with the wine, any outstanding characteristics, or what they think may make the wine taste so yummy. Some of the wines are going to be terrific; other wines are going to be absolute splonk. The great thing is that you and your guests will have the opportunity to sample as many wines as there are guests, you’ll be able to express your feelings about the wines served without the fear of being ridiculed by the infamous wine snobs, and you’ll be experiencing a new learning experience with your friends in a fun, relaxed environment.
This was how I started to build up my wine knowledge base, and I am very proud to say that I know a heck of a lot about wines, and I have never had to pay to go to a “wine tasting”. Some of my friends in the bartending industry took wine tasting courses that cost them up to $250 a session; all they got to try were 3 red wines, 2 white wines and had to sit through a lot of lectures on how to “taste” good wine. Furthermore, they weren’t allowed to really form their own opinion; they were basically told that the wines they were drinking were “good”. The result of their wine drinking courses was that none of them actually like wine at all now and have the idea that wine needs to be incredibly expensive to be enjoyable. Simply not true.
At your wine party, you will find that some people will absolutely love a wine that others will feel neutral about or will thoroughly hate. Wine, like everything else in life, is subjective; what’s awesome for you may be quite gross for someone else. However, the point of the wine-tasting party is to start building your wine knowledge and discover what tastes good to you without spending a fortune and wasting your precious time. As I mentioned earlier, I got my start at a wine tasting party back in 1998 where the maximum price per bottle was $8; and now, many years later, two of the wines I had at that party are still my all-time favourites, even though I’ve been very privileged to have bottles of wine that cost in the neighborhood of several hundred dollars.
Enjoy your wine party, and never forget that nobody can tell you what to like: the best wine on the market is always the one that YOU happen to like best!