WineBase Guide to Wine
New To Wine Drinking
For those new to wine drinking, the idea is to have fun.
Relax and take your time and enjoy the process. There are no strict rules that must be followed.
Slow down, and pay attention to the wine you are drinking. Look at it, smell it, take a sip, swish it around in your mouth. Use all your senses.
Take another sip, but this time try tasting the wine with your eyes closed.
You have wanted a date with this person for ages and finally they agree! You’re both wearing your best gear; it’s a gorgeous restaurant and the menu is absolutely mouth watering. All’s going well until your companion murmurs in your ear “I’ll let you choose the wine”
Situation 2
You could be entertaining a business client who leaves the choice of wine bottle in your supposedly capable hands.
Selecting wine
Result
Romance or business, the outcome is the same. You go through the motions of being knowledgeable and finally choose one you know how to pronounce. Or, even worse, a variety your Dad drinks, little do you know he gets it from the supermarket for 40p a litre in a plastic bottle and decants it before you arrive. And the result is a tear inducing bitter concoction that you wouldn’t give to your cat to use as a mouthwash. Either that or a bland tasteless number that might just as well be coloured water. You also get a very disappointed date or client, not to mention a tarnished image as a professional sophisticated person of the world.
Guide
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Yes, there can be a lot of snobbery about wine but a little knowledge can go a long way. What you need is a little stable of wines that you know and like and can rely on at least a couple of them to be on most restaurant menus. The only way to do this is to practice and drink a few different varieties.
The Wine
Let’s start by finding out what style of wine you actually enjoy drinking.
Whites
Dry, refreshing and perfumed: Rieslings.
Honeyed: Chenin Blanc.
Tangy, green: Sauvignon Blanc.
Creamy and buttery: Chardonnay.
Sweetish: Semillon.
Reds
Full flavoured, high in tannin (the stuff that makes your teeth feels like they need a good clean) tastes of blackcurrant: Cabernet Sauvignon.
Less tannin than Cabernet, honeyed, juicy, velvety: Merlot.
Hot, smoky, spicy, peppery: Shiraz.
Smooth, elegant, strawberry or cherry taste, and very drinkable: Pinot Noir.
Sparkling wine is a great way to get any dinner party started and compared with still wines, there are significantly fewer choices to be made. We’ll save these tips for another time.
Relax and take your time and enjoy the process. There are no strict rules that must be followed.
Slow down, and pay attention to the wine you are drinking. Look at it, smell it, take a sip, swish it around in your mouth. Use all your senses.
Take another sip, but this time try tasting the wine with your eyes closed.
Situations and Guide
Situation 1You have wanted a date with this person for ages and finally they agree! You’re both wearing your best gear; it’s a gorgeous restaurant and the menu is absolutely mouth watering. All’s going well until your companion murmurs in your ear “I’ll let you choose the wine”
Situation 2
You could be entertaining a business client who leaves the choice of wine bottle in your supposedly capable hands.
Selecting wine
Result
Romance or business, the outcome is the same. You go through the motions of being knowledgeable and finally choose one you know how to pronounce. Or, even worse, a variety your Dad drinks, little do you know he gets it from the supermarket for 40p a litre in a plastic bottle and decants it before you arrive. And the result is a tear inducing bitter concoction that you wouldn’t give to your cat to use as a mouthwash. Either that or a bland tasteless number that might just as well be coloured water. You also get a very disappointed date or client, not to mention a tarnished image as a professional sophisticated person of the world.
Guide
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Yes, there can be a lot of snobbery about wine but a little knowledge can go a long way. What you need is a little stable of wines that you know and like and can rely on at least a couple of them to be on most restaurant menus. The only way to do this is to practice and drink a few different varieties.
The Wine
Let’s start by finding out what style of wine you actually enjoy drinking.
Whites
Dry, refreshing and perfumed: Rieslings.
Honeyed: Chenin Blanc.
Tangy, green: Sauvignon Blanc.
Creamy and buttery: Chardonnay.
Sweetish: Semillon.
Reds
Full flavoured, high in tannin (the stuff that makes your teeth feels like they need a good clean) tastes of blackcurrant: Cabernet Sauvignon.
Less tannin than Cabernet, honeyed, juicy, velvety: Merlot.
Hot, smoky, spicy, peppery: Shiraz.
Smooth, elegant, strawberry or cherry taste, and very drinkable: Pinot Noir.
Sparkling wine is a great way to get any dinner party started and compared with still wines, there are significantly fewer choices to be made. We’ll save these tips for another time.
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