Food & Wine festival - how does one become a wine drinker?

[ZephyrHawk]

Having had to introduce my husband to the glories of wine, I have some experience with this.

First of all, don't start with reds. These can seem somewhat bitter to the unfamiliar pallatte and might put off a wine beginner entirely. Also, the tannins in reds make for more headaches the next day (same with champagne). Start with something light and perhaps a little sweet. Reislings are good. Or perhaps the Canada icewine would be a good choice. These are the equivalent of alcoholic pop, but hey...nothing wrong with that. Heartier whites and Rose's would be the next step. Then try for lighter reds. Finally, when you graduate to actually liking heartier reds, you can profess yourself a wine appreciator.

And yes, there is no reason for wine snobbery. My current favorite wine can be found for $6-$10 at my local grocery store. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate the expensive stuff, it just means that I can find beauty in all things. However, I will give one word of advice. If it's got an animal on the bottle, it's probably not going to be the best thing you've ever tasted.

 

[cdtommie]

I'm more of a beer drinker myself and I find the better beers to be more interesting and complex than most wines(I'm sure I'll get disagreement from the wine lovers for this view) but they can both peacefully co-exist despite the lack of respect beer gets due to dumb BMC advertising campaigns...this is starting to change a bit finally. They always say "drink what you like" when it comes to wine so as other have posted just start drinking! Whites might be easier to start with since you can probably start with a basic sweet vs. dry preference and ask at the booths before purchasing.

 

[momomonster]

I used to enjoy beer a lot, but it's much too heavy for me since I lost weight and there simply isn't that much room in my belly. Still enjoy a pint of Guinness, though! YUM!

My favorite "splurge" wine has an animal on it- Kenwood Jack London merlot has a wolf. . . mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. $25 bottle tastes like $100.

The sulphur in white wine will cause nasty headaches if you're sensitive. The impurities and tannins in red will cause nasty hangovers if you're sensitive to those. The secret is that decent roses have fewer of both, so you're less likely to get headaches OR hangovers.

 

[Leota]

I just went & looked at the 2006 wine offerings...

Start out in Germany for their Reislings

Thailand has a Vouvray offering - I don't think Thailand is at this years Festival tho, so check France for that, that's where it's from.

South Africa & a couple others have Chenin Blanc - try those

Italy has Rosa Regale, which I don't care for, but it's sweet & bubbly which alot of folks like.

Ireland has Meade, which is wine made from honey. That is pretty easy drinking.

New Zealand has a Sauvignon Blanc which may be ok for you- it's crisp, but has alot of fruit forward characteristics which will make it easy for a beginner palate.

USA had a Zinfandel - That's a good red to start with. Usually Zins are pretty fruit forward & spicy with low tannins.

I don't see any White Zins (which I cannot stand, but they are good beginner wines)

Another generalization - The lower the alcohol content, the higher the residual sugar.

One more Generalization - New World wines tend to be more fruit forward (think CA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) Also, cooler climate wines tend to have nice fruit & high acidity (think Germany, NY,WA, Alsace)
Where Old World Wines tend to be "drier" more complex & more tannic (think France, Italy, Spain) I think New World Wines are easier for the beginner palate in general (not always, just in general)

Websites I enjoy for Wine are wineloverspage.com & corkd.com. tv.winelibrary.com is also alot of fun.

 

[jenelope]

I think it's funny, too, but after watching Sideways and that one character *freaking out* over the suggestion he would have to drink Merlot, I'm laughing harder about the wine snobs!

That line is the reason I waited a long time to watch that movie. See, I dislike Merlot and since I was 22, I've been all about Pinot Noir, so I was worried that I would identify too strongly with that particular fictional whine, er, wine snob. And then I did watch it and cringed at the lecture on Vouvray, my favorite white. I can honestly say I've never drunk the spit bucket, though. Yeeaagh!

My sister has a subscription to a wine club. They send her a few bottles of a couple of different wines and information sheets on each. I love that idea in theory, but I'm an impulse wine shopper. Sometimes I want something rich and red. Sometimes I want a cheap bottle of Retsina. Luckily, I live very close to a grocery store with an absolutely outstanding wine section.

 

[crisi]

My husband gave me "drinking wine" as an anniversary present. I've been a lifelong wine drinker (not kidding - Italian family - a little wine in your seven up at Christmas dinner from as early as I can remember). He didn't drink it at all.

What he thought he'd like is the fruity whites people are recommending - the Reislings and the like. What he quickly became was a chewy red guy. If you like wimpy beers, go for those fruity whites. If you are a guiness kind of person in your beer taste, you probably won't like them and may prefer the reds.

There are also the sweet wines - the Eiswines (I'm misspelling that) and the Asti's and the Muscats. If you have a sweet tooth you can start there. I love the Toad Hollow Risque - a sweet bubbling cloying wine.

There are a lot of red blends out that are really decent cheap balanced wines. Menage a Trois Red was a favorite of our wine club - about $12 a bottle.

A wine club or a wine tasting is a great way to get a sample. Some states permit wine sampling as well - taste and determine what you like. You'll learn fairly quickly - I don't like a red I can see through. Also remember that just because it says "Merlot" on the outside of the bottle, it may not taste much at all like the Merlot from a different winery - so don't try one and give up on an entire grape. You might consider hosting a wine party - have everyone bring a bottle (or two) and host your own tasting. Just remember, the wines at the end of the night are ALWAYS going to taste better.

 

[Eeyore2003]

What he thought he'd like is the fruity whites people are recommending - the Reislings and the like. What he quickly became was a chewy red guy. If you like wimpy beers, go for those fruity whites. If you are a guiness kind of person in your beer taste, you probably won't like them and may prefer the reds.

I agree with this. I attended a class on wines and was instructed that it's not so much developing a taste for wines as finding the right kind of wines for your palette. It's not like you "start" with one wine and will develop into liking the "better" wines. There are some just like in beer that the majority of people will like and after that, you have to just start trying all different kinds and see which you like.

Even the same grapes produced in different soils and by different peoples will produce different flavors, which is why it's best to remember the name of the specific bottle of wine and vineyard itself. Not all Rieslings will taste the same, same with Gewurtztraminer, Chardonnay, etc.

 

[crisi]

Oh, I often do the wine flight at a restaurant - my husband gets a different flight. With one meal we try six wines. Doesn't take too long at that rate to get at least a feel. Flights tend to be similar - 3 reds or 3 whites.

 

[shovan]

Definitely go start with the Honey Meade in Ireland!!! There is some debate as to whether Mead is a wine or a beer in the way that it is processed. It also has a sort of yeasty taste that is somewhat similar to beer.

I can't add anything else to all of the great info. you've already been given by all these wise wine drinkers!

I can't think of a better opportunity than F&W Fest to learn & try different wines! Have Fun!

 

[Leota]

Oh, I often do the wine flight at a restaurant - my husband gets a different flight. With one meal we try six wines. Doesn't take too long at that rate to get at least a feel. Flights tend to be similar - 3 reds or 3 whites.

Love the Flight! DH & I do that as often as possible as well. A couple of the Bistros at the wineries we visit allow you to design your own flight based on your courses. I think that's a great idea.

I couldn't do a wine club either. I get cravings for certain wines. I have a nice little collection in the celler, but for instance, tonight I'd love a Pinot Grigio with dinner & don't have one. Time to visit my Wine Guy.

I don't turn my back on very many kinds of wine except the sweets. Then, only because they aren't food friendly. If a wine matches well with a dish I'm having, I'll try it. White or Red.

 

[luvpooh]

my parents are total oeneophiles (sp) and drink lots of wine, but my sister, my FI and I can't drink reds b/c of the tannins.
What we all mutually like are lighter whites. Non-oaky Chards, Sauvignon Blanc (my fave summer wine), Pinot Grigio, Rieslings and the one that's like a Riesling that starts with a G (I am not even attempting to spell it!). Rieslings are my sister and my FI's favorite, and they used to not be as readily available, say as recently as 5 years ago, but now appear on more and more restaurant menus.
There is one Italian red that we drink on very rare occasions, with a cheese plate mostly. It's Villa Antinori and it's a blend. It's very light and easy to drink. We had it for the 1st time last year at the wine and cheese tasting we did at WDW.
One thing I can tell you, we really don't like White Zin. FI says it tastes like vinegar, LOL. His mother drinks it all the time. We call it 'swill' (no offense!!!)

 

[crisi]

I don't turn my back on very many kinds of wine except the sweets. Then, only because they aren't food friendly. If a wine matches well with a dish I'm having, I'll try it. White or Red.

Don't underestimate the sweets with cheese, fruit or chocolate. They aren't great meal wines, but they can be great "afternoon snack" wines.

 

[shovan]

Don't underestimate the sweets with cheese, fruit or chocolate. They aren't great meal wines, but they can be great "afternoon snack" wines.

My DD baked a super dark chocolate cake with a ganache icing for my SIL's B-day yesterday. I popped open a bottle of Rosa too go with it, & the whole family was just blown away! They thought I was very strange when I opened it, but then they all became believers that sweet wines can go with deserts!!!

 

[webray]

Im usually a beer drinker but I'll be there at the F&W festival. Have a Food & Wine pairing and a cheese tasting scheduled.
How does one become a wine drinker? are there begineer wines to get ones taste adapted? are there wines to avoid? are there wines to "grow into"? I'll be attending the Coral Reef wine pairing and the France cheese tasting.
Please tell me everything you know about wines?

Just go and enjoy your tastings. At the events you are told all about the wines/foods you are tasting.

Wines are very subjective. What one person likes, the next person will not. Everyone is different. The best thing to do is experiment.

 

[schoen]

You have a lot of good advice here. I recently went through this process myself. I would also recommend flights. Start out with a riesling move to a pinot grigio and finish off with a chardonay. When you are finished, try the riesling again, it should taste like sweet water!

On the red side you may need to warm your palate up. Start off with a pinot noir move on to a merlot then to shiraz then to a cab. I would end with a zin (which is VERY different than a white zin) You might not like the reds as much at first. I started drinking red wine by pairing it with chocolate. It might sound weird, but it tastes amazing. Now I love red wine, and rarely drink white.

I would also warn you against spending a ton on wine. The 8-12 dollar range has MANY wonderful bottles. You don't need to be a snob to enjoy wine.

 

[nurseboy]

I'm more of a beer drinker myself and I find the better beers to be more interesting and complex than most wines(I'm sure I'll get disagreement from the wine lovers for this view) but they can both peacefully co-exist despite the lack of respect beer gets due to dumb BMC advertising campaigns...this is starting to change a bit finally. They always say "drink what you like" when it comes to wine so as other have posted just start drinking! Whites might be easier to start with since you can probably start with a basic sweet vs. dry preference and ask at the booths before purchasing.

Totally agree with the first part......Do not fear, if you have tasted and appreciated various beer styles, then your pallete is already developed. Also, you may actually appreciate some tannins in bold reds as it is a similiar pleasant bitterness found in beers with early hop additions (think American IPA styles).

Same goes for you oenophiles. If you've never tasted beer other than Bud or Coors, then be sure to stop over at the Hops and Barley Market. Koch has about a dozen different style to sample there. Enjoy.