For the wine drinkers here, how do you learn to enjoy wine?

[jeneric997]

Honestly it's rare that I drink at all because I see what it does to my own mother. I have a drink maybe once a month now, unless I'm doing something social like going to Las Vegas. I'm just saying my drink of choice in the past was vodka-redbull, because I don't care much for beer and never enjoyed anything else. This was just morbid curiosity more than anything.

If you only drink once a month, I wouldn't bother with wine. DH and I waste a lot of wine. We open a bottle and have a glass with dinner. We have special wine stoppers that remove the air and a wine fridge and if we don't remember about the wine in a week or two it does not taste as good.

Why not mix vodka and a fruit flavored soda? Or maybe try White Claw, you like carbonation so try those.

I drink wine with food. I might have a glass after dinner, but I rarely open wine, just to drink something. That's what cocktails are for!

Maybe try Sangria, they sell it in the wine section and it might keep a little longer. You can add soda to it, like Sprite. That would give you the carbonation.

 

[Foxhound3857]

If you only drink once a month, I wouldn't bother with wine. DH and I waste a lot of wine. We open a bottle and have a glass with dinner. We have special wine stoppers that remove the air and a wine fridge and if we don't remember about the wine in a week or two it does not taste as good.

Why not mix vodka and a fruit flavored soda? Or maybe try White Claw, you like carbonation so try those.

I drink wine with food. I might have a glass after dinner, but I rarely open wine, just to drink something. That's what cocktails are for!

Maybe try Sangria, they sell it in the wine section and it might keep a little longer. You can add soda to it, like Sprite. That would give you the carbonation.

I tried White Claw and High Noon. Even the bitterness from those bothered me.

The drinks I've always liked are Vodka-Redbull, AMF and I'm okay with Screwdrivers. My dad likes Sea Breeze (vodka and cranberry juice), but that's way too bitter for me.

For beers, I generally go for a Modelo w/ lime or a Blue Moon.

 

[dizneegirl]

Try vodka and Crystal Light or Mio or equivalent (mixed with water, or carbonated water if you prefer). You'll get the same taste as vodka & Redbull. I like a vodka and lemonade. Or whiskey lemonade... it's sweeter. Or Red Stag and lemonade... thank you Epcot for that idea!

 

[Foxhound3857]

I like angry orchard but i can only buy the red apple version in my area, nobody sells the green apple one which I like way more.

Mikes Hard Lemonades are good too, particularly the blueberry and cherry ones, but damn are they high in calories. Mikes Harder Green Apple is delicious, actually.

 

[MaddieB223]

I'd recommend going to a wine tasting somewhere local and trying a flight of different varieties. If you're unsure of a preference for red vs white, try 2 of one and 3 of another (most flights near me offer 5 varieties). If you do know that you like one more than another, get the basic varieties of each kind. It really is about learning what you like! I really like dryer whites, so my go-to is usually sauvignon blanc. Hope you find your wine!!

 

[Foxhound3857]

I don't suppose there are any brands that sell a Green Apple wine? I love Green Apple flavor.

 

[tvguy]

I don't suppose there are any brands that sell a Green Apple wine? I love Green Apple flavor.

Yes. Stellarosa does.
https://stellarosawines.com/our-wines/stella-rosa-green-apple

 

[Foxhound3857]

Yes. Stellarosa does.
https://stellarosawines.com/our-wines/stella-rosa-green-apple

Does that even qualify as wine? It's only 5% alcohol. That's more like an Angry orchard.

 

[GAN]

So a heavier wine is likely to be on the more bitter side?

I had a choice between Cabernet and Blanc for this brand, and the alcoholic content only differs in 0.5% it seems. 13.5% for the cabernet, which is what I got, vs 13% for the blanc. Does that 1 proof make a significant difference?

Like I said, I like champagne, so if I'm going to try a white wine next, I want whatever has the closest taste to Brut champagne.

Honestly, Barefoot is a mass produced wine -anyone with any wine knowledge wouldn’t go near it. Here’s what I’d suggest… find a local wine shop that does weekly tastings and start going to them to try different wines. Over time you’ll find something you enjoy. Have someone at the shop help you pick out an economical wine that is actually good -I’d expect to pay $10-15 for a decent wine. Cin Cin…

 

[sheilafri]

I do like champagne. What tastes closer to that, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc?

I like the carbonation of champagne but it always seems to be way more expensive than wine.

Try a Prosecco. Slightly sweeter than champagne and can be much less expensive.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I'll go for Chardonnay from Sutter Home or Barefoot Cellars next time.

As a Chardonnay fan myself... I would advise just SKIPPING Sutter Home. It is not good. Barefoot is a much better choice. In that same shelf area in stores, YELLOW TAIL makes a really good Chardonnay.

Don't let people make you think you have to spend a lot to find something good. Especially when you are just trying stuff out to see if you like it.

 

[_19disnA]

Honestly, Barefoot is a mass produced wine -anyone with any wine knowledge wouldn’t go near it.

There is a lot of snobbery around wine drinking. Honestly, who cares if a wine is 'mass produced' if you like the taste? Your 'knowledge' of wine has nothing to do with how you happen to enjoy the taste of certain ones.

 

[GAN]

There is a lot of snobbery around wine drinking. Honestly, who cares if a wine is 'mass produced' if you like the taste? Your 'knowledge' of wine has nothing to do with how you happen to enjoy the taste of certain ones.

Your knowledge most definitely has something to do with how you enjoy it. If the OP enjoys the Barefoot -that's perfectly fine. I mistakenly thought she raised the issue because they were struggling to "enjoy" it. The truth is, many people "don't enjoy wine" because they haven't tried the right one yet ...there are many value options that aren't mass produced and are a better reflection of the grape you're drinking -and a good local wine shop can help you find them. That's not snobbery, that's just having a sense of curiosity and the desire to learn about something new.

 

[sarahann77]

I took a wine class in college. It was helpful. the most for me that helped find ones I liked were going to tastings. Different groceries have them - or did pre-Covid. Whole Foods had a Friday night happy hour with great pairings of food bites. Our other grocery also offers tastings on a particular night as well. We also have wine festivals so I've gone there and tried what sounded interesting. If I didn't like it I dumped it and moved on to the next. Most wineries around here offer tastings or even tasting flights.

You can also start based on the grape. The ones made with concord grapes were my first favorite. Those are used for grape juice and maybe an easier transition. Catawba wines are mostly made with those.

I don't care for wines that are oaky which is mostly reds so I do stay away from those. I don't care for the really dry either so a sweet or semi-sweet I'll stick with.

It is definitely trial and error with trying different brands, type of wines, type of grapes and level of sweet/dry

 

[Moliphino]

I do like champagne. What tastes closer to that, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc?

I like the carbonation of champagne but it always seems to be way more expensive than wine.

Costco has a prosecco that is consistently around $8-9 a bottle. We buy it by the case.

 

[redrosesix]

Brut is my preferred. My go-to is either Cooks or Barefoot Bubbly, occasionally Korbel.

As a former bartender, I can tell you a lot of people do not like wine and that's fine. Many people only like a few but there are some that most people enjoy with food. It's just like beer or cocktails...which some people only drink with food (some cocktails become like part of the dessert), some people love, and some people will never drink.

If you like the Barefoot sparkling wines then you like wine that is pretty much in the middle between dry and sweet (the pink ones are sweeter). Perhaps you would prefer fruit wines rather than wines made from grapes.

There are very few people who don't like Mateus Classic Rose, at least with food, and it goes with everything. And if you like that they also do a sparkling wine.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Your knowledge most definitely has something to do with how you enjoy it. If the OP enjoys the Barefoot -that's perfectly fine. I mistakenly thought she raised the issue because they were struggling to "enjoy" it. The truth is, many people "don't enjoy wine" because they haven't tried the right one yet ...there are many value options that aren't mass produced and are a better reflection of the grape you're drinking -and a good local wine shop can help you find them. That's not snobbery, that's just having a sense of curiosity and the desire to learn about something new.

As far as knowledge just like other alcohols just because something has "notes of vanilla" for example doesn't necessarily mean one picks it up nor that one finds it adds anything. Sometimes I've drank wine or beer that an aroma or note to it in the description actually is off putting to me or I don't taste it at all. Alcohol tastings (wine, beer or other hard liquor) often shows that when you get to talking about what you're tasting as opposed to others.

I agree that some people don't enjoy it because they haven't found the right one BUT A high dollar limited quantities from a prestigious label doesn't mean you're going to enjoy it any more than a lower cost mass produced not from a prestigious label. When you haven't found the right one it's because you're not aware of what you like or don't like, what flavors hit just right and what ones don't, etc. My taste palette varies quite a bit from my husbands where I prefer dark, chocolatey, coffee, even bitter notes. My husband enjoys a type of beer (I'm blanking on what it is at the moment) that only tastes like copper to me and I just don't like it at all.

The snob comment I assume is because you interjected "anyone with any wine knowledge wouldn’t go near it." If you're about finding the right one you'd recognize that the right one is going to be about what someone enjoys not what the label is.

 

[GAN]

As far as knowledge just like other alcohols just because something has "notes of vanilla" for example doesn't necessarily mean one picks it up nor that one finds it adds anything. Sometimes I've drank wine or beer that an aroma or note to it in the description actually is off putting to me or I don't taste it at all. Alcohol tastings (wine, beer or other hard liquor) often shows that when you get to talking about what you're tasting as opposed to others.

I agree that some people don't enjoy it because they haven't found the right one BUT A high dollar limited quantities from a prestigious label doesn't mean you're going to enjoy it any more than a lower cost mass produced not from a prestigious label. When you haven't found the right one it's because you're not aware of what you like or don't like, what flavors hit just right and what ones don't, etc. My taste palette varies quite a bit from my husbands where I prefer dark, chocolatey, coffee, even bitter notes. My husband enjoys a type of beer (I'm blanking on what it is at the moment) that only tastes like copper to me and I just don't like it at all.

The snob comment I assume is because you interjected "anyone with any wine knowledge wouldn’t go near it." If you're about finding the right one you'd recognize that the right one is going to be about what someone enjoys not what the label is.

The point being -there are better options at a value that generally might appeal to one's palette because they simply are better produced. Not saying I wouldn't drink Barefoot, but I wouldn't buy it because I understand there are better tasting wines for the same or slightly more money -that's all. That's knowledge an inexperienced drinker of wine struggles with ...which again, is why it's best to start with a local wine shop or tastings if you're interested in finding what you like. This coming from someone who's WSET certified(i.e., snob )

 

[Foxhound3857]

Your knowledge most definitely has something to do with how you enjoy it. If the OP enjoys the Barefoot -that's perfectly fine. I mistakenly thought she raised the issue because they were struggling to "enjoy" it. The truth is, many people "don't enjoy wine" because they haven't tried the right one yet ...there are many value options that aren't mass produced and are a better reflection of the grape you're drinking -and a good local wine shop can help you find them. That's not snobbery, that's just having a sense of curiosity and the desire to learn about something new.

He. Sorry about the confusion. lol

 

[Deanna Lamz]

I had a similar experience with Merlot and found it way too bitter. If you’re looking for something smoother, you might want to try a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel instead. They’re often easier on the palate.