What is a good "beginner" wine for someone not inclined to drink?!
What is a good "beginner" wine for someone not inclined to drink?
I grew up being very anti-alcohol because I lost many friends to related problems. However, lately I've come to accept drinking alcohol for the taste as a respectable social habit.
I've been cooking with wine for a very long time (real wines, I have actually never used a "cooking wine"), so I'm familiar with certain sorts, but I'm not sure how I'd fare with drinking even half of a glass of things I typically use just to flavor food. I've had a subscription to Food&Wine for the longest time, but I still have no idea what I might enjoy drinking.
I've always been a very hardcore water fan, but with the kind of "fine dining" I've been exposed to, it feels almost sacrilegious not to be "wining" as well, in certain places. I feel like I may be missing out.
I'm looking for something with a lower alcohol content, whereas, I've never "drank" before in my entire life. A sweeter wine would probably be better, I think. Something on the less expensive end, preferably.
Answers:
For sweeter wines to go with appetizers and main course, look towards German white wines or any Riesling (many countries, including U.S. make Riesling). Dessert wines are sweeter, but I would not want to drink a dessert wine with an appetizer or main course.
For reds, look toward Italian wines such as Chianti or Valpolicella. For other wines, pinot noir or shiraz are also good choices. Good luck!
Try any dessert wine. Beginners I know, also like pinot gris. If you live in a big city, go to a wine bar and try a few flights to see what you like or go wine testing. Like with any alcohol, it may take a few experiences to acquire a taste.
You still haven't found your friends?
strawberry hill
Try Les Bourgeois's Riverboat Red. It is more on the sweet side than the dry side which would probably suit someone better if they are "not inclined to drink".
A good wine for someone who is just starting to try wine is Riesling. This is a sweet white wine that is great with spicy food....especially Thai. It can also be sipped without food.
Not as sweet but still appealing to newbies would be Pinot Grigio and Gewurtraminer. Both are white wines that are easy to drink.
Realize that the same type of wine produced by different wineries can taste very different. You will find good wines in these varieties and you will also find "bad" ones. What you like is a matter of personal taste.