Can someone explain the basics of wine?!
I know that I prefer wine over any other alcoholic beverage but I don't know what the difference in wine is other than they're usually red or white!. Some cost so much and some so little!. I have had some great tasting wine at either end of the spectrum!. I'm not sure what the difference is!. I'm just curious to find what I like best, why and the difference between them all!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
a basic rundown:
Whites:
Pinot grigios!.!.lighter, fruitier!.!.!.sometimes a grapefruit or citrus taste!.!.!.a little more on the sweet side but still good with fish or chicken
Sauvignon Blancs!.!.!.more crisp tasting, still a grapey undertone but a little more on the dry side compared to pinot
Chardonnay!.!.!.these are usually more "buttery" or "woody" tasting, not always so great to drink on their own but good with food
Reislings!.!.!.these are sweeter, better for dessert wine or just to drink plain if you like a sweeter taste
Reds:
chiantis!.!.!.!.dry usually, good with heavy meals!.!.pastas, red meats, leave that drier pucker in your mouth at the end
cabernet sauvignons!.!.!.full body, great with steak, not always so great alone
Syrahs/Shiraz,!.!.!.still full body, not very dry though, dark berry flavors, usually good alone
Pinot Noirs!.!.!.medium body, great with lamb/pork/duck
Valpolicellas and Malbecs (my favorite, one from Italy and the other South America)!.!.!.great alone, medium bodied but great dark berry and fruit flavors, still not overly sweet
Sangiovese!.!.dry, peppery
Zinfandels!.!.!.these!.!.red or white!.!.!.are your easy drinking cheaper wine, sweet flavors
A lot goes into the flavor of each wine though, it depends on the varietal of the grape, even the soil it was grown in!.!.!.and then it depends on how long it was aged, whether or not is aged in wood or oak!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Whites:
Pinot grigios!.!.lighter, fruitier!.!.!.sometimes a grapefruit or citrus taste!.!.!.a little more on the sweet side but still good with fish or chicken
Sauvignon Blancs!.!.!.more crisp tasting, still a grapey undertone but a little more on the dry side compared to pinot
Chardonnay!.!.!.these are usually more "buttery" or "woody" tasting, not always so great to drink on their own but good with food
Reislings!.!.!.these are sweeter, better for dessert wine or just to drink plain if you like a sweeter taste
Reds:
chiantis!.!.!.!.dry usually, good with heavy meals!.!.pastas, red meats, leave that drier pucker in your mouth at the end
cabernet sauvignons!.!.!.full body, great with steak, not always so great alone
Syrahs/Shiraz,!.!.!.still full body, not very dry though, dark berry flavors, usually good alone
Pinot Noirs!.!.!.medium body, great with lamb/pork/duck
Valpolicellas and Malbecs (my favorite, one from Italy and the other South America)!.!.!.great alone, medium bodied but great dark berry and fruit flavors, still not overly sweet
Sangiovese!.!.dry, peppery
Zinfandels!.!.!.these!.!.red or white!.!.!.are your easy drinking cheaper wine, sweet flavors
A lot goes into the flavor of each wine though, it depends on the varietal of the grape, even the soil it was grown in!.!.!.and then it depends on how long it was aged, whether or not is aged in wood or oak!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
The more sugar used in the fermenting process the sweeter the wine will be, the less used the dryer!. Different things can affect flavors in wine such as aging, what is was aged in like oak or steel casks, the region the grapes were grown in, what was grown around the grapes (like spices & herbs, flowers, nuts, fruits/berries, or vegetables) will give subtle flavor notes on the finish!. Another important factor to consider is the year the grapes were grown and the region, some years the grapes were great some not so hot!. You can usually find ratings near the bottles or ask a store clerk for help in choosing a great one!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
That question is far too broad to be answered here!. The only way to find out is to experiment yourself and follow one simple rule:
Drink what you like!.
If you limit the question to cost, wines cost more for a few basic factors:
1!. "Prestige" of the winery
2!. Location (Napa vs!. Lodi for example)
3!. Fruit cost (related to location)
4!. Winemakeing technique (small barrels vs!. tank aging for example)
5!. Demand
You can see, these things are all interrelated, but none of them necessarily dictate whether a wine is "good" or "bad"!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Drink what you like!.
If you limit the question to cost, wines cost more for a few basic factors:
1!. "Prestige" of the winery
2!. Location (Napa vs!. Lodi for example)
3!. Fruit cost (related to location)
4!. Winemakeing technique (small barrels vs!. tank aging for example)
5!. Demand
You can see, these things are all interrelated, but none of them necessarily dictate whether a wine is "good" or "bad"!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Here is a website with some great basic information on how wine is made, check it outWww@FoodAQ@Com
the grape
where the grape is grown
and ageingWww@FoodAQ@Com
where the grape is grown
and ageingWww@FoodAQ@Com
Like many things, perception often influences what wines you enjoy compared with other wines of the same kind (cabernet, merlot, syrah etc!.)!. For example, when you go to the grocery store prices range anywhere from $5 to well over $40!. I have found lately as I drink more wine that a $10 bottle of wine with an ugly label can often taste much better than a $30 bottle by a different winery!. It's hard to not put price into your assessment of how good a wine is, but recent studies seem to show that it's almost impossible to eliminate that bias!. Sometimes I pick a wine off the shelf randomly but I've found label really influences how good I anticipate the wine to be and how good it may actually taste to me!.
We all have different taste buds so if your friend hates one and you enjoy it chances are you are both right!. Finding what you like is the hard part (and the most enjoyable)!. I suggest recommendations from friends that drink wine, going to a wine shop and explaining your experience with wine so far so they can recommend a good one for you, and just diving into the wine aisle at your grocery store!.
I try and avoid the corporate plonk like Yellow Tail, Fetzer, Robert Mondavi and the rest but sometimes these offer a great taste at a great price!.
Differences in the taste of wines comes from a number of factors, the kind of grape used in the fermentation process, where the grape was grown (and how), what kind of yeasts were used in fermentation, even cleanliness of the facility can affect (or make worse) the flavors in a wine!.
Enjoy!
Oh and the percentage of alcohol in each wine varies, which is why a glass of Zinfandel at 16% alcohol gets you drunker than a glass of Italian wine at 12%!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
We all have different taste buds so if your friend hates one and you enjoy it chances are you are both right!. Finding what you like is the hard part (and the most enjoyable)!. I suggest recommendations from friends that drink wine, going to a wine shop and explaining your experience with wine so far so they can recommend a good one for you, and just diving into the wine aisle at your grocery store!.
I try and avoid the corporate plonk like Yellow Tail, Fetzer, Robert Mondavi and the rest but sometimes these offer a great taste at a great price!.
Differences in the taste of wines comes from a number of factors, the kind of grape used in the fermentation process, where the grape was grown (and how), what kind of yeasts were used in fermentation, even cleanliness of the facility can affect (or make worse) the flavors in a wine!.
Enjoy!
Oh and the percentage of alcohol in each wine varies, which is why a glass of Zinfandel at 16% alcohol gets you drunker than a glass of Italian wine at 12%!.Www@FoodAQ@Com