Learning to Love Wine
It is an accepted sign of quality and elegance to enjoy wine. The ability to discern and discuss aromas and bouquets, the acidity, the fruity or oaky taste is an arcane knowledge, seemingly passed from generation to generation.
I grew up in the woods, where the main alcoholic choices were Busch, Bud, Miller and Corona. This was before there were "Light" versions. Our selection of wine was often made in plastic jugs with bread yeast and powdered sugar. Heaven knows how a sommelier would have described them, if he could bring himself to ignore the powerful aroma of a month-old vintage and bring the red plastic cup to his lips.
I tried it all, and hated it. The only way I could drink alcohol was if it was mixed, with a heavy emphasis on the juice and sugar. Yet, I wanted to enjoy wine. A glass of wine at dinner lends a sense of romance and class to the evening. I didn't know how to find a wine I enjoyed. The idea of spending a lot of money on something I probably wouldn't like didn't have any appeal to me, but I didn't know any other way to find out.
I had relegated myself to forgoing that pleasure until I read about ice wines. I don't like the taste of alcohol. I don't like bitterness. The article on ice wine was the first time I heard about dessert wines. The vintners wait until after the first hard frost to harvest the grapes. This causes the sugar to crystallize, making a much sweeter wine. I bought my first bottle of ice wine for my birthday, and found that I could enjoy wine! I tried other dessert wines after that: cherry wine, blackberry wine, etc. My husband and I both wanted to learn more about wine, to find more that we enjoyed, and so I decided to go about this systematically.
1. 1. I bought a blank journal to record what wines I've tried and whether I enjoyed them or not. I inc
2. 2. I bought a book on wines, and read through descriptions of regions that grow wine and what kinds of wines they produce. I also read about specific wines and the descriptions of their taste.
3. 3. Based on what I read, I bought and tried some wines I thought I would enjoy.
I found that I enjoy Lambrusco, a lightly bubbly Italian red wine. People who enjoy Champagne or Asti would probably enjoy this. I also enjoy German Shiraz, a sweeter white wine. From what I've read, I don't think I would enjoy the Australian version as much, because I have read it is more bitter. My husband enjoys Cabernet Sauvignon, a very dark, strong red wine. I could only drink it when eating something along with it. (Chocolate gives it a fruitier tone.) We tried a Cabernet Merlot, but the particular vintage we tried seemed very flat and uninteresting.
Slowly, we are developing our knowledge and taste. We read how sommeliers describe certain wines, and match their descriptions to what we taste, learning what they mean by "oaky" and "floral." The art of enjoying wine becomes less mysterious by the day. Don't be afraid to spend five to ten dollars on a bottle of wine when you're starting out. To get an idea of what you think you might like, consider your tastes in coffee, chocolate or cigars. If you like strong bold tastes, you are likely to go for strong red wines. If you like smooth, delicate or sweet tastes, you may find your favorites in dessert and white wines. When you go into the store, tell a sales associate that you want to learn about wine, and tell them about your tastes in other things. Likely, they have tried a lot of their stock and will be able to recommend some inexpensive, but good quality options. Record your findings. It won't do you any good if you find that perfect wine, and forget it's details. Above all, this should be fun! Enjoy!
Tags & Keywords : wine, hobbies, education