Most often, the knowledge of a simple layman in the choice of wine ends with the fact that red is for meat, and white is for fish. Imagine the surprise of such a person when it turns out that not everything is so simple and even this constant is not constant. How, then, to navigate in this abundance of proposals and choose the right wine? About all the nuances – in our material.
Choosing a store is the first step to good wine
Still, wine is a product that is worth buying in stores specializing in the sale of this drink. There is less chance of running into outright disgusting or fake. Plus, in such stores most often there is a kavist. This is a trained specialist who will be able to correctly select the right wine for the needs of each buyer, and he, in turn, will not have to rack his brains over all these grape varieties, areas of growth and production, bottle bottoms … in return, he gives the saved time and a bottle of the very wine that will undoubtedly decorate the evening.
Action is not a vice
The reduced price of wine still does not mean anything. This does not mean at all that the product has deteriorated or stale and needs to be sold as soon as possible. The store may reduce the price for reasons that are not at all obvious to the buyer. For example, it can be joint promotions with importers and manufacturers or an increase in sales turnover. Do not disappear the same product in this case?
price issue
When choosing wine, being guided by the price tag is not the best strategy. Of course, this is an important criterion, but it is fundamentally wrong to believe that the more expensive the drink, the better it is. It is worth giving a chance to a bottle of sauvignon blanc from Chile, the cost of which most often does not exceed 500 rubles, as it will become clear as daylight. However, one must understand that wine from Bordeaux or Chablis, which is popular all over the world, of course, cannot be cheap. But if there is a drink from these regions worth less than 500 rubles on the shelf, you need to be wary. Most likely, something positive from such a purchase will not have to wait.
Opinions on the Internet – “in the furnace”
All these Internet experts in everything in the world hang labels with a light hand and sprinkle abstruse concepts right and left. In fact, this is nothing more than a matter of taste. Certain wines can smell like gasoline to some, and only knowledgeable people will know that this is the smell that is inherent in high-quality German Rieslings.
Opinions of professionals – for verification
If you approach the choice of wine quite professionally, then you can turn to the opinions of experts. There are many blogs of professional critics and sommeliers. However, here, too, you should be careful. Before trusting a stranger on the network, you must first pass a compatibility test. It is simple: we take the recommendation of an expert, go to the store, buy what is said, uncork the bottle and try. If this is what you need, your tastes match. If not, move on to the next expert.
Understand and forgive
You can listen to anyone, but until you try this or that wine on your own, you won’t be able to build an objective opinion. In order to understand whether you like some drink or not, it is not at all necessary to be a professional. As they say, taste and color… All wines are different. A sample of drinks from different grape varieties, price categories and density will sooner or later give its results. With experience comes the realization that you like more. As soon as priority preferences are determined, wandering between wine racks with arched eyebrows will be at least halved.
moving on
It became clear what the soul lies in? So, while moving on. You should not stop at one wine or one region of production. A single drink cannot be equally suitable for different situations and meals. Experiment, because now you have an initial understanding of what is closer.
It is important to remember that those who claim that Italian wines are better than French ones because the latter are sour are not very versed in these drinks.
Facts
Of course, the most competent approach to the choice of wines will be focusing on the region of growth and grape varieties. Although there are a great many of them and in different countries they give different shades of taste, still Pinot Noir is always a story about acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is about lightness and drinkability, Merlot is a berry component, and Gewürztraminer is a bright aroma of spices. As for the regions, it is worth remembering that the more north the area where grapes grow, the lighter and fresher the drink made from it is. The southern lands give the wine a denser body and make it more tannic and full-bodied.
Meet by clothes
The last clue in choosing wine will be the shape of the bottle. However, this advice is more suitable for those who already understand the intricacies and want to get a certain drink.
In particular, for wines bottled in Bordeaux, a characteristic bottle is used – with angular shoulders and straight edges. For red drinks in these lands, dark green glass is traditionally chosen, for dry whites – light green, and for white sweets – transparent. The shape of the bottle, called “Bordeaux”, in addition to the region that gave it its name, is used by New World winemakers working with grape varieties from Bordeaux, as well as in Italy, for example, for bottling Chianti.
Another type of vessel by which its contents can be recognized is the Burgundy bottle. It slightly expands in diameter closer to the neck, and also has sloping shoulders. In Burgundy, regardless of the type of wine – red or white – green glass is used for bottles. Such vessels are also used in the New World for bottling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In addition, the Burgundy bottle is used for barolo in Italy.
The Rhone bottle is slightly narrower in diameter than the one mentioned above. In addition, such vessels are often embossed in the form of a coat of arms. Such bottles are often found in the New World. Their content is shiraz.
German bottles can be recognized at a glance. They differ from the rest in height and the almost complete absence of hangers. By the color of the glass from which the bottle is made, you can understand from which particular region the wine came. Green means the drink came straight from the Moselle Valley or French Alsace. Brown means wine from the Rhine Valley.
It is no coincidence that a champagne bottle has such a shape that it can be easily distinguished from the rest on the shelf. Sloping shoulders, a curved bottom, thick glass – all this is necessary in order to provide the necessary pressure of six atmospheres. So the bubbles in sparkling and champagne can safely reach the glass.
The bottle for fortified wines is massive, has noticeable shoulders and a slight extension at the neck, and is made of thick dark glass. At the same time, according to the cork with which such a vessel is clogged, it is possible to determine the aging of the wine. A traditional long cork is necessary in order to preserve the drink for a long time, a short cork with a cap indicates that the contents of the bottle are not intended for storage.
What about in the restaurant?
If the restaurant bar card scares you with the number of unpronounceable positions, do not despair. Most often, wines on the menu are arranged in ascending order of intensity and saturation of taste characteristics. Accordingly, in any subcategory of the bar card (white, red, pink, sparkling, champagne), lighter drinks will go first, and then more full-bodied and dense.
If the restaurant has a sommelier, then you should not neglect his services. Let the specialist do his job. Firstly, most often it is this person who draws up the wine list, so he can vouch for each position. Secondly, the sommelier knows which wine is suitable for each of the dishes. After all, the bar list is not created in isolation from the menu, all combinations are thought out in advance. Therefore, in this matter, you can safely rely on a professional. The main thing is to clearly articulate your taste preferences to the sommelier.
