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Couple of general wine guidelines to help my younger brethren who are taking their first forays in to this arena.
Most Basic
Wines are either red, white, or blush/rose.
white and blush/rose wines are typically served chilled, red wine is typically served at room temperature.
red wine will typically have a higher alchohol percentage than white.
The color is dependent on the type of grape and how much grapde skin is put in during the winemaking process.
In the US and Australia, wines are more often labeled by the grape type whereas in Europe, especially France, wine is labeled by region. The French believe in terroir, in that the area in which the grape is grown is more important than the types of grape used.
Common wine types separated by red/white
RED
Bordeaux - French Region style
Burgundy (Vin de Bourgogne)- French Region style
Barolo - Italian style
Sangiovese - Italian style
Cote de Rhone -French region style
Pinot Noir -grape name
Cabernet Sauvignon - grape name
Cabernet Franc -grape name
Syrah - grape name, same as Shiraz
Nebbiolo - grape name
Merlot - grape name
White
Chablis - French wine region, will pretty much be 100% Chardonnay
Chardonnay - grape type
Riesling - grape type
Gewurtztraminer - grape type
Pinot gris - Wine style, same thing as Pinot Grigio
Certain grape types like Zinfandel can be Red or White or blush. This is because Zinfandel is a white fleshed grape with a red skin. The amount of skin put in during winemaking determines the type. Typically though, white Zinfandel is considered a simple and unsophisticated wine by wine snobs.
If there is interest, I will go a little deeper and if some of you with wine knowledge already want to step in and share some recommendations, that would be fine as well.
 
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Ah yes, I can't help but crack open that fine '82 Chateau Petrus right as I queue up for yet another session, a fine choice indeed!
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how's your knowledge on wine pairings? can you write about that? :D
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In the US and Australia, wines are more often labeled by the grape type whereas in Europe, especially France, wine is labeled by region. The French believe in terroir, in that the area in which the grape is grown is more important than the types of grape used.
Bordeaux - French Region style
Burgundy (Vin de Bourgogne)- French Region style
Barolo - Italian style
Sangiovese - Italian style
I think that this is somewhat misleading. What is accurate is that "New World" wines almost always put the name of the grape on the bottle, whereas European wines generally feature the region/style instead. Nonetheless, you can almost always know what grape is being used.
In most wine producing countries, certain standards have to be met in order for the winemaker put the appellation (region) on the bottle. These standards indicate things like the amount of alcohol, the processes the grapes can undergo, and most importantly, what kinds of grapes can be used. For instance, Burgundy is always pinot noir if it is red and chardonnay if it is white. Chablis is a region within Burgundy. Red Bordeaux is always principally a blend of Cabernet and Merlot. Cote du Rhone is generally a mixture of Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and occasionally others. Sangiovese is actually a grape, and not a style. Chianti is the famous style/region that uses Sangiovese grapes.
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On January 29 2011 11:00 TheHunksta wrote:
Ah yes, I can't help but crack open that fine '82 Chateau Petrus right as I queue up for yet another session, a fine choice indeed!
I remember coming across the Chateau Petrus on a wine list and being instantly mindblown by the price. I've since wondered why it warrants such an exorbitant price tag.
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Yes you are right HCastorp, my knowledge of Italian wine is not that great and Sangiovese is a varietal.
Everything else you wrote I wanted to put in the OP but I thought it might be too much info to remember and thus left it out. since remembering which regions are primarily blends and which regions are primarily single varietals would be a bit much for the beginner.
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On January 29 2011 11:19 Dr.Dragoon wrote:
how's your knowledge on wine pairings? can you write about that? :D
Well I'm no sommelier but the most basic rule is red meat with red wine, white meat with white wine.
Then you can get in to all sorts of stuff with spice, acidity, etc..
But a simple way to do it is to just get wine from the region. Like if you are having Italian food, then go with with an Italian wine, French food, go with a french wine while still following the red meat/red wine rule.
For asian food I generally like to go with gewurtztraminer unless if its beef.
Some general common pairings.
Beef - reds - Bordeaux/cabernet sauvignon/merlot
Lamb - Pinot Noir and Syrah
Chicken - you could go with a light red like a Pinot Noir or red Zinfandel or a white
Salmon - you could go with a light red or a white
seafood - riesling or pinot gris/pinot griogio/chenin blanc
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I have no sense of smell, so wine doesn't work for me. It just tastes like horrendous shit. I always stare at you goddamn wine drinkers, wondering just what all the ruckus is about.
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Hey thanks for replying, I didn't mean to be negative, it's cool that you put this out there.
It is definitely nice to know a little bit about wine, enough to pick out a bottle for a dinner party or order at a restaurant and have some idea what you are likely to be getting.
The very beginnings of wine/food pairing would be something like:
Red Meat: Heavier red wines - Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz
Chicken: Lighter reds, white sometimes good too. Rhone wines, Pinot Noir. Chianti or Nero d'Avola are kind of in between these and the wines above.
Fish: White wines, Chardonnay, Pinot grigio, etc. Some red wines have a weird reaction with fish that makes them taste awful. Don't risk it.
In general lighter red wines are more flexible and food-friendly, they will be refreshing and avoid overwhelming the food, which sometimes happens with "bigger" wines. Food high in fat (like steak) helps aid the appreciation of "bigger" wines like Bordeaux.
It is particularly hard to find good inexpensive Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, as these grapes seems to be harder to make successful wines with.
Frequently lesser known varietals/regions are a better deal. Try Malbec (Argentina), for a full-bodied red. Vinho Verde (Portugal) is a light, slightly carbonated white. Nero d'avola is an Italian wine I like, it is a little bit pinot noir-like.
EDIT: hah your food pairings appeared while I was writing. Sounds like you know a bit more on that topic than me - but encouragingly, we seem to be in agreement.
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Yeah for value buys, I think Cote du Rhones and Cote Roties are still fairly good value buys even though a lot more people know about them now.
Generally a bigger red wine will be slightly more alchoholic, have a longer finish, be more tannic. Tannin is the substance in grape skin that tends to make your mouth pucker. So bigger red wines like bordeaux will typically need to be aged a bit more to mellow out the tannins.
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Lol wine tips....man TL really is diverse. Thanks for this haha
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On January 29 2011 12:39 iaguz wrote:
I have no sense of smell, so wine doesn't work for me. It just tastes like horrendous shit. I always stare at you goddamn wine drinkers, wondering just what all the ruckus is about.
you actually do not? That makes me sad, I feel sorry for you :<
But you can taste everything else like any other person? Or are there limitations? (for example wine tastes bad for you as it obviously does not. ;>)
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With V-day approaching, got some champagne recommendations coming up.
First of all, only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. Actual Champagne tends to be expensive, especially prestige Cuvees aka the brands you hear about in hip hop.
That said there are lots of alternatives. I especially like Cava from Spain. Even very inexpensive Cava like Freixenet and Cristalino taste pretty damn good.
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Bordeaux and Burgundy can also be white. I guess the production is more shifted toward red, but there are some great great white wines from those area. Fuck, I tasted a sip of Chateau Haut-Brion 2000, my life will never be the same. I also tasted a bit more of Chateau Yquem, so good too =)
Choosing a Bordeaux wine can be a mess though, and for Burgundy, it's lots harder.
Please : but you can find some very good wine at pretty good values, of course^^ even Bordeaux's, in France at least. Love Italian wine too, usually very fruity.
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I'm glad someone posted about this, as the number one rule that many snobs will quote you is "People drink shitty wine." Number two? "People drink shitty wine."
This is, by and large, unfortunately truthful. The good news is, though, that this is mostly due to ignorance/apathy and not due to budgetary constraints. In other words, regardless of your budget, if you're interested in learning about wine and getting more enjoyment out of drinking it, it's far from the daunting task that it may seem.
The OP gave a great intro to the basics of wine varities, and I'll go one step further and give a basic breakdown of the weights of wines. When talking about the weight of a wine, you're talking about the fullness and body of the wine. Here is a pretty barebones spectrum of the weight of wines (feel free to disagree with me, wine folks).
Reds from heaviest to lightest:
Syrah/Shiraz
Petite Syrah
Chateneuf-du-pape
Barolo
Cab Sauv
Merlot
Malbec
Bordeaux
Tempranillo
Pinot Noir
Cotes du Rhone
Chianti
Burgundy
Beaujolais
Whites from heaviest to lightest:
White Rhone
Chard
White Burgundy
Chablis
Semillon
Sauv Blanc
Sancerre
White Bordeaux
Veltliner
Pinot Gris (American)
Riesling
Pinot Gris (Italian)
Muscadet
This is just a rule of thumb obviously, as there are just so many different wines that you'll often find a Chardonnay that drinks more like a Sauv Blanc, or an unusually weighty Pinot Noir.
I'd also agree with the OP and HC about their tips for value wines. French wines from established and popular AOCs are all well and good (and are mostly delicious) but you'll pay a hefty premium for them.
Without going into huge depth and adding another 10 paragraphs to this post, I'll give a couple recommendations for very affordable wines that drink like much more expensive bottles.
-Kumeu River Village Chardonnay 2008. Can be had for around $13-16. This is simply an awesome Chardonnay. It costs about the same as a shitty KJ Chard, but drinks like a 30 or 40 dollar bottle of white Burgundy.
-Chakana Malbec 2009. Around $20 most places. Nice, full and earthy. Let this breath for a bit then enjoy.
-Domaine Jean Descombes Morgon 2009. ~$13.99. I usually can't stand beaujolais as I find it drinks like fruit punch, but this is a great, great wine. It's fruity and fresh, as is typical of Beaujolais, but not overly sweet and has an amazingly good and mysterious finish.
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You are right, Bordeaux and Burgundy can also be white but most of the time if the only descriptor on the menu is Bordeaux or Burgundy, its generally red.
A 2000 Yquem is my dream wine that I want to taste. Supposedly it tastes like liquid sunshine.
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On January 29 2011 14:01 lixlix wrote:
You are right, Bordeaux and Burgundy can also be white but most of the time if the only descriptor on the menu is Bordeaux or Burgundy, its generally red.
A 2000 Yquem is my dream wine that I want to taste. Supposedly it tastes like liquid sunshine.
More or less I guess. I had a much older year (like in the 80 I'd say), and even though I don't like that much liquorous wine, this is just... something else. Can't wine till my father open his other bottle (and his last bottles of Sigalas Rabaud 1980 too !
2000 is a very good year for Bordeaux I heard, problem being everything is overpriced because of that 
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I'm surprised you put Chateauneuf du Pape that high on the heaviness list.
As an aside, on the history of Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateauneuf du Pape means New Castle of the Pope.
During the Great Schism, The Pope had to relocate to Avignon in the south of France. There, the local farmers began producing this wine for the papal court's consumption and now of course this type of wine has become arguably the most famous of the Rhone river valley.
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On January 29 2011 13:44 lixlix wrote:
With V-day approaching, got some champagne recommendations coming up.
First of all, only sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. Actual Champagne tends to be expensive, especially prestige Cuvees aka the brands you hear about in hip hop.
That said there are lots of alternatives. I especially like Cava from Spain. Even very inexpensive Cava like Freixenet and Cristalino taste pretty damn good.
I feel like the misinformation and general confusion surrounding Champagne and sparkling wines is worse than any other type of wine.
Personally, I don't bother drinking sparkling wine not from Champagne (which means I barely ever drink it as I'm a young student). I find most proseccos and cavas that I've tried to be really lacking and anemic. That being said, as far as true entry level sparkling wines go, Cristallino is is probably the best. For ten or so dollars more Bartolomeo is a nice prosecco.
When it comes to Champagnes, there are actually a lot of great "N.V" or "non-vintage" (read: you can actually afford these ones) in the $40-50 range. There are also a lot of hype jobs. Don't EVER buy Veuve Cliquot because it used to be a prestigious house that made a quality wine. They're coasting on a reputation that was earned when their product wasn't shit, tbh. Same goes for Moet Imperial/White Star/Whatever they're calling it these days. It's horrendously overpriced for what you're getting.
Go with a lesser known (in the wider public anyways) house, where you're paying for the wine and not the advertising. H Billiot et Fils N.V. is around $50, and by far the most satisfying champagne I've had in this price range. It's got an awesome, creamy and rich mouthfeel. Mmm...
One last note: A great way to tell if a Champagne is any good is to try a glass at room temperature. Shitty Champagne/sparkling wine will be pretty awful when the chill isn't masking a lot of the off tastes, but a good champagne will still be tasty.
w
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On January 29 2011 14:08 lixlix wrote:
I'm surprised you put Chateauneuf du Pape that high on the heaviness list.
As an aside, on the history of Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateauneuf du Pape means New Castle of the Pope.
During the Great Schism, The Pope had to relocate to Avignon in the south of France. There, the local farmers began producing this wine for the papal court's consumption and now of course this type of wine has become arguably the most famous of the Rhone river valley.
The ones I've had have been pretty weighty. Then again, I just turned 23 so my wine experience (especially with wines that aren't my absolute favorites) is pretty limited.
I'm mostly a Chardonnay/White Burgundy and Red Bordeaux or malbec guy. Haven't drank all that much Chateauneuf du pape.
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EPT
