There are a few things most people don't seem to know about buying wine. Allow me to enlighten you:
First and foremost, storage matters. The ideal temperature to cellar wine is somewhere in the range of fifty to sixty degrees F. That means that if you walk into a wine shop and it is eighty-five degrees in the store, any wine that has been on the shelf for more than a few weeks is likely to be totally F'd. I honestly think that the reason a lot of people don't like wine is because they have had only wine that was improperly stored. If wine has a natural cork, it is best to have it laying down to keep the cork moist. That is not a concern for screw caps, glass corks, or synthetic corks. It also takes some time for the cork to dry out, so it is not as immediate of a concern as the temperature. A dried out cork allows air in faster, causing the wine to turn. Finally, a lot of shops have bright fluorescent lights. Ever notice that most wine bottles are tinted? That's not entirely for looks. Exposure to light ruins wine over time. Wine cellars are in basements because they are naturally dark and cold. I would not wish it on anyone to work in an environment like that all day, especially at retail wages, but it is amazing how many wine shops seem to go out of their way to ruin their product.
If you have to shop in a warm, bright store then the best workaround that I know of is to just ask what sells best. Assuming the clerk doesn't lie to you, (which in some cases is optimistic, but there are definitely honest wine salesmen in the world) then you will get a wine that has not been sitting as long as the others.
There are too many styles and varietals of wine to get into here, but you can make some generalizations. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel are heavier, higher in alcohol, and usually sweeter than Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, or Sangiovese. Chardonnay from California tends to be full bodied and buttery. Sauvignon Blanc presents a lot of citrus. Not all Rieslings are sweet, but the best sellers in this country typically are. Wines from the Old World (read: Europe) are almost always lighter and more elegant than wines made from the same varietals in the New World. If a wine merchant describes a wine from California as "Old World Style" or something like that then they are trying to express that, while the wine is from Cali, it was made in a way that was meant to retain some elegance. In this sense , elegant does not necessarily mean better. A lot of people prefer massive New World style wines and that is fine. The New World style is often better for drinking without food because the wine is so flavorful and filling.
If you buy something from the Old World the label with often give information about the wine. But the information is conveyed in a way that you have to be in the know to understand. Red Burgundy is usually 100% Pinot Noir and White Burgundy is usually 100% Chardonnay. Rioja is typically a blend that can include Tempranillo and Garnacha, among other things. If you don't know, ask the salesman. If they don't know, and they depressingly frequently don't, then Google it.
Most wines have a statement of what year the wine was made. Old World reds and some whites are meant for aging. The New World does produce some age worthy wine, but they often drink well younger. The West Coast of the United States is known for having consistent weather, but there are still some off years. Most of the information you would need about vintages for a given region is no more than a Google search away.
Finally, wine labels contain alcohol percentages. A wine that is 14% alcohol may get you lit slightly faster than one that is 12% but that is not the primary function of the label. Pro tip: if you want to get lit, drink Vodka or Rum. It's cheaper and it gets the job done faster. Wines that are higher in alcohol tend to be heartier and more full bodied. It is that New World style I was mentioning a moment ago. 14% or higher is a big wine. Some wines at that range actually burn a little bit going down. Most wine aficionados see that as a flaw, but many drinkers like it. After all, if you don't want to taste alcohol why not just drink grape juice? High alcohol wines that are made well often do not taste particularly alcoholic. It's a matter of the skill and style of the wine maker. With sweet wine the alcohol is often an indicator of how sweet the wine is. Yeast converts alcohol to sugar. So a Riesling at 14% alcohol is likely to be bone dry where one at 9% will be very sweet.
At the end of the day it is about exploration. You have to try many different wines, preferably not all at one sitting, to get a sense of what suits your palate. Finding a wine merchant you trust is immeasurably helpful, though it does sometimes mean spending a little extra to find that perfect, and perfectly kept bottle. And no matter what critics, merchants, or your annoying friend who went to Napa say, it is all about finding the wine that you love. Bon Chance!
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