Fine wines for lean times! Part 2

6th Mar 2010

A few tips on buying wine

Quite a few members of thewineremedy have said that they find choosing wine and getting to grips with the myriad of styles available a difficult task. There are no hard and fast rules; wine is all about personal preference. The following is just a few pointers to get you started and will hopefully make buying wine easier and more fun.

1.) Basic wine styles

While there are thousands of wines to choose from, the first easy step is understanding the six basic wine styles:

Red Wine: Made from red grapes, there are over a 1000 different grape varieties. However, only about 12 or so are found across the word. Red wines vary from light, refreshing wines to full-bodied rich wines.

White Wine: Made from white grapes, generally lighter and more refreshing to drink then red wine. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are two famous white wine grapes.

Rosé: A rosé wine has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. It can be made from a blend of white and red grapes or just from red grapes. A light refreshing wine perfect for summer drinking.

Sparking Wine: A wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. Champagne and Cava are two famous examples. Good party wine!

Fortified Wine: Wine to which spirits, usually brandy has been added. The end result is a wine that is both sweeter and stronger, normally containing about 20% alcohol by volume. Port is a classic example.

Dessert Wines: These are Sweet white wines typically served with dessert, such as Sauternes from the Bordeaux region in France. Many people prefer dry wines but sweet wines have there place with some foods.

2.) Narrow down to a grape variety

There are many different white and red grapes available and it can be confusing for the buyer. Below is just quick glossary of the main varieties.

A quick glossary:

- (Red) Cabernet Sauvignon is a full, rich red wine that goes well with heavier foods such as red meats, game and tomato-based pasta sauces;

- (Red) Pinot Noir is usually softer than Cabernets, with rasberry and cherry fruit;

- (Red) Merlot is one of the lighter reds, and it's very popular;

- (Red) Syrah is one of the biggest reds, and the best are French and Australian;

- (White) Chardonnay is an elegant white with a nice buttery taste, and pairs well with chicken and creamy pasta sauces;

- (White) Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp white, great for sipping on summer days and pairing with fish;

- (White) Viognier is an aromatic white  - strong smells and crisp tropical fruit;

- Don't expect that all wines are made from a single grape variety. It's not uncommon to find, for example, Cabernet-Merlot blends.