Scrawney asks,
>
>>
>>Anyone recommend any nice starting point to acquire a taste
>>for wine?? Nothing too expensive, but not cheapo stuff either.
>>A few suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>
> Boy, you are asking the Question of the Century.
>
> If any of us knew for sure what beginners would like, the wine world would be
> a different place!
>
> You need to have a dialogue with a retailer, but I can say, from decades of
> watching consumers, that certain "rules of the road" seem to prevail with most
> audiences:
>
> 1. Keep it simple. Wines with straightforward fruit flavors and obvious yet
> intriguing characters are in favor. By this I mean the presence of intriguing
> fruit aromas, oak, or spice, or toastiness; flavors which reach beyond what
> other beverages can provide as a flavor profile.
>
> This is the term "complexity", which all wine professionals abhore as a
> meaningless term (because it's vague), yet I maintain does signify something to
> the beginner.
>
> 2. Avoid pain. Don't laugh, but many classic wines can actually be a painful
> experience to the beginner. By "pain", I refer to a tartness stronger than
> grapefruit juice in whites, and tannin levels (that "chewey, drying taste") in
> reds that can be off-putting. For some people, an excess of alcohol in New
> World wines from warm climates can also be an unpleasant experience. Modern
> winemaking techniques have led to fresher, softer wines over the past 25 years,
> but wine is wine, and for many, it may be an acquired taste.
>
> Winemakers are improving the taste of wine, NOT for those who have never tasted
> the stuff, but for those experienced drinkers seeking a better balance for food
> and such.
>
> In that regard, beginners have better choices now than ever before. >
> 3. Sweetness is the "default" when appealing to less-sophisticated audiences. >
> Unless from a noted sweet-wine region, such as Germany, table wines the world
> over are supposed to be "bone-dry", defined as having practically no
> fermentable sugar.
>
> However, rogue producers proliferate in all wine-producing countries. If the
> product, classicly defined as "dry", such as a chardonnay or a zinfandel, is
> perceived as being too "hard" for local sensibilities and marketability, some
> fermentable sugar may be allowed to remain, in defiance of custom. >
> There is an unfortunate holdover descriptor from the 1970s, "mellow", which
> refers to consumer-driven, easy-drinking wines of this type. Avoid them if you
> intend to pursue this issue seriously. Get used to a little pain; "no pain, no > gain".
>
> Sugar softens the acid and tannins, and makes a wine "approachable" at first
> blush, but the end result may or may not be what is desired in a mealtime > setting.
>
> At this juncture it may be wise to ask what should have been the first
> question, "what is the occasion?".
>
> As cocktail wine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a slightly sweet
> chardonnay or zinfandel. Hell, I'll even swig a white zinfandel on a hot summer
> day, as a beverage, if not "wine". However, as serious dinner fare, I
> withdraw my endorsement from doctored wines.
>
> As an introductory recommendation for the beginner (and I'm sure to be slammed
> by the professionals for this), I would recommend the following wine types: >
> WHITE
>
> Riesling, dry, sweet, whatever. The least "painful" in taste, some of the best
> German wines are 8% alcohol and smooth as silk. The best Riesling is still the
> best white wine in the world.
>
> Chardonnay, the world's commodity white wine, once (in the 1960s) as scarce as
> hen's teeth, now available in all incarnations, yet still reliably of some
> flavor interest, if sometimes innoucuous.
>
> Gewurztraminer: impossible for many to pronounce (Geh-wurz-trah-MEENER), a very
> floral wine with (in its best incarnations) a spicey taste, and suitable for
> cocktails as well as Thai food and ham.
>
> Viognier: a rather scarce variety of grape, which makes some intensely floral,
> fuity wines in the New World. In its native Rhone Valley of France, it's a
> floral, yet hot, oily-textured, different kettle of fish.
>
> Try also the new varietals of southern Europe, which have found their way to
> our tables in the past dacade: Pinot Gris (or Grigio), Rousanne, and Albarino.
> You are more likely to find these wines as imports from Europe, and they make
> wonderful accompaniment to seafood.
>
> REDS:
>
> Cabernet is King, and also the least likely to appeal to a novice at first
> tasting. Cabernet is an acquired taste, what with the tannins and a cedary,
> vinous aroma which is hard to define (1ST RULE OF SIMPLE WINES: have a
> defineable aroma).
>
> For simple taste associations, the obvious choice is Pinot Noir, which in its
> purest form exhibits strong cherry aromas and soft mouthfeel and tannins. Good
> Pinot Noir used to be so scarce 25 years ago that it was never recommended for
> beginners; however, today it is commonplace, and very versatile both as a
> cocktail wine and as an accompaniment to a wide range of foods.
>
> For sheer softness and approachability (that is, if you have friends who will
> simply NOT drink red wine), I offer up its "baby" sister, Gamay Beaujolais, or
> Beaujolias from France (made from the Gamay grape).
>
> Beaujolias Nouveau from France, which appears at retailers' in November and is
> available throughout its first year of existance), is almost soda-pop in
> simplicity, and makes a wonderful cafe guzzle.
>
> Serious reds beyond this check-point are your own risk; but if a retailer
> snuggles up to you with a friendly bottle of Syrah (or Shiraz, as it's known in
> Australia), take him up on it.
>
> By that time, you'll be "hooked" on the potential of what great wines can do
> for your enjoyment of wine. You can cast off your training wheels and be on > your way.
>
> Best of luck to you! You have presented a most interesing question to a wine
> group which often gets bogged down in esoterica.
>
> By the way, if you live in the US, any of my recommendations can be had at
> entry level for quality for about 8 bucks. No need to spend more than $15 for
> the best of my recommendations!
>
> Good luck
>
> ---Bob
>
Much appreciated, thanks for such a comprehensive reply.