eReport Choosing Wine

Choosing Wine

Have you ever decided to buy a bottle of wine, only to find yourself in the wine section later on, with
either a panic beginning to grip you (if you’re prone to panic) or a catatonic state descending upon you
(if you’re prone to catatonia)? I have. The word “wine” is cruelly deceiving, as those four letters must
suffice to describe every single beverage made from fermented grapes. The key is to take a deep
breath and learn how the world of wine is divided into fairly neat categories.

Whether you’re looking for a new bottle to try in a style you already like or exploring new territory, it’s
very helpful to have a basic framework in which to categorize your wine knowledge. Luckily for us,
in recent years, a group of MW’s (Masters of Wine) has been working with scientists at the University
of California at Davis to make wine easier to understand. In numerous tastings, they found that people
often use the words “mild” to “strong” to categorize a wine. From this point of departure, we can begin to
organize everything we learn into neat groups called Anchor Wines.

Mild sweet (light body) Example: White Zinfandel
Mild white (light body) Example: Sauvignon Blanc
Strong white (full body) Example: Chardonnay
Mild Red (light body) Example: Pinot Noir
Strong Red (full body) Example: Cabernet Sauvignon

If you’ve never chosen wines before, your first choices will be shots in the dark, but you’ll soon find
out what suits your palate, and you’ll be on your way to exploring. Each new wine will reveal
characteristics and you’ll be able to place it within one of the anchor wine categories. This will help
tremendously when you begin to pair foods with wines and organize wine tastings.

In closing, remember that the wine experience is very personal. It is a combination of genetics, culture
and experience. For example, about 25% of the population is highly sensitive to bitter compounds
(66% of that 25% are women) while 25% can’t sense the same compounds. Some wines may be more
special to you if you drink them in ideal settings, such as with a lover on the coast of Provence! The
more you drink a particular wine, such as Tawny Port, you may grow fond of it. So, if a wine doesn’t
taste good to you, don’t drink it. If it does, by all means, drink it!

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