Wine: nothing to fear
(Sorry guys, this is a repost from my old blog, but it’s a good start too. Specific posts are on their way.)
So I don’t know about everyone else, but when I was younger I really didn’t get wine. I knew there was some nice wines, but I had no idea what I wanted and it seemed like too sophisticated a drink for me. I was so very, very wrong.
I 100% appreciate people who are passionate about wine, but the snobs really ruin it. It doesn’t have to be this way one little bit, so let’s look at some of the basics of wine; how to choose, serve and drink it, and how to know when it’s bad.
Pictured below: nothing to fear.
So first of all, the best way to find out what wine you like is to talk to people who already drink it, get advice and try a few different types. A lot of good off-licences will let you try samples of some bottles too. You might find you like ‘dry’ wines, which are wines with a lot less sweetness to them, or you like a fruitier flavour.
My go-to tipple is rich, flavorsome red wine - preferably with a few spicy notes, like a Shiraz, but I equally enjoy a dry white or rosé during the summer or with light meals.
I also buy a lot of sparkling wines purely because they make life seem a touch more special - and don’t think than means splashing out on expensive champagne. Forget cheap champagne though, it’s usually awful - but opt for crémants and proseccos instead. Prosecco is a an Italian sparking wine that’s generally light and very palatable, while crémants are just other French sparkling wines.
Champagne producers can often charge more on total gut-rot bottles just because of the name, and while there are fabulous champagnes, when you’re on a budget you should take the safer bet.
Wine is best served with food. It doesn’t have to be a huge meal, but nibbles make it really enjoyable and can even bring out some of its flavours. You can put together a whole cheese plate (remind me to break down how to make a cheese plate at some point), or just a few bowls of crisps and nuts. When you buy wine, the bottle/box might list some nice food pairings on the back or, if you buy it in a more specialty shop, the salesperson might be able to advise you.
By the way, note that I said bottle or box. Boxed wine doesn’t have a great reputation, but honestly, I’ve bought some that aren’t half bad. Canned wine, I just can’t do. I tried it, I don’t want to be snobby, but it tasted mostly like metal to me.
While many mid-range wines have a screw top these days, there’s still often a cork to deal with. If you buy a decent bottle opener, these are nothing to be afraid of. Don’t bother with the ones that you just screw in and pull - life it too short for that. Get the kind in the photo below; you screw it in, the two arms on the side pop up, you push the arms down and the cork pops out.
The best way to serve the wine will also be on the bottle, but the guidelines are; red wine should be room temperature and opened for while before you serve, white wines are best cool but not straight from the fridge - same with rosé, while sparkling is best ice cold.
Ice in wine kind of messes up the flavour, but it can be nice to put some frozen fruit into white, rose or sparkling on hot days. My brother’s girlfriend will also wrap a bottle in a damp cloth and put that in the freezer for 5 minutes on a really hot day. I think that makes the wine too cold, but it is refreshing.
In winter, many European countries — and I assume other places — serve red and white wine hot with spices too. You can try this at home with either ready-made mixes or just by playing around.
Wine can also be mixed into other things, like sangria or mimosas, but it’s a shame to use your best bottles for that! Don’t use crap wine, but the stuff that’s inoffensive if a bit boring.
Speaking of bad wine; a lot of that comes down to personal preference but there are a couple of things to look out for. Dirt-cheap wines tend to have a lot of sulphites in them. Sulphites are pretty much in all wines, but are found in higher amounts in industrial made wines, as they are added to help preserve flavour and colour. They won’t kill you, but a lot of people find they get worse hangovers or even just really bad headaches from them. Sweet dessert wines often have high levels of sulphites, while dry wines are a better choice if you are sensitive to them.
The other thing to look out for is ‘corked’ wine. I always thought that was a silly term to use; if you don’t know the meaning you could just think, well, ‘aren’t most wine bottles corked?’ It actually means wine that has been exposed to air, oxidized and taken on a charming vinegar-from-hell taste.
Be sure to reseal your wine bottles if you only want a glass or two, preferably with a rubber stopper, or you could wind up wasting most of it. Even at that, stoppers aren’t as good as properly inserted corks so one the bottle has been opened, just keep it for 3/5 days - and sniff before you sip!