A question I get about once a week is “What’s a good red wine for beginners?”. This question is really hard for experts and sommelier. The reason it’s hard is because everyone has different taste buds. My favorite soda might not be your favorite soda for the same as my favorite movie might not be your favorite movie.
It’s all relative to what you enjoy and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
I’ve had $7 dollar bottles of wine that tasted better than $80 dollar bottles of wine. I’ve also had $100 dollar bottle of wine taste better than $300 dollar bottles of wine. When it comes to wine price is all but price.
Then why hike wine up so much? 2 reasons.
Vineyards that grow wine have older vines that produce less grapes. Now when I say old vines I’m talking 40-60 years old. The older the vine, the less grapes it produces. The grapes from older vines produce more rich and complex tastes which is why the price is so high. There is lots of demand to try the wines and not enough supply because of the grapes it produces.
The second reason is all on gesture. It is a good gesture to give someone a gift of a higher and more exclusive wine. It’s the intention and emotion that you put behind buying a bottle of wine. The same emotion that goes into buying flowers. Wines are meant to be taken, consumed, and enjoyed. It is customary that the more meaningful event, the higher price in wine. Example from 1-10: Weddings=10, Birthdays=4.
So where do I start?
Start cheap. I mean dirt cheap. Like go to a gas station and grab the cheapest bottle they have (Stay away from box wine ಠ_ಠ). Just make sure the label doesn’t only read “Wine”. In that case it might not be wine.
Once you start drinking it ask yourself these 4 questions in order:
1. What does it smell like? Don’t drink until you guess.
2. What does it taste like? This is your first sip.
3. What does it taste like? Try again, alternating between step 1 and 2.
4. Did it taste the same as the way it smelled?
These question open up your taste buds to a world of different flavors and aromas. Wines are crafted from through a long procedure of different grapes, soil, and climates. So even if you’re thinking most wines taste the same try going in bit deeper.
This is the absolute way to begin. After this you go up from there. Start trying wines from different parts of the world. DO NOT try two wines from the same region as a beginner. Trust me, they will taste the same. For example, try a Cabernet from Napa Valley, and a Bordeaux from France. Compare the two and take note on the differences and similarities.
You won’t become an expert with a few bottles of wine. It takes a few times to get the scents, taste, and regions down. Luckily you’ll be drinking wine in the process so any moment is a learning moment.