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The First Rule of Wine Drinking
By Fraser Neilson
Don’t listen to what all the self appointed
wine buffs and wine snobs say – it’s what
you like that counts.
It’s not what Mr X, Mrs Y or Sommelier Z says
but what you personally enjoy that matters when it
comes to wine. Taste is individual to you and must
always be treated as such.
If you like really “unsophisticated” sweet
German wines such as those 70s standards Liebfraumilsch
or Hock (which incidentally almost put a whole generation
off drinking wine) then that’s great.
Feel free to carry on drinking them but make sure
that you take the time to carry on experimenting with
other wines of a similar nature or perhaps a different
style of your preferred grape.
If you like a white Burgundy, such as the steely
Chablis, then you may also like other wines matured
in metal casks such as a Sancerre.
If you enjoy a nice Sauvignon Blanc then take a look
at a South African Chenin Blanc. But don’t put
yourself off by scaring your palate through trying
completely new and perhaps a bit ‘left field’
choices immediately.
Work up to these experiments. Try the more obvious
ones first. If you go from a nice oaky Australian
Chardonnay to a Gewurtztraminer right away you might
never appreciate the subtle pleasures of the German
speciality, which is a bit of an acquired taste for
most people though it can be dynamite paired with
the right foods.
And when it comes to teaming wine with food then
the same rules apply. If you like your oysters with
a full-bodied claret rather than a dry white or a
champagne, then that is great too.
White wine with fish dishes is the accepted combination
worldwide but now many people are realising the delights
of eating a ‘meaty fish’ such as tuna with
a light red wine.
However do bear one thing in mind : the ‘rules’
have evolved over time and reflect the preferences
of millions of palates over many generations of fine
dining. Like the classics of fiction, the classic
combinations of food and drink are exactly that for
a reason – they have proven to be superior
over time.
So by all means experiment but don’t ignore
the tried, tested and recommended combinations as
they have stood the test of time very well indeed.
As with everything in life, the only way to learn
is to test.So you’ll have to move out of your
comfort zone and risk the odd bad choice in order
to move up to the next level of wine enjoyment.
Yes you may love Californian Pinot Noir but it’s
important that you stop buying it every week simply
because you know that you like it and that it’s
a safe choice. You need to branch out, as this is
the only way you will find something even better than
your current favourite.
And believe me, I’m sure it exists among the
many thousands of wines available worldwide. The best
way of branching out is to start buying mixed cases
of wine, typically a dozen
bottles of red and white wines and simply try each
one out.
And it’s particularly useful to make some tasting
notes as you open each one so that you can keep a
note of exactly what it was, where it was from and
which variety of grape it was and so on.
And don’t forget to note precisely why you liked
or disliked it. Was it the citrus fruit flavours on
the tongue, or was it the creamy vanilla oakiness
that really made it for you?
Did the light fresh aroma contribute to the enjoyment?
Get it down on paper before you open the next bottle,
as tomorrow your recollection might be a little hazy!
So you must experiment a bit, but don’t go for
a complete extreme to what you normally drink right
away.
Go for similar varieties at first and you are less
likely to put yourself off progressing and expanding
your taste in wine.
And remember, the only one who can tell you what
wines you like best is you yourself so, whatever the
combination, be sure to enjoy it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fraser Neilson is webmaster at www.FairWine.com and
a graduate of the Wines and Spirits Education Trust.
You can find some great wine resources and special
offers to help improve your enjoyment over at
www.FairWine.com/resources.html.
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