I am a novice wine drinker and wanted
to start a collection of wine. I don't
know where to start. I like a sweet wine,
not very dry ones. Can you give me some
guidance? Thank you, Shaylon
Thank you for your email and for reading
the Wine Skinny! If I were you, I'd start
with white wines. Specifically California
and Washington Rieslings. These are full
of fragrant, sweet fruit flavors -- like
peach and apricot -- without being technically
high in sugar. There are lots of affordable
choices out there, including bottles from
wineries like Hogue Cellars, Chateau Ste.
Michelle and Beringer. Most in the under
$15 range. They are food friendly wines
-- particularly good with anything with
a spicy kick. Hope this helps! O.
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Could you tell me if the Shiraz and Syrah
wines are produced from the same or similar
grape varietal i.e. Australian marketed
under Shiraz and Syrah U.S. and elsewhere?
Thanks, Bob
Yes
-- Shiraz and Syrah are two different
names for the same grape. Australia tends
to use the name "Shiraz," while
France sticks with "Syrah."
Other places, like California, use both.
Cheers! O.
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I recently bought a bottle of Faustino
Gran Reserva 1994 for my mother, who adores
this wine. When is the best drinking window/
how much longer will it last?! Thanks
for your help! Samantha
That 94 Gran Reserva is ready for drinking
now. Cheers! O.
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I'm confused: in describing white burgundies,
you don't mention St. Aubin. Is is not
a varietal, like chablis? Thanks for your
help. Hélène
Yup, you are confused! A "varietal"
is wine-speak for a grape variety, like
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, etc. Most
"New World" wines, like those
from California, reference the variety
on the label -- Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon,
etc.
But most "Old World" wines,
like most of the wines from France, reference
the geographical origin of the wine, not
the grape used in making it. Chablis is
a place, not a grape. Chablis wines are
made from Chardonnay. The assumption is
that people who know Chablis, know it's
made from Chardonnay.
St-Aubin is another place, a village
actually, in the Cote de Beaune area of
Burgundy. It's a relatively small region
that mostly stays out of the limelight
that its neighbors, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet,
like to bask in. But St-Aubin whites (also
made from Chardonnay, like other white
wines from Burgundy) are lovely, too!
Hope this helps! O.
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Are some Chardonnay wines sweeter than
others? I don't like dry Chardies, I like
the sweeter ones, but how do I know what
to look for, which is which? Regards,
Patricia
Thank
you for your email and for reading the
Wine Skinny! Technically, almost all Chardonnays
are considered "dry" wines.
Probably what you like are the ones that
have the "sweet" vanilla/creamy
flavors that come from certain winemaking
techniques. As a general guideline, you
might try sticking to California and Australia
Chardonnays that are priced around $10.
Check out the label descriptions -- see
if you spot any that use "vanilla"
-- or "creamy" -- sometimes
they do! O.
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My cardiologist recommended I drink a
glass of red wine every day to help my
arteries from further blockages. I've
had a heart attack and 7 stents and take
many meds to help prevent further damage,
but he also said drinking the wine would
add to my healthy heart program. Living
in South Central Arkansas, he recommended
an Arkansas Red Muscadine, which I've
tried, but it's too sweet for my taste.
But I wonder if it's the best for antioxidants
or does it even matter, as long as the
wine is red? Thank you for any suggestions.
Ray
My
understanding is that the majority of
health benefits from red wines come from
the tannins, which primarily come from
the skins of the grapes. So the more tannin,
the better. Which is also good news for
you, since it sounds like you may prefer
a dry, full-bodied style wine! The king
of red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon. It
is one of the most full-bodied, high tannic,
dry, mouthfilling, blockbuster red wine
around. There are a million choices, from
California, Washington State, Australia,
South America and France (Bordeaux). You
could probably start with whatever price
point you feel comfortable with and see
what you think! Hope this helps! O.
