This information will likely be useful to you if you are beginning
to drink wine or
have not consumed wine very frequently.
There
is a normal progression in taste preferences among most Americans
when it comes to wine. This may be uniquely American because
we usually grow up drinking soft drinks and not much (if any)
wine through our youth. This information does hold true
for a population or group of people but may vary for any specific
individual. If you are relatively new to wine, it should
provide a good roadmap for your journey.
The basic
progression of most people's wine preference is
sweet
and served chilled
semi-dry
and served chilled
dry,
white and served chilled
dry,
more flavorful and served slightly chilled
dry,
rich flavored and served at cellar temperature
dry,
complex and served at cellar temperature
Sweet and served chilled
This is
often the first type of wine that you ever had and liked.
This category of wines is light, sweet and served cold.
Wines in this group sometimes have a little spritz or carbonation.
Pop wines, some blush wines, and fruit wines fall into this first
wine category. Think of these wines like soft drinks with
a kick (cold, sweet and sometimes with bubbles).
After
a while, you'll start to find to find these a little sweet like
coolers did. You're ready for the next step.
Semi-dry and served chilled
These
are very agreeable wines and can be food friendly as well.
Some of the cloying sweetness and any trace of carbonation that
existed in the first group of wines is gone. Higher acid
levels in these wines balance the remaining sweetness. Vouvray,
most German
wines and many blush wines fall into this category.
At some
point, you'll prefer wines with little or no sweetness. When that
happens, move to the dry whites.
Dry, white and served chilled
Wines
in this category have no sweetness, and are served chilled.
Chardonnay
is the most popular grape variety in this category. Sauvignon
Blanc and Pinot
Gris (Pinot Grigio) are also favorites in this taste
range. It is common for a person to enjoy wines in this
category for many years before moving on to the fuller flavored,
light red wines. These wines go especially well with fowl
and seafood.
Dry, more flavorful
and served slightly chilled
Light
red wines such as Beaujolais
and inexpensive Pinot
Noir are found in this group of wines. They are
dry wines and have stronger flavors than the white wines in the
previous category. They are served slightly chilled but
not cold. These wines do not have the tannins that are to
be found in the next group. They match up well with grilled
fish and poultry because they often have higher acid levels than
most red wines.
Dry, rich
flavored and served at cellar temperature
Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot
are the dominant grape varieties from which these wines are made.
They are richly flavored, medium bodied, dry red wines and they
often have very high levels of tannin in their youth. They
should be served at very cool room temperature (upper 60`s F.)
and allowed to warm in the glass. These wines often require
aging to show their best.
Dry, complex and
served at cellar temperature
These
are selected wines from the previous categories that have been
aged to their peak. With that age comes subtlety and complexity
in the smells and tastes. These wines are have lost the
forward fruit of their youth and the tannin levels have subsided.
These wines require special handling including decanting before
being served.
