From White to Red: Exploring Wine for the First Time
Welcome to the world of fine wine! Although this world may seem daunting and complicated, it's not really all that bad. Wine is a wonderful hobby for everyone 21 and over - there's not much startup cost, countless types of wine, and millions of other wine lovers out there. Some of your best friends can be found over a glass of fine wine. You've probably had a glass of wine before reading this article. If so, we hope that you liked it! If not, then read on to learn about the basic way to begin enjoying wine.
Like many other budding wine hobbyists, you probably stepped into a large liquor or grocery store, and went straight for the red wines. After all, in most television series and movies, people are always drinking red wine when they consume the sacred grape. Chances are, you got the bottle of wine home and immediately became overwhelmed when you tried it for the first time. It was too dry, too cold (if you mistakenly put it in the fridge) and completely disgusting. You probably didn't even finish the bottle.
We're not going to deny that there's something sophisticated about a fine glass of deep red wine. However, most people who consume red wine without any reservation are seasoned wine drinkers. They have earned their place among their fellow wine drinkers and have usually worked their way up from white wine to red wine.
So why is red wine so different from white wine? Isn't it a matter of grape color? What do red grapes have that white grapes don't?
Despite popular belief, a wine's color is not based on grape color. Also, not all grapes are fermented the same way. The process of fermentation and whether or not the grape skin is involved gives wine its color, not the grape color. Red wine is fermented with red grape skins in contact with the crushed grapes for a specific time. The "blush" wines (a hybrid of red and white wine) are fermented with white or red grape skins on the grapes very briefly. White wines are created when there are absolutely no white or red grape skins in contact with the crushed grapes during fermentation.
Red wine is usually much drier than white wine because the grape skins that are left on the grapes during fermentation add "tannin" to the wine. Tannin is a natural preservative present in all grapes, and when the skins are left on during fermentation, some of the preservative escapes into the wine product. Depending on the age of the wine, red wine with a lot of tannins (such as the Cabernet Sauvignon family) can either make it very harsh (i.e. younger reds) or very smooth and distilled (i.e. older reds).
As a new wine hobbyist, chances are you will find reds much too harsh. The absolute best way to begin your wine affair is to start out with the sweeter white wines. From white wines, you can move into the blush wines. This will allow you to develop a taste for increasingly drier wines.
How you enjoy your wine can also affect the taste of your wine. For white wines, always serve it 10-15 minutes after removing from the fridge in a tapered smooth glass. For reds, store in a cool location of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or less. If you choose to refrigerate your reds anyway, serve an hour or so after being pulled from the fridge in a broader glass than what you served your whites in. Always choose a glass that will allow you to swirl your wine as you drink it. This is a very important step in wine drinking as it mixes your wine and exposes more of it to air, which enhances the flavor.
Before long, you will be enjoying all sorts of wines like a pro - from the lightest white to the darkest red!
Like many other budding wine hobbyists, you probably stepped into a large liquor or grocery store, and went straight for the red wines. After all, in most television series and movies, people are always drinking red wine when they consume the sacred grape. Chances are, you got the bottle of wine home and immediately became overwhelmed when you tried it for the first time. It was too dry, too cold (if you mistakenly put it in the fridge) and completely disgusting. You probably didn't even finish the bottle.
We're not going to deny that there's something sophisticated about a fine glass of deep red wine. However, most people who consume red wine without any reservation are seasoned wine drinkers. They have earned their place among their fellow wine drinkers and have usually worked their way up from white wine to red wine.
So why is red wine so different from white wine? Isn't it a matter of grape color? What do red grapes have that white grapes don't?
Despite popular belief, a wine's color is not based on grape color. Also, not all grapes are fermented the same way. The process of fermentation and whether or not the grape skin is involved gives wine its color, not the grape color. Red wine is fermented with red grape skins in contact with the crushed grapes for a specific time. The "blush" wines (a hybrid of red and white wine) are fermented with white or red grape skins on the grapes very briefly. White wines are created when there are absolutely no white or red grape skins in contact with the crushed grapes during fermentation.
Red wine is usually much drier than white wine because the grape skins that are left on the grapes during fermentation add "tannin" to the wine. Tannin is a natural preservative present in all grapes, and when the skins are left on during fermentation, some of the preservative escapes into the wine product. Depending on the age of the wine, red wine with a lot of tannins (such as the Cabernet Sauvignon family) can either make it very harsh (i.e. younger reds) or very smooth and distilled (i.e. older reds).
As a new wine hobbyist, chances are you will find reds much too harsh. The absolute best way to begin your wine affair is to start out with the sweeter white wines. From white wines, you can move into the blush wines. This will allow you to develop a taste for increasingly drier wines.
How you enjoy your wine can also affect the taste of your wine. For white wines, always serve it 10-15 minutes after removing from the fridge in a tapered smooth glass. For reds, store in a cool location of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or less. If you choose to refrigerate your reds anyway, serve an hour or so after being pulled from the fridge in a broader glass than what you served your whites in. Always choose a glass that will allow you to swirl your wine as you drink it. This is a very important step in wine drinking as it mixes your wine and exposes more of it to air, which enhances the flavor.
Before long, you will be enjoying all sorts of wines like a pro - from the lightest white to the darkest red!