- Wine's history
- It's a social thing
- Don't take it too seriously
TODO: Rough skeleton. Finish text, edit.
Wine is fermented.
Grapes grow in vineyards, hostage to weather. Longer they're on the vine, more sugar is produced in the grape.
Grapes harvested, pressed, then fermented using yeast. Some chemicals such as sulfur may be added.
Fermentation turns sugar in to alcohol. Higher sugar in grape means higher potential alcohol—the producer may decide to leave some of the sugar unfermented, leaving natural or "residual" sugar in the wine. This can be off-dry (slightly sweet), sweet, or very sweet depending on how the grower and producer handle the grapes.
Wines may be fermented in oak, plastic, or stainless steel vats. Oak may be new, which lends vanilla-like flavors, body, and tannins. Old or "neutral" oak may be used also. Less impact on flavor/tannins.
Some wines are barrel aged to give more oak characteristics.
Wines are then bottled and may be stored.
Many producers "filter" wines as they're transferred. This separates out yeast lees (remnants) and other organic material. Some producers leave their wines unfiltered, which adds to natural sediment that occurrs as wines age and settle. Unharmful.
Reds
- Cabernet sauvignon: Heavy, dark grape produced throughout much of the world. Major grape for most wines from Bordeaux. Generally deep berry flavors, some green pepper.
- Merlot: Moderately heavy, widely grown. Bottled on its own, but also widely used as a blending grape for cabernet sauvignon and other heavy reds. Smoother than cab sauv, often with lots of berry flavors.
- Cabernet franc: Mid-bodied grape, widely grown. Main variety in France's Chinon and Bourgueil regions. Also widely used in blending.
- Pinot noir: Finicky grape that runs light- to mid-bodied. Primary grape for red Burgundy. Styles vary widely depending on region and grower.
- Pinotage
- Zinfandel
- Syrah
- Grenache
- Nebbiolo
- Sangiovese
- Temperanillo
Whites
- Chardonnay: Perhaps the best-known, widest cultivated white wine grape. Grown around the world and produced in a great many styles from steely Chablis to heavily oaked, buttery California chardonnay.
- Chenin blanc: Less-known white wine grape grown primarily in France and the USA. Aromatic and with good acidity. It can be produced as a rich, heavy, dry wine, but also produces some of the world's best dessert wines in areas like Quarts du Chaume.
- Sauvinon blanc
- Pinot blanc
- Gewurztraminer
- Pinot Gris
- Riesling
- Gruener veltliner
Most wine-producing regions are known for a general style of wine produced from a set of grape types. Many wine regions are governed by rules defining what grapes must be used, vineyard yield limits, etc. These rules are meant to keep a baseline style and level of quality. Region-controlling rules vary widely by nation, and region within the nation.
In some cases, the rules become overly restrictive and growers/producers in the areas will start their own styles. Italy's "Super Tuscan" wines are one example of this.
Red Blends/Regions
- French
- Bordeaux: Likely France's best-known wine region. Styles and blends vary widely in different sub-regions. St. Emilion is known for wines with a majority of merlot. St. Estephe typically uses lots of cabernet franc. Medoc wines are primarily cabernet sauvignon.
- Languedoc: Southern France's country region is known for a wide range of wines. One of the regions "trademark" traits is a very herbal and lavender component thanks to the region's dense population of wild and crop lavender and herbs.
- Rhone
- Burgundy
- Italian
- Chianti
- Barolo
- Amarone
- ??
- Spanish
- Rijoa
White Blends/Regions
- French
- Burgundy: The same region for red Burgundy. White Burgundy is primarily chardonnay. White burgundy is typically heavy bodied with moderate to heavy oak.
- Chablis: A sub-region within Burgundy. Primary grape is chardonnay. Little or no oak is used, leaving the wines cleanly representing the region's chalky, flinty nature.
- Sancerre
- Germany
- Mosel
- Rhine
- Italian
- Soave
- Still: Still wines are simply normal table wines that aren't sparkling.
- Sparkling: At the risk of sounding trite, sparkling wines are those with bubbles. There are many different styles and regions which produce sparkling wines: Champagne, "cremant" from Alsace or the Loire, Spain's cava, and more. Sparkling wines undergo a secondary fermentation after the initial wine is bottled. This secondary fermentation produces the bubbles.
- Fortified: Fortified wines have a neutral spirit such as brandy added to them after their initial fermentation. This high alcohol spirit stops the fermentation by killing the yeast. Due to this fortified wines have a higher alcohol content and are generally sweeter. Fortified wines include port, sherry, and madiera.
Sweetness in wine can range from very sweet to completely dry. Percieved sweetness in wine comes from a number of factors. First off, and obviously, sweetness comes from residual sugar left over from the fermentation process. (You might consider re-reading the section on fermenting if needed!)
Perceived sweetness can also come from the oak barrels a wine's fermented in, some of the flavors, the body of the wine, and other factors. That's why I call it 'perceived sweetness'—because it's not actual sugar.
Focusing in on actual residual sugar, there are several broad categories we can evaluate:
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Sweet: Many wonderful wines from around the world fall in this range. Many people will say "I don't like sweet wine!" without having tried a well-balanced sweet wine. Be sure to read the section on A very short, partial list below runs from very sweet to just sweet.
- Icewine, made from frozen grapes (Germany, Canada, a few other places)
- Trockenbeerenauslese, made from dried raisin-like grapes harvested very late (Germany)
- Port, sweet sherries, Madiera, and other fortified wines
- Sauternes
- German Auslese
- Late harvest chenin blanc wines from France's Loire
- A wide range of sweet wines from Australia
- German Spaetlese
- Italian Moscato (and knock offs)
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Off-Dry: These wines have a bit of residual sugar left in them. They're generally thought of as wonderful food wines, since the light sugar enables them to play across a range of dishes from seafoods to curries.
- French wines labeled "demi-sec"
- Some California chardonnays
- German Spaetlese and halb-Trocken (literally, "half-dry")
- Some Californian white zinfandel
- Some French wines such as chenin blanc or sauvignon blanc from the Loire
- Nouveau Boujolais
-
Dry:
Don't freak out. Few bad pairings, few great ones.
One of your biggest constraints for gifting wine is what options you have available to you for shopping.
Keep in mind the vast majority of wine is not meant to store for years. The perception is "older wine is better!" however, that's unfortunately wrong in most cases. Wine is a living, surprisingly fragile product, ergo avoid bottles that have been on shelves or in a distributor's warehouse for years. Likewise, avoid bottles that have been in a store's front window exposed to direct sun!
Your purchasing options are limited by what's available in your area. Importation and distribution of wine to stores in a nation, state, and region are constrained by a huge number of factors: import laws, alcohol regulations, distributor chains, and of course simple economics.
Your absolute best option is to find a reliable retailer who you can get help with, especially if you're looking to further your interest in wine. A good wine seller can help guide you in options both for gifts and your own consumption.
How do you find a good wine retailer? Look around. Ask other friends who are wine drinkers. See if you can find online reviews of nearby stores. By all means, go and visit stores and start up a conversation with the staff.
You may be limited to grocery or similar stores in your area. Generally these outlets don't have wine specialists. In that case, you'll need to do research on your own. See what's on the shelf, then go back home and see what the Internet can help you with about producers, etc.
You'll want to ask the staff at the stores about their stock turnover: just how long has that bottle been sitting on the shelf? If it's an old wine that's been in the store for years you'll likely want to look elsewhere...
Online wine sales may be an option for you depending on where you live.
The advantages of online sales is generally the seller has some expertise and knowledge of their products. They can help guide you in your purchases.
The downside of online sales is you'll have to pay shipping costs—and you'll be hostage to the weather. Don't accept shipments of wine in the middle of summer unless the seller guarantees your purchase will be protected via refrigerated truck or some other cooling method!
- Budget
- Knowledge of the recipient
- Relationship
- What the gift is for
- Dinner party
- Life event
- Work