Best Wine Tasting Order Of Common Wine Types
Wine tasting order is a vital aspect of the wine tasting experience. If you havent noticed yet, wine tasting can seem very complex but I promise, once youve done it a couple of times, it will come as second nature. I enjoy educating you guys so that when you go to a wine tasting event, you can get the most of your time, money, and most of all, enjoy the wine!
Experts around the world have analyzed wine and what makes for the most effective wine tasting order. Even if youre a novice, following this order will help you better taste all that the wine has to offer.
Best For The Cellar: Chteau Coutet Barsac
Barsac is located in the southwestern area of Bordeaux and is known for its lusciously sweet dessert wine production. Here, sauvignon blanc and sémillon are left on the vine to be infected by noble rot , otherwise known as botrytis. This rot sucks the moisture out of the grapes, which in turn, concentrates the fruit and leads to rich, sticky-sweet dessert wines. Coutet is one of the most renowned producers within the appellation. At a great value, this wine will withstand the test of time.
Enjoy it with pungent blue cheese, foie gras or French-inspired pastries for an incredible experience. “Savory and salty foods pair so nicely with sweet wines,” says Strong. “I love roasted chicken or bacon with any sweet, botrytized white wine from Bordeaux, Hungary or Austria.”
Excellent Sweet Fruity Inexpensive Wines
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Best Ros: 2020 Pratsch Ros
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Austria | ABV: 11.5% | Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Watermelon, Peach, Raspberry
Rosé has been having a moment for a while now, so there are many great options to choose from in a wide range of styles. For beginners, we recommend a light, dry style with lots of fresh, vibrant fruit, like this high-value gem from Austria.
Its made from the zweigelt grape, a locally popular variety that is known for bright berry flavors accented with a hint of black pepper, reminding us a lot of pinot noir. Succulent strawberry, watermelon, raspberry, peach, and pear notes are lifted by vibrant acidity and a hint of hibiscus perfume in this refreshing pink wine that makes a perfect companion to parks, picnics, and pools.
Rudi Pichler Smaragd Achleithen Grner Veltliner 2018
When you’re feeling a bit tired or need to perk up, head straight for Grüner Veltliner. This wine is the specialty grape of Austria and produces an aromatic dry white with savory flavors and good acidity that will have your senses tingling before you even take a sip!
The Smaragd from the Wachau region has savory, rich notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula, making a full-bodied taste. This wine is a pure delight that explodes with floral and fruity flavors too.
This aromatic variety has an incredible balance showcasing baked apple, dried pineapple, daisy, and roasted peach flavors with subtle spicy accents. The flavor profile is a beautiful balance of acidity and power, which are both brilliantly expressed.
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Getting Started With Wine
There really isn’t one type of wine that every single beginner will love. On the other hand, there are many delicious wines for the budding wine enthusiast to give a try before trying heavier or more serious wines. Many factors affect the pleasure beginners take in wine.
Best Value: 2019 Avalon Flint & Steel Sauvignon Blanc
As uplifting as it is delicious, this Napa Valley bargain gets its edge from the 2019 growing seasons moderate temperatures. As the name might suggest, this wine packs a sharp flavor that makes even a modest sip feel like a hearty bite.
Chartreuse-hued and ready to pounce, this wine has herbal aromas of lemongrass and citrus. Flavored with apple, peach and honeydew, it also pairs well with sushi and edamame.
The grüner veltliner grape is most commonly grown in and attributed to Austria and other eastern European regions. Still, Zocker Winery in San Luis Obispo, Calif. offers excellent expressions of the grape. The Niven family, who runs Zocker, pioneered the planting of wine grapes in the Edna Valley generations ago, so if anyone knows how to work the land to make some pristine vino, they do.
Expect bright lemon-lime and citrus peel with flinty notes in this wine. Clean and crisp, it’s refreshing with a bit of plush mid-palate texture and a remarkably fresh mineral finish.
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Piattelli Reserve Torrontes 2017
Rich and complex, the Torrontés wine grape variety is harvested from the high-altitude Parral vines in Cafayate Valley to produce Piattelli Reserve 2017. Its cool climate is due to elevations up to 5,890 feet, where temperature extremes make full-flavored grapes.
It has a fantastic combination of floral and oak notes. Its dry, fruity, medium-bodied mouthwatering flavor will please any palate. Pairing Torrontés with spicy dishes can result in an exciting experience but don’t forget about its milder side for seafood pizza or grilled chicken breast recipes!
Best Crisp White: 2018 Amisfield Sauvignon Blanc
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: New Zealand | ABV: 12.6% | Tasting Notes: Passionfruit, Pink Grapefruit, Lemon Peel, Fresh Grass
Fans of crisp, refreshing whites can never get enough of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Not only is it always a great value for the price, but it also offers unique and complex flavors and aromas not commonly found in other inexpensive wines.
There is so much going on in this beautiful bottle from Amisfieldit shows vibrant tropical notes of passionfruit, mango, lychee, and papaya alongside zesty grapefruit, lemon, and lime, fragrant honeysuckle and elderflower, and freshly cut grass. Expressive but not overwhelming, it makes a great match with freshly shucked oysters, vegetable dishes or anything with plenty of fresh green herbs.
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Best Dry White Wine For Cooking
Whenever it comes to cooking with wine, never use a wine that you wouldnt drink on its own. Of course, you dont have to use your best wine in the food, but make sure its not something designated as cooking wine. This will not serve your dish well.
Something like a chardonnay or a viognier has a lot of body to it, so these go well in gravy or a cream sauce for a chicken dish. If youre making a seafood dish, rather try a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc as they are a little crisper and sharper.
Summer, winter, spring, seafood, sauces or sipping, dry white wine is a bit of an all rounder in just the right way. There are so many wonderful bottles of this wine available, and each offers something special.
Vincent Girardin Meursault Premier Cru Les Perrires 2017
One sip of the Vincent Girardin Meursault Premier Cru is enough to make you feel like the most important person in any room. Authentic and elegant are just two words you can use when describing this powerful-yet-refined wine.
This wine has blackcurrant and cherry aromas at the beginning of its maturity process and develops to truffle and leather as the wine ages. The solid structure on the tannic base has well-marked acidity that rewards those who let it evolve for its complex flavors.
For a more extreme drinking experience, you can pair this wine with poultry or roasted meat dishes, but its also great alongside cheese or red meat.
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Best For Sangria: 2018 Flat Top Hills Sauvignon Blanc
The usual suspects used for a white wine Sangria are often from dryer varietals like riesling or pinot grigio, but please turn your attention to this 2018 Sauvignon Blanc from Flat Top Hills. This wine makes for the perfect base for a Sangria concoction with its inertly tropical flavors and aroma. And yes, its tasty all on its own.
Find strong aromas of tropical melon, guava, key lime and sweet citrus here. If you dont use it for Sangria, this wine also pairs stupendously with creamy cheeses. Or, go ahead and pair the cheeses with the Sangria. No ones the boss of you.
King Estate Elhanan Riesling 2017
The King Estate Elhanan Dry Riesling has a complex and unique nose that is tantalizing to the senses. With hints of wildflowers, peach, apple, and nutmeg in conjunction with tangerine or pineapple notes on the finish, this dry wine leaves you wanting more than one wine glass!
It is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel for seven months and aged sur lie. It has accents of dry flowers and wet stone on the palate, so it’s light enough that you can drink several wine glasses without feeling weighed down.
This dry wine pairs well beautifully with seafood dishes and creamy cheeses, including brie, among other fine delicacies, making it perfect for all types of gatherings.
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Best Budget Red: 2019 El Libre Malbec
Wine.com
Region: Argentina| ABV: 13% | Tasting Notes: Plum, Blackberry, Tobacco, Vanilla
Argentinian malbec is insanely popular for a reasonits smooth, velvet-like texture and plump black fruit flavors make it one of the most crowd-pleasing red wines on the planet. Malbec is a great alternative to cabernet sauvignon, with similar bold, dark fruit but softer tannins.
El Libre is one of the most budget-friendly options weve come across, and it doesnt sacrifice flavor for value. Inky plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit get a bit of an edge from earthy notes of tobacco and leather, and oak aging adds toasty vanilla and spice flavors.
Best Red: Pour Haus Cabernet Sauvignon
Courtesy of Minibar
Region: California | ABV: 13% | Tasting Notes: Red fruits, Spice, Rhubarb
Cabernet Sauvignon, the head honcho of red wine grapes, doesnt always translate well into a box, but the clever folks behind Pour Haus have figured it out. This California blend is bold and mildly acidic with oaky flavor notes of strawberry, raspberry, spice and rhubarb. Luscious and full-bodied, you’ll want to pair this with fatty meats and rich cheeses. This wine delivers exceptional quality and value.
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Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Viognier 2020
The Gimblett Gravels district is home to this single-vineyard Viognier wine. The soil in this region, which consists of free-draining gravel, provides a superb base for these grapes. This vineyard has ideal ripening conditions that produce aromatic wines with concentrated flavors and an intense aroma.
The grapes are harvested at just the right time, pressed off, and settled. The Viognier juice is then transferred to a winery in Marlborough, where it is fermented using a special yeast that preserves fruit flavor while keeping things cool not to lose any of its freshness or taste.
The nose is a mixture of white peach and nectarine, with subtle notes of almond blossom. The palate starts rich and complex, full of stone fruit flavors mixed with citrus and spice.
What Is A Dry White Wine
A dry white wine is classified as containing less than one percent of sugar, which is under four grams of sugar per litre. The dryness of the wine is created in the fermenting process, where the yeast turns the sugars in the grapes into alcohol. Winemakers can also control how much sugar is in the grapes at the start of the winemaking process by timing when they harvest the grapes.
Different types of grapes also have different levels of sugars in them naturally. This is why there are set types of dry white wines that are never made into medium or off-dry versions. It would be too difficult to ensure there is enough sugar in the final product with some grape varieties.
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Best Red Blend: Black Box Red Blend
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: California | ABV: 14% | Tasting Notes: Mineral, Blueberries, Red berries
Black Box strikes again with this impressive and delicious blend of their pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon varieties sourced from California, Argentina, and Chile. Mildly sweet with notes of cherry, raspberry, earth and blueberry. Looking for a red that can stand on its own? This velvety smooth blend fits the bill.
Best Ros: Le Vieille Ferme
Courtesy of Amazon
Region: France | ABV: 12.5% | Tasting Notes: Floral, Citrus, Peach
Brown calls this wine produced by the Southern Rhônes famed Perrin family one of the best wine values of the wine world.
A blend of syrah, grenache, and cinsault, its a consistent gem thats 100 percent crushable, she says, with a red-fruit palate and touches of citrus, peach flesh, and white flowers.
It’s a perfect match poolside with friends, for those regular Tuesday nights with leftover Chinese food, or while simply Netflix and chilling, folding laundry. Nadine Brown, wine consultant and former wine director of Charlie Palmer Steak in DC
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Anne Amie Vineyards Pinot Gris 2019
Last year, VinePair had the chance to taste a lot of wines from Oregon and discovered that the state has so much more to offer than just Pinot Noir. White wine grapes like Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are also thriving there. If the latter varietal interests you, this bottle is a great starting point. It has nice, broad depth with good acidity to hold up the slight weight.
Tania Et Vincent Careme Terre Brulee Chenin Blanc 2019
Tania and Vincent Careme offer some of the best white wines using their creation of a classic style of Chenin Blanc with an Old World flair. The grapes are grown on a 40-year-old vineyard and fermented using indigenous yeasts to maintain the distinct flavor characteristics of traditional Chenin blanc wines.
You can taste salty minerals and citrus peel flavors while maintaining a fresh core full of mouthwatering acidity. This rich and seductive wine offers a mineral flavor that coats the palate, with yellow plum and melon notes at its heart.
Spice along the edges gives it an intriguing taste, while floral accents glide for texture. A long finish leaves your tongue wanting more as this Chenin Blanc delivers honeydew aroma in addition to flavors like a peach when tasted on the finish.
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Do You Need Different Glasses For Different Wine
Different types of glass or crystal are more appropriate for various environments, describes Diane Clemenhagen of Geraldines Austin. A busy restaurant or bar will need something a bit more durable while your home collection might get less use and can be more delicate. A good rule is the less you use it, the more delicate you can go and vice versa.
Best White: 2019 Dr Loosen Dr L Riesling
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Germany | ABV: 8.5% | Tasting Notes: Yellow Apple, Pear, Peach, Lemon Curd
Forget everything you think you know about rieslingthis seriously underrated variety makes some of the greatest serious white wines in the world, but it is also responsible for some of the best introductory styles. Riesling comes in every level of sweetness imaginable, from bone dry to lusciously sweet, but most beginners will want to start with an off-dry version like this best-selling classic from Dr. Loosen.
Vibrant acidity keeps this wine from being cloying, and ripe citrus, orchard, and stone fruit flavors make it delightful to drink. The best part is that, like most rieslings, this food-friendly wine is pretty low in alcohol, so it wont cloud your judgement if youre tasting it alongside other wines.
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The Best Dry White Wines For Cooking
The old adage is true: If you wouldn’t drink it, you shouldn’t cook with it.
The indomitable Julia Childs is credited with the phrase “I enjoy cooking with wine. Sometimes, I even put it in the food . . .”That is a lovely thought and, while many of us enjoy a glass of wine whilewe are cooking, that same wine may not be the right type to add to whatwe are cooking. For instance, you may not want to mix an earthy Pinot Noir into a light and breezy summer pasta dish. Adding wine is a fun way to build new flavors and nuances into your recipe many cooks especially enjoy using dry white wine, which is ideal for cooking with seafood, chicken, pork, or mushrooms. Here are some of the more popular dry white wine varieties and tips on how to cook with them.
