Discussion
Wine to me tastes like vinegar, I have only tried white wine a few times, but its never been what I would call a pleasant experience.
The problem is, I really like the idea of wine and sharing a bottle at dinner.
So, with Red wine, is there anything that can be recommended as a starter bottle? Something that doesn't taste so bitter?
The problem is, I really like the idea of wine and sharing a bottle at dinner.
So, with Red wine, is there anything that can be recommended as a starter bottle? Something that doesn't taste so bitter?
Find a wine merchant go in and ask when and if they do tastings.
Buy a ticket, go along and try a wide variety of wines.
You will then find out if you like wine at all. Attend a few tastings and you will find out what kind of wine you like, if you then like wine.
After that, buy wine you like. Spend enough on a bottle that you aren't getting vinegar. I recommend a budget of around £15. If you think that's expensive just don't drink it too often: wine you like occasionally is better than piss you don't often.
Good luck. And try a Pinot Noir vs a Shiraz. That'll give you some direction.
...and don't let anyone tell you what you like. Your palate is your palate.
Buy a ticket, go along and try a wide variety of wines.
You will then find out if you like wine at all. Attend a few tastings and you will find out what kind of wine you like, if you then like wine.
After that, buy wine you like. Spend enough on a bottle that you aren't getting vinegar. I recommend a budget of around £15. If you think that's expensive just don't drink it too often: wine you like occasionally is better than piss you don't often.
Good luck. And try a Pinot Noir vs a Shiraz. That'll give you some direction.
...and don't let anyone tell you what you like. Your palate is your palate.
I am a beer drinker by preference but have shared various different types of red wine with my wife who is a wine drinker. By and large I aren't that keen on it (but will drink anything). I have recently tried Malbec which I find very pleasant and very very easy to drink.
(I must clarify that I know nothing about wine, don't spend more than £8 on a bottle, and pick it up from the supermarket when passing).
(I must clarify that I know nothing about wine, don't spend more than £8 on a bottle, and pick it up from the supermarket when passing).
Edited by PH5121 on Wednesday 8th February 14:33
Edited by PH5121 on Wednesday 8th February 14:34
Not an expert by a long way, but I think what you're describing are tannins, the sort of mouth puckering sourness that you might get from chewing a crab apple. They're a desirable trait up to a point - when brewing country wines and ciders home brewers often go to great lengths adding stuff such as raisins and cups of overbrewed tea to make up for their lack of quality grapes - I think if you drink enough wine you'll eventually love them. But maybe steer clear of them initially, avoid Rioja for example. Go for something lighter, Aussie and South African wines generally fit the bill.
It's a crude measure but generally something with lower alcohol strength will be easier in this department as well.
Good luck - it's an enjoyable thing to get into!
It's a crude measure but generally something with lower alcohol strength will be easier in this department as well.
Good luck - it's an enjoyable thing to get into!
I was the same until a valued customer bought me a bottle and said it was about time I started. When I thanked him he explained what to do...
It was a Rioja, a good one but by no means expensive and although I can't remember now which it was I'd say a nice bottle of Faustino 1 would do the trick. He explained about half an hour before I wanted to drink it I was to open it and let it breath, preferably by a heat source like a radiator or something. Once I wanted to drink it I was to pour a bit in a large glass and give it a good swill around and try to smell it before tasting-see if I recognised any smells whatever.
Anyway, this all worked and if I'm honest it did actually smell quite good, not like vinegar which is what I previously thought all wines smelled and tasted of.
The other thing was to sip it quite slowly, especially for the first glass which isn't immediately obvious when you're used to chugging down a nice cold beer. I now decant my bottles for the same effect if I'm going to have the whole lot otherwise I just use the above technique before sealing the bottle.
None of this might be the "correct" thing to do by the way, it just worked for me and I'm now a huge wine fan. Which may or may not be a good thing if I'm honest...
Give it a try
It was a Rioja, a good one but by no means expensive and although I can't remember now which it was I'd say a nice bottle of Faustino 1 would do the trick. He explained about half an hour before I wanted to drink it I was to open it and let it breath, preferably by a heat source like a radiator or something. Once I wanted to drink it I was to pour a bit in a large glass and give it a good swill around and try to smell it before tasting-see if I recognised any smells whatever.
Anyway, this all worked and if I'm honest it did actually smell quite good, not like vinegar which is what I previously thought all wines smelled and tasted of.
The other thing was to sip it quite slowly, especially for the first glass which isn't immediately obvious when you're used to chugging down a nice cold beer. I now decant my bottles for the same effect if I'm going to have the whole lot otherwise I just use the above technique before sealing the bottle.
None of this might be the "correct" thing to do by the way, it just worked for me and I'm now a huge wine fan. Which may or may not be a good thing if I'm honest...
Give it a try
Alex said:
The simplest advice I can give, is spend at least £10 on a bottle. You won't get good wine for £6 and under.
Yes and no. It won't help the OP understand wine, or whether he'll enjoy it.
Spending >£10 on a bottle then not liking it will piss him off, I expect.
The suggestion of joining a wine tasting is a very good one.
What's good on someone's palate isn't the same for all.
To the poster re £8 Malbec, chances are it's reasonable stuff. You enjoy it. Carry on.
Alex said:
The simplest advice I can give, is spend at least £10 on a bottle. You won't get good wine for £6 and under.
Sorry, cannot agree with that. There are more than enough perfectly good everyday wines at £5-£6. Granted they do get better (which is subjective) as you pay more but as a starting point a fruity new world wine at a fiver.I'd suggest going somewhere like Majestic and asking them to select half a dozen bottles within a budget and see what you like.
21TonyK said:
Alex said:
The simplest advice I can give, is spend at least £10 on a bottle. You won't get good wine for £6 and under.
Sorry, cannot agree with that. There are more than enough perfectly good everyday wines at £5-£6. Granted they do get better (which is subjective) as you pay more but as a starting point a fruity new world wine at a fiver.I'd suggest going somewhere like Majestic and asking them to select half a dozen bottles within a budget and see what you like.
PH5121 said:
RC1807 said:
To the poster re £8 Malbec, chances are it's reasonable stuff. You enjoy it. Carry on.
Thank you, I will (Although as a wine ignoramus I don't know if it is the equivalent of admitting to liking Blue Nun and your are taking the pi55
).Nice one I get from Morrisons for £8
boyse7en said:
PH5121 said:
RC1807 said:
To the poster re £8 Malbec, chances are it's reasonable stuff. You enjoy it. Carry on.
Thank you, I will (Although as a wine ignoramus I don't know if it is the equivalent of admitting to liking Blue Nun and your are taking the pi55
).Nice one I get from Morrisons for £8
21TonyK said:
Sorry, cannot agree with that. There are more than enough perfectly good everyday wines at £5-£6.
If you're happy to drink £5 wine fine, but I suspect this is the sort of stuff that smells like vinegar to the OP.As I posted above, in a £5 bottle of wine, the wine itself is worth just 46p; in a £10 bottle the wine is worth £2.83. That's SIX times more on the wine itself, in a bottle that only costs twice as much.
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