30-04-2003 05:10									#1
	Teach a fool all about wine Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

I know absolutely nothing about it other than older == better.

What's the difference between white and red wines, aside from the color tones?

What kind of food goes well with what?

Is the wine from Napa Valley really that good or is it just conveniently close and rather cheap?

Anything else, I really don't know anything.

Thanks!

Last edited by Asher on 30-04-2003 at 05:16

	30-04-2003 05:12									#2
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there is good wine form places like new zealan, france, and california

red goes well with pasta (or maybe it is just some pastas)

a newer wine can be better than an older one

you can get good wine for ~$15 per bottle (cali mostly, there is a lot of good french stuff but it is more expensive)

it is one of the alcohols I have not tried, so no clue as to the taste

Jon Miller

	30-04-2003 05:13									#3
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Older does not mean better, by any means. A wine crafted to be consumed young can end up much worse consumed years later.

Wine For Dummies is actually a good introduction.

	30-04-2003 05:14									#4
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I've had it before quite a few times, and I like the taste as for as alcohol goes, I just don't know anything about it. I drink what's given to me.

	30-04-2003 05:15									#5
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quote: Originally posted by The Mad Monk Older does not mean better, by any means. A wine crafted to be consumed young can end up much worse consumed years later. Wine For Dummies is actually a good introduction.

Older doesn't mean better? Hmm. Isn't it generally the case, though, that older wine is better?

	30-04-2003 05:16									#6
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Go to a wine bar. Taste a variety of wines. Buy what tastes good to you. Drink it with what you like. **** the wine-snobs.

EDIT: Go the the Okanagan its filled with lots of excellent small wineries (mostly white wines)and taste it up (dont drive).

	30-04-2003 05:17									#7
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Last great year for California wines... 1999... 98 was excellent as well, with 97 close behind. 96 sucked

2000 to currrent day are all average at best.

	30-04-2003 05:18									#8
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What's merlot, and all those other weird names I can't remember?

	30-04-2003 05:20									#9
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quote: Originally posted by Asher What's the difference between white and red whines, aside from the color tones?

Usually red wine´s best at room temperature, white wine ´s best when relatively cool. However, the real experts have complicated tables for the best temperatur of every especific wine....

	30-04-2003 05:21									#10
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The names may refer to the type of grape the wine is made from (or majorly made from, blends are common), or the region, or both.

	30-04-2003 05:23									#11
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If it comes in a box INSTEAD of a bottle...avoid like the plague.

So I've heard.

Rob from the Rob, Arnie, and Dawn Show (radio in Sacramento and Reno) is a wine conisuer (sp?) and at least once a year they'll do a good portion of the show just on wines towards the end of that day's airing. He bloody HATES boxed wines. Says they taste like sh*t.

	30-04-2003 05:25									#12
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Red wines incorporate the skins into the wine making process, so they have a higher level of tannins and other compounds. These wines can be very astringent when first opened, and should be decanted and allowed to 'breathe' for a time before serving (this varies form wine to wine and vintage to vintage).

	30-04-2003 05:25									#13
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http://www.sbwines.com/usenet_winef...ofcontents.html

This may help you.

	30-04-2003 05:27									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Asher I know absolutely nothing about it other than older == better.

This is entirely wrong. Certain types of European grape varitiles (primarially from France but some Italian & Spanish as well) produce excess tanins and other compound which taste bitter. Over time, with the proper storage temperatures, these bitter compounds can break down into daughter compounds which really do add alot of flavor and complexity to the wine but if you let it age to much then you will miss the window of peak drinkability for the wine as the daughter particles break down to third generation particles and so on.

Starting in the 1960s Vitners in California had a rather revolutionary idea which shock up the world of wine. Why not cross breed grape varitiles which already have the desirable daughter compounds in them and which have fewer of the bitter, bad tasting, compounds? Thus was born the "fruit forward" approach to wine making where wines are made to have their peak drinkability occur 1-4 years after they are made unstead of the much longer celloring period required for many European wines.

The approach has been a success and wine makers from Latine American and Australia/New Zealand have copied to great commercial success.

	30-04-2003 05:30									#15
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Spencer - they have wine bars in B'ham???

(I actually might be moving your direction)


There are good wines and bad wines from every area and with every grape. Take your time to learn a little, it is a pretty complex area, but a little bit of general knowledge is plenty. Trying to remember how good specific labels are in different years is a waste of time.

Wines in Europe are generally labeled by the Region that they come from; wines in the US etc are frequently labeled by the grape used to make the wine.

For that reason I would start with learning what the different major grapes taste like. Spencer's rec to go to a wine bar and taste a bunch of different things is a good one. I would only do three or four different things at a time...

Some Common Reds: Pinot Noir, Zinfindel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet. Those are ascending based on their general 'weight' - in beers think Amber to Guinness Stout. Drink slightly cool to room temp.

Some Common Whites: Pinot Grigio, Sauvenion Blanc, Chardonnay. Again ascending by weight. Drink cold to chilled.

	30-04-2003 05:33									#16
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BTW there are many great wines from Napa but there are also many over priced so-so wines. Don't EVER buy a case of high priced wine without first tasting it yourself. This is especially true with Bordouexs since the place is populated with crappy fly by night wineries which are trying to live off of the reputation of their more illustrious neighbors.

Personally I've found tons of low priced wines from California, Chile, & Australia which have blown the doors off of wines costing three times as much. Argentina, Washington State, New Zealand, and South Africa are real up and coming areas where the quality has been growing by leaps and bounds but the price has yet to rise. If I was just getting into wine I'd try getting my feet wet with a few wines and find out what you like before investing big time into styles you won't even taste until years down the road.

	30-04-2003 05:42									#17
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I didn't even know wine bars existed.

BTW, when you say don't buy boxed wines, does that mean boxed as in Costco or boxed as in those cute little things in the wooden-type boxes with hay-like padding in them?

I had one of those once and I quite liked it...

	30-04-2003 05:44									#18
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Avoid French Wine. It sucks.

Go with Spanish, Chilean and Californian wine. Argentine wine is excellent too but hard to find outside of Argentina last time I heard.

Remember, taste the wine before you buy large quantities of it.

	30-04-2003 05:47									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Ming Last great year for California wines... 1999... 98 was excellent as well, with 97 close behind. 96 sucked 2000 to currrent day are all average at best.

Depends on the region. Monterrey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties have had some real winners. I'm an especially big fan of Santa Ynez valley (in Santa Barbara) Sarahs, Paso Robles (in SLO) Zinfandels and just about any Chardonnay (or better yet a Semillon-Chardonnay blend) from Monterrey.

Other favorites are Washington State Pinot Grigios, Cabraunet Sauvignons from Chile, and Italian Sangiovese.

For off the wall flavors and shear novelty try Hungarian Boluda (spelling? It means Blood since the wine’s color is almost the same as blood), Greek Resina (aged in unaged pine so it gets a slight pine tar flavor), or just about any South African desert wine.

	30-04-2003 05:48									#20
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quote: Originally posted by BeBro http://www.sbwines.com/usenet_winef...ofcontents.html This may help you.

Most excellent, thank you BeBro.

	30-04-2003 06:02									#21
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quote: Originally posted by Asher I didn't even know wine bars existed. BTW, when you say don't buy boxed wines, does that mean boxed as in Costco or boxed as in those cute little things in the wooden-type boxes with hay-like padding in them? I had one of those once and I quite liked it...

Ever have one of those little Capri-type fruit drinks for kids? Little aluminum(?) foil bags you stick a straw in and drink the contents? "Boxed wines" that I'm refering to are like that, but the bag-thing they come in is inside a cardboard box with the product logo all over it. There is a functioning spiggot on most types, but I've seen simple caps sometimes. Sorry, but you'll have to provide YOUR OWN straw for them.

Costco has both "boxed wines" and "bottled wines." I'm going to assume that wooden-type decorative boxes are fine, since they hold bottled wines. I don't drink any type of alcohol, but I trust the word of Rob on this subject.

	30-04-2003 06:07									#22
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I only know French wines, and I know they are overpriced on the other side of the pond, so my advice won't really help you (besides, Oerdin is absolutely right about Bordeaux, which doesn't help).

First, it takes some time to appreciate wine. Like beer, there is a specific taste that might not be pleasant for the beginner. It took me much time to get used to it, and to start appreciating the great taste that was behind it (granted, I have started drinking in my early teens, it might help not liking wine at such an age ).

White wine feels "lighter" to the mouth, since it is often less sour than Red. The taste is also closer to the taste of the grape. White wine is also better designed for apetizers (is that how you call the course before the main course ? ), fish, and some deserts.
Red wine goes better with meat. The redder the meat, the older/stronger the wine. As a red wine goes darker, it has usally a stronger taste.

You can look for a compromise with pink wines. While they are often quite correct, I don't think any pink wine has ever been high-end.

Don't let the age/price/prestige of the wine dictate your taste. Some overpriced or prestigious wines are utter crap, while some rather cheap and unknown wines can taste great. If there is a specialized shop in Calgary, don't hesitate to go there and talk to the shopkeeper. I know that in Paris, I can find good wines for 6-8 € in such a shop, it shouldn't be much different on your side of the pond. If there is a wine bar, same thing.

If you are an absolute beginner in wine, I'd advise you to start with sweet wines. Gewurtzraminer and Muscat de Rivesaltes are very sugary. They aren't similar to other kind of wines, but can be a good introduction, if you drink them on desert or so. Other than that, Riesling has a light taste, but try to get at least mid-level quality : low-end Rieslings taste bad and hurt the head.

Overall, if you're to drink several kinds of wines during the same meal, avoid to drink a white wine after a red wine. White first. Red second. Otherwise, you are much more likely to have headaches and stomachaches.

	30-04-2003 06:08									#23
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Listen to him. He's French.

	30-04-2003 06:13									#24
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Is Champagne actually a wine?

	30-04-2003 06:15									#25
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Yep. Made from grapes. (the process makes the bubbles)

	30-04-2003 06:16									#26
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Ahhh...it's all so clear now. I'd been wondering that too. Good question, Asher.

	30-04-2003 06:17									#27
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Ah, so basically Champagne is bubbly wine. Gotcha.

	30-04-2003 06:17									#28
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quote: Originally posted by Asher Is Champagne actually a wine?

Champagne is technically only from the Champagne region of France. Other places have to call it something else, like sparkling wine. iirc

	30-04-2003 06:22									#29
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Absolutely Sten Sure.

There are very different qualities of Champagne. From what I reckon from American TV series, champagne has a huge prestige on your side (and it has quite some prestige here too). But in fact, like in any other region, there are goods and bads. Some champagnes are too bubbled, which hides the taste, and give an terrible headache afterwards.
Good champagnes can really rule (I think my favorite wine ever is an impressive champagne I had the opportunity to drink once), but they are often really overpriced, even here.

	30-04-2003 06:32									#30
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Bin 905 in Calgary (found on the web) looks pretty good as a store - you can probably call them for info on where they recommend going for tastings to learn about different wines.

If you have a couple of friends that want to make it a regular thing, you can have tasting dinner parties where you try some different things - though I did that with some rugby guys and they brought some CRAP!!