Understanding the many varieties of wine on the market and learning how to drink them properly doesn’t have to be daunting. We’ve put together a beginner’s guide that will help you navigate the three main varieties of wine—red, white, and sparkling—and introduce you to some of the common types of grapes that make up these varieties.
We’ll also teach you about serving temperature guidelines, what type of glassware is used for each type of wine, and how to store your wine properly. Finally, we’ll introduce you to the wine pairings at The Riddler, one of Bangkok's favorite Japanese restaurants and wine bars.
Exploring Basic Wine Varieties
The three most popular wine varieties are reds, whites, and sparkling wines made from several types of white grapes. Although white wines have grown in popularity recently, the market is fairly equally divided. Red wines tend to be heartier and more robust tasting than whites. They are traditionally paired with meaty dishes, whereas whites are paired with fish and lighter dishes.
Some of the most common types of red grapes used in winemaking include:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Grenache
Merlot
Barbera
Shiraz
Zinfandel
Pinot Noir
Some of the most often-used white grapes are:
Chardonnay
Gewürztraminer
Pinot Blanc
Riesling
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Common sparkling wine grapes include:
Chardonnay
Pinto Noir
Pinot Meunier
Semillon
Chenin Blanc
Riesling
Muscat Gordo Blanco
Winemaking Regions of the World
The five largest wine producers worldwide are Italy, France, Spain, the USA, and China. However, the world's growing enthusiasm for wine means that the list of winemaking regions continues to expand. Today, almost 70 countries consider themselves to have wine-producing regions.
Some, like Australia, Chile, and Argentina, have caught the attention of wine lovers all over the world and have made a significant industry out of winemaking in their respective countries.
Wine Tasting
Before you can learn how to drink wine correctly, you must learn what a decent wine should taste like. Wine tasting will acquaint you with the characteristics of the different wines.
Wine tasting uses five basic steps to judge the quality of a wine. They are:
Sight
Swirl
Smell
Taste
Savor
Sight
When judging a wine's appearance, it's important to grasp the glass by its stem to prevent the warmth of your hand from altering the wine's temperature and aroma. Wine tasters use the color, clarity, and "legs" (droplets that form on the inside of the glass) to initially assess the wine’s quality, purity, and origin.
Swirl
Swirling the wine enhances its flavor by oxygenating it, which allows it to release its aromas. It also creates legs on the wine glass, which helps the taster assess the body and texture of the wine.
Smell
Smelling the wine after swirling it releases more of the aromas. Bring the glass to your nose and inhale slowly. Try to associate the aromas with familiar natural scents like flowers or herbs. Repeat this several times to get a full impression of the wine’s aromatic qualities.
Taste
In the next step, try to taste the wine in small sips, pausing between sips to let the wine rest in your mouth and keep in mind the following criteria:
Taste the wine's "structure" or heaviness and consider whether it tastes sweet or dry.
Note the level of acidity, which adds to the wine's freshness.
Also, note the amount of tannins, which create a dry feeling in the mouth. Tannins are particularly noticeable in red wines.
Assess the “body” of the wine. This is the texture and weight ranging from full-bodied to light and fruity.
Try to identify the different flavors on your palate, as you did when smelling the wine. Assort them into spices, fruits, herbs, etc.
Savor
Pause and reflect on what you’ve just tasted, and judge the wine based on its balance of different elements, its complexity in the different nuanced flavours it offered, and the "finish" or lingering aftertaste.
Correct Serving and Storing Temperatures
In learning how to drink wine correctly, it’s also important to serve wine at the proper temperature to allow the aromas and flavors to develop fully. The serving temperature affects its taste, smell or bouquet, and overall quality. Here are the proper serving
temperatures for the three main wine varieties:
Bold reds: - 15-20 °C
Light and medium-bodied reds: – 13-15 °C
White wines: – 7-12 °C
Sparkling wines: – 5-8 °C
Generally, all wine should be stored at around 11-14 °C, and the storage temperature should never exceed 24 °C. Wine can begin to oxidize at temperatures over 24 degrees, which can cause unpleasant tastes.
Proper Wine Glassware
There are three main types of red wine glasses, two main types of white wine glasses and a universal glass used for both red and white wines. Sparkling wine is often served in the tall, narrow classic champagne flute designed to highlight the rising bubbles.
Red Wine Glasses
Bordeaux/Cabernet/Merlot wine glasses are tall with a large bowl to allow the greatest amount of oxygen for bold red wines.
Syrah/Shiraz/Sangiovese/Malbec glasses are slightly shorter than the bold red glasses and have a smaller bowl.
Burgundy/Pinot Noir glasses are the widest and shortest red wine glasses. The increased surface area allows more oxygen to contact the wine.
White Wine Glasses
Sauvignon Blanc/Riesling Glasses have a mid-length to long stem and narrow bowl that tapers in slightly. The narrow bowl makes it easier to capture the aromas of the wine.
Chardonnay wine glasses have a large bowl with a broad entrance. The wide bowl creates a larger surface suited to full-bodied white wines such as chardonnays.
Universal wine glasses are medium-sized glasses with tapering rims, ideal for people who enjoy drinking red and white wine.
Explore A World of Wine at the Riddler
The Riddler is a premier Japanese restaurant and wine bar that has become a favorite destination for Bangkok's wine lovers. We offer over 200 labels of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines. Visit The Riddler and allow our expert sommeliers to guide you through our wine pairing menu and help you find your favorite wines to pair with our exquisite Japanese cuisine.
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