There are different varieties of wines, not to mention those that are categorized under white and red wines. It would be a hard thing for beginners to know where to begin as different wines provide different aromas, taste, acidity, viscosity and other characteristics. Here are the best wines for beginners that could be used as benchmarks for basic understanding.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a fuller and richer red wine. Other beginners might find this kind of wine as a bit intense for them to try due to its high acidity and tannin. However, there are a number of beginners who like to start with Cabernet Sauvignon due to its fruity flavors.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is originally a kind of white grape, wherein the wine Chardonnay is derived from. It has a flavor like a mixture of apples, pears, butter, toast, and oak. Although, it is usually dry and not sweet, still it could taste fruity.
It is one of the best wines that is great for novice wine enthusiasts. Since it is a kind of white wine, it does not have tannin. Also, its level of acidity depends on where it came from. Most of the time, American Chardonnay has lesser acidity compared to European Chardonnay.
A lot of people might confuse chardonnay with Champagne; however, they are not the same. A Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet Grand Cru is different from a Moet Chandon Dom Perignon.
Chardonnay is a grape (aside from being a wine), while Champagne is a sparkling wine made with Chardonnay (white grape), Pinot Noir (black grape) and Pinot Meunier (black grape) grapes in Champagne region of France.
Grenache
Also called Spanish Garnacha, Grenache is a kind of red wine mainly grown in Southern France and Spain. It is the main blending grape in Côtes du Rhône wines, making it one of the significant wine grapes outside the United States.
It is a kind of red wine that is best for beginners. Due to its moderate acidity and bright berry flavors, novice wine enthusiasts are given the chances to comprehend how to taste acidity. Moreover, it is usually laced up with a citrus taste, so it is easy to overcome the mouth-watering acidity.
Pinot Grigio
Another kind of white wine is called Pinot Grigio. Due to its clean and subtle taste, this is best for those beginners who are desiring a sip with a soft and approachable touch. It is often great for sole drinking or together with seafood since it has a fruity and mild taste even though it is not sweet.
Pinot Noir
If you’re that person who used to drinking white wines but would love to try red wines, Pinot Noir is an excellent choice for you. It usually has low tannins and is light bodied. What is more, it is not sweet and typically dry; however, it does have fruity flavors like that of cherry and berry.
Prosecco
Made from a kind of grape called Glera in Italy, Prosecco is one of the best sparkling wines for neophytes due to its fruity and sweet characteristics that taste like lemon and green apples. It is considered as a kind of sparkling wine as it is a white wine that contains bubbles on it.
One could also say that prosecco is a beginner-friendly because it has relatively low acid. Also, it does not have tannin, making it easier to be appreciated by many wine lovers who are still at the beginner’s phase.
Syrah
Syrah is also widely known as the South Australian Shiraz. Australia is prominent for consistently making wines that are super-charged single-variety. If looking for wines that would help you to understand what a full-bodied mean, try Syrah. Syrah could have a lighter style; however, it would be better if you could have a try of an inky boldly flavored one.
Zinfandel
Alcohol does affect flavor, and you would best understand it when trying Zinfandel. Try a Zinfandel with almost 15% Alcohol by Volume (ABV). Have a sip of the wine, exhale and feel the tingling sensation at the back of your throat due to the alcohol.
The tingling sensation is caused by alcohol. High alcohol wines with 14% or so usually have the what so-called spice elements like that in pepper or cinnamon. Not only it tingles, but also add a perception of the body. Make sure to invite a pal when trying this out for the first time.
Takeaway
Take the challenge to have a taste of different bottles of a specific type of either white or red wines. You could try some of the suggestions for best wines intended for beginners then decide whether you would venture out on your own or not. Asking from a local wine shop will also help you a lot.
