Do you drink wine?

[Di bear]

Hi girls! Do you drink wine? If so, what kind (i.e. Merlot, Chardonnay)? How often? My mom is a doc and she gave me this article about drinking a glass (one only) of red wine a day would increase HDLs (the good cholesterol) and help keep disease at bay. So.....I really don't like alcohol. But, I would like to see how well this works. Do you drink with meals, or relaxing after dinner? Any advice on tasty wines would be much appreciated. Does alcohol affect performance? Thanks!

I keep a cellar, so I have wines of all kinds. I've found that any grape will most likely taste good when done in a style you appreciate, but mostly when it is drunk within the appropriate time frame.

MOST grocery stores, especially those like the ones in my small town, will carry wines that are past their prime. This means that the characteristic fruity flavor is diminishing and the wine really doesn't have the flavor that it once did. That missing flavor is what you are searching for.

Of the grocery store varieties, I prefer Beringers. While you can get a bottle of Beringers for probably around $6, it is still going to be of good quality. It is complexity of flavor and mouth feel that are most likely to vary between different price points. However, you don't need to pay $70 to get a great bottle of wine. There are MANY excellent wines that are available between the $20 and $40 range. One of my favorite wineries is Argyle, out of the Pacific Northwest. My favorite Pinot Noirs come from there. If you're looking for excellent juice, but lower prices (in the teens), check out Castle Rock. Castle Rock buys up the excess juice from larger, "more prestigious" wineries and bottles and ferments it for a more affordable price. I love Castle Rock. Your really can't go wrong there.

If you try one bottle you don't like, try a different vintage or a different grape. Wines will change from year to year because the grapes change due to varying differences from season to season. California and Australian wines tend to be bolder and, the new trend, stronger in alcohol content because the grapes are left on the vine longer and they get more sun. These grapes have a higher sugar content.

So, find out what wines are available to you, then get online and look for "drink by" years. There are plenty of web sites that offer tasting notes on different wines. This is where vintage is really important to not-so-serious wine drinkers - use it to get a good product. Buy the wines that are within the suggested "drink by" time frame and you will probably be a lot happier with your wine drinking.

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Anyone who has studied chemistry knows that everything you learn is not true to a certain extent. Frustrating, I know. Wine is basically a pretty awesome chemistry experiment. Due to the nature of chemistry, these guidelines are basic and the theory of wine gets much more complex as you get into it more. These guidelines, however, will suffice for someone who is looking to simply enjoy a bottle of wine without getting into details.

BTW, studies have shown that white wines also offer the same great benefits as red.

[tulip]

Thanks, Di Bear. Great post. Once my house is renovated (by Christmas, for sure!) I'm going to set up a wine cellar in my basement. It'll be the right temp, and dark and out of the way. When I lived in France I had one, and I'd like to get back to it. I'm pretty good with varieties and such, but the chemistry is a mystery to me and I want to learn more about it.

[Di bear]

I strongly recommend picking up a book by Jancis Robinson. I have a wine course book and a tasting book by her. They're beautifully illustrated and well-written.

[OakLeaf]

We're just beginning learning from the wine aromas kit from Le Nez du Vin. Being able to isolate aromas is really worthwhile in terms of figuring out food pairings, plus it's fun!