Our 2021 wine guide to get you started
Is your memory as unreliable as ours? We’ve crafted this simple beginner’s wine guide for anyone who needs to immediately sound like a wine pro.
Special thanks to Amy White and Darren Davis from David & White and Aramis Vineyards for this guide.
Read the show notes.
What are the different types of wine?
Being able to identify the different types of wine is a useful start to your wine journey. In a restaurant menu, you should hopefully expect the lighter wines are at the top of the menu, and become fuller bodied wines like chardonnay.
As a general guide (in order of lightness > fuller bodied):
Some of the more popular whites
- Pinot Grigio – fruitier flavour, more richness of the palate
- Riesling – aromatic, fruity and slightly sweet wine
- Sauvignon blanc – crisp, acidic refreshing
- Chardonnay – fuller bodied, richer in the mouth, generally drier,
Some of the more popular reds
- Pinot noir – bright acidity, silky tannins often with a complex berry flavour
- Grenache – a well-balanced wine with medium acidity
- Shiraz – ranging from medium to full bodied, with firm tannins
- Cabernet – a dry red with a strong flavour
- Malbec – another dry red known for being very heavy
How to look like a wine pro in front of colleagues
- Research the restaurant wine list before going to the restaurant
- Practice verbalising the smell and flavour of every wine you drink
- Go to more wine events (and even invite clients and friends)
‘People pleasing wines’ that are good to order for groups or presents (while making you sound like a sophisticated sommelier):
Red wine:
- Tempranillo – a Spanish variety. It’s medium bodied, it’s not too heavy, not too light
White wine:
- Fiano – Italian variety. Every time you taste it, it tastes different. There is very little food wise that wouldn’t pair well with a Fiano
Entry level wines
Red wine:
- Barbera – Italian variety. Very smooth, not heavy on tannin, little acidity, fruity.
Major differences between red wine, white wine and rose
Amy’s key advice: drink what you enjoy, and not what others tell you to enjoy! There are always exceptions to the rules in this guide, so do what makes you happy.
- Red wine is considered ‘healthier’
- Red wine has tannins
- As red wine is tannic, it is good to balance with food
- White wines and roses are typically preferred for hot weather
- Red wines tend to be warmer, so better for colder weather
- White wine may be good for white meats
- Red wine may be good for hearty, meatier dishes
- Rosé is like the meeting point between red and white wine
- Rose is a lighter and more refreshing wine can be great with seafood and shellfish
Tannin: the grape structural element of a wine. It provides the ‘drying element’ to a wine. If you drink something with food, having tannins will balance it out.
Natural wine: Rarely any additives to wine. As a result they do not last long compared to other wines.
Riesling, Pinot, Cabernet – What’s the difference between each?
In a restaurant menu, you should hopefully expect the lighter wines are at the top of the menu, and become fuller bodied wines like chardonnay.
As a general guide (in order of lightness > fuller bodied):
Whites
Sauvignon blanc – crisp, acidic refreshing
Pinot Grigio – fruitier flavour, more richness of the pallet
Chardonnay – fuller bodied, richer in the mouth, generally drier, mov
Fuller body like chardonnay
Reds
Pinot noir
Grenache
Chiraz
Cabernets
Malbecs
Restaurant hacks
- Be weary if someone pours you a bottle that has been opened for some time already
- Most restaurants should allow you to taste wine
- When in doubt, screw cap wines may have less faults than cork wines. The cork will not improve it, but it will add risk (unless you’re drinking a highly expensive wine with a lot of age to it)
Tips for buying wine as a present
- If you don’t know much about them, champagnes, ports and whiskeys can be safe gifts
- If you know they like light wines or more full bodied wines, refer to the guide above
- It’s safest to buy something that’s well known. Don’t make it too obscure – a big, prestigious brand would be memorable.
Storage
All wine needs at all times is a stable temperature. It will be easier if you put it in a fridge. Make sure to put some kind of covering on it to prevent unnecessary spoilage. Or you can just drink the wine.
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