Happy Valentine’s Day! In these difficult days, may your love live in your pod. “But, if you can’t be with the wine you love, love the wine your with.” No, I’m not making a case for polyamory. While I hope you love the wine you’re with, I hope you can expand the list of wines you love. Much has been made of finding your soulmate during this pandemic. Rightly so. However, it is also a bit tougher to find a new wine to love. Doing tastings can be more difficult (especially with masks) and traveling is more challenging. To that end, I would like to recommend getting to know what wine(s) you love, to make finding a new love more likely.
Think about a couple of your favorite wines. What qualities make them special for you? Many factors go into the flavors and aromas of wines. It would be far beyond the scope of this post to list them all. Instead, I’d like to mention several factors which may affect whether or not you like a wine with some (or all) of these characteristics. These are dryness; color; oak; body (light to full-bodied); acidity; and tannins.
Dry vs Sweet (and everything in between)
- The grape itself is a factor, but even traditionally sweeter grapes like concord and cayuga can be made into a dry wine. Riesling grapes can be made into bone dry wine or very sweet wine.
As I have shared on these pages before, I prefer dry wines, though I do enjoy a good Port-style wine (and other sweet wines) occasionally with dessert (or as dessert). But, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There are also wines that fall somewhere between dry and sweet (off-dry or semi-sweet).
Red vs White
- Some folks only drink red wine and some only drink white wine. I love both and encourage you to “think outside the box.” Please! Try a blind tasting. Include reds and whites with similar properties in your blind tasting. Perhaps include a light bodied, unoaked Pinot Noir. Better yet, do a blind tasting that includes Beneduce Vineyards, award-winning Tuxedo (a white Pinot Noir). This might surprise both red and white wine fans. Plus, it’s a super wine, so it’s win-win.
Oaked vs Unoaked (oak can impart many aromas and flavors)
- Vanilla
- Clove
- Smoke
- Coconut
- popcorn
- toffee
- nuttiness
The above are some of the more common aromas/flavors that oak can contribute. There are numerous others. Other related factors include length of time oaked (the longer, the more pronounced); type of oak (e.g. American Oak is stronger, while French Oak is more subtle); new vs old-older oak is more subtle.
Body
Like most of the other factors, this one is not either/or. It is on a continuum of light to full-bodied. For me, I generally prefer lighter wines in the summer (think Pinot Grigio or Pinot Noir or Sangiovese). But even these varietals can be made into more full-bodied versions, especially in warmer climates (think Napa Valley or Argentina). Do you like that soft, but heavier mouthfeel (like whole milk) or do you prefer lighter wines? (Think skimmed milk-not for lack of flavor, but the way it feels in your mouth).
Technically, you don’t taste body, but you feel it in your mouth. However, one of the sources for body is alcohol. Generally, the higher the alcohol, the more body. You can usually feel “the burn” associated with the alcohol as you swallow it.
Most Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot tend to be more full-bodied than Pinot Noir. I generally like wines that are typical for that varietal, but I have had a couple of full-bodied Pinot Noirs that were magnificent (even though I know they would not be highly rated because of this quality). Pinot Noir is supposed to behave like Pinot Noir!
Acidity
Acidity is something present in all wines, though the amount varies greatly, from Riesling or Pinot Noir, (generally among the highest in acidity) to Gewurtztraminer or Merlot (generally among the lowest in acidity). These are just general examples. Keep in mind that wines higher in acidity are usually the better wines to pair with food, when in doubt. Even sweet wines have some acidity. Without any acidity they would be cloyingly sweet. But perhaps your diet precludes a lot of acidity. You don’t need to reach for a mouth-puckering wine high in acidity. There are many other wines with lower acidity.
Tannins
Tannins are that astringent feeling and somewhat bitter taste you get on your tongue, that creates a drying sensation. Red wines typically have more tannins than white wines, because tannins come primarily from exposure to the grape skins and seeds. To a lesser extent, oak can also contribute tannins. If you don’t like red wines, tannins may be the reason. Again, an unoaked Pinot Noir may be your answer. An unoaked Cab Franc may also be a good choice for you. Grab a Unionville Vineyards Silver Lining Cabernet Franc before they sell out. It’s the best in this category that I have tried.
Generally, aging wine will help smooth the tannins in red wines suitable for cellaring for a year or several years. If you are looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon to drink today, but don’t like the “bite” of tannins, look for descriptions like “velvety tannins” and “smooth.”
Bottom Line
We like what we like. However, by knowing a little bit about why we like that wine, we can choose new wines with a little more confidence and have success in finding a new favorite (or at least another wine we like). Read the labels and winemaker notes and any reviews offered.
Cheers!
Some Sad News
G & W Winery, in Rio Grande, recently closed its doors for good. Their website reads, “Permanently Closed. “I met a couple of the folks who were partners there. They were educators in Haddonfield. Nice people. I wish them all well in their present and future endeavors.
Valentine’s Day Gift Suggestion
You can instantly download a copy of New Jersey Uncorked for $9.99 here: store.bookbaby.com/book/New-Jersey-Uncorked Use the coupon code Winter2021.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Cheers!
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