Learn to love wine
- by Bethany Sanders on Mar 27th 2008 6:00PM
- Filed under food, entertaining
My husband loves to have a glass of red wine in the evenings, after the kids have gone to bed and the house is quiet again. It's a habit I'd love to share with him. I picture us curled up on the couch together, sharing a glass of wine and talking about our day. (Of course, in my daydream the children also stay in their beds at bedtime, and there is never, ever an NBA game on TV.)
In any case, it's a habit I don't share with him because I don't like wine. Every time he opens a bottle, I try a glass, but the first sip makes my nose wrinkle up. I realize I don't need a glass of wine to curl up and spend some quality time with my guy, but I'd like to like it, you know?
So today I'm closely reading this article from WikiHow on how to acquire a taste for wine. I realize now that I was limiting my options. I've only ever really tried to like the wines my husband does, when in fact there are hundreds of varieties out there. Other suggestions include:
- Mix wine with a spritzer or even just add ice.
- Enjoy the wine experience. Rather than just taking a gulp, look, smell, and slowly taste.
- Try different foods with your wine. Fruit, cheese, and meat are popular.
- Change the wine you drink with the season.
- Learn more about wine and how it's made.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-27-2008 @ 9:23PM
Holly said...
Merlot is what did it for me. I hated wine until I tried my first merlot, now I love all reds! People say that white is better for 'beginners', but I still don't like most whites so I'd have to disagree. Try around and I'm sure you'll find one you like!
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3-28-2008 @ 7:39AM
Bronwyn said...
I like my wine on the sweeter side and I'm not ashamed of it. It annoys me when wine snobs turn their noses up. I don't buy cheap crap, I like a well made wine but with some sweetness, not sickly sweet though. A great Australian brand is Brown Brothers from Victoria. They specialize in sweeter types of wine and I find most of their wines delicious. Wine is a drink that should be enjoyed, when you find something you like you will!
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3-28-2008 @ 12:42PM
Diane Rixon said...
I agree. I think white wine looks like it'd be easier for a new wine drinker, but is actually very tart on the tongue. I love reds but I've never acquired a taste for whites. These are some great tips!
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3-29-2008 @ 9:53PM
Bethany Sanders said...
I'll have to try a merlot. My husband loves Shiraz and I just can't stomach it.
Thanks for the comments!
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3-30-2008 @ 8:51PM
M.E. Williams said...
I used to try to drink reds because it was the thing to do in my particular social group when I was younger, and with the exception of one or two really well-remembered glasses, I didn't really care for wine. I did, however, buy a bottle of mediocre pinot noir that sat in my cabinet for around eight years and became something special in the interim. Other than that, I was rarely able to have more than a few sips.
At some point, I realized that the only "wine" I consistently liked was champagne. I was perpetually being offered white wines at restaurants and tastings; one night, I just caved, and found to my surprise that I much preferred it (esp with a nice aged cheese like Dubliner). Now, on the infrequent occasions when I have a glass of wine, I choose white wine, and I drink the whole glass.
In my area, Whole Foods has a weekly wine-tasting on Friday evenings. It's worth dropping in if it's available; you pay 25 cents per glass and usually have access to cheeses selected to go with the wines being sampled. It might help wine newbies figure out what they like, and is much less expensive than ordering glass after glass in restaurants.
(Me? It turns out I like Pinot Grigio/Gris, Chardonnay, and Riesling.)
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