| People vary in their tastes in wine, just as with | | | | higher in alcohol and have a sweet component. The |
| everything else. But among newcomers to wine, | | | | oak makes them softer and more approachable. |
| probably the majority start with liking sweet white. | | | | Some good ones to start with: California Cabernet |
| White somehow seems "safer"! | | | | Sauvignon; Sonoma Zinfandel; Sonoma Pinot; Feltzer |
| On the other hand, liking red wine seems to some | | | | wines; Australian Shiraz. |
| people to be a more sophisticated taste. Not every | | | | When you have developed a taste for some of |
| newcomer likes red wine at first. So if you want to | | | | these, you can graduate to some of the best old |
| "get into" red wine, where do you start? | | | | world wines. Cabernet Sauvignon - Medoc; Beaujolais |
| · Start with good quality. If you're not used | | | | - Villages; or Pinot Noir - Burgundy. You may be |
| to the taste of red wine, you definitely won't like it if | | | | better leaving a wine like Chianti till you are more |
| it's poor quality. It might put you off for ever! This | | | | used to red wine. If you start with Chianti you may |
| probably means avoiding the cheaper varieties. | | | | not like it. Many people, even serious wine buffs, |
| · Drink it with food rather than on its own - | | | | regard Chianti as an acquired taste! ( But well worth |
| at least to start. You many enjoy a red Bordeaux or | | | | acquiring.) |
| Rhone with beef or steak, and Rhone or Burgundy | | | | If you really want to "discover" red wine, keep |
| with game. (Unless these are accompanied by a fruit | | | | experimenting till you find one you REALLY like. Don't |
| sauce such as cranberry, when a Cru Beaujolais might | | | | pretend, or you just won't enjoy it. |
| be better.) Pairing wine with food is very individual | | | | Of course, at the end of the day, you may find you |
| and you will need to experiment. This is just | | | | just don't like red wine! Well, there's nothing wrong |
| something to try when you start. | | | | with that. There are lots of superb white wines to |
| · For many people, new world reds are more | | | | enjoy, and you can spend a lifetime discovering them. |
| "accessible" to start with. They are more fruity, | | | | |