One of the
problems I
encountered when I began to seriously
explore wine was that I would jump around from one wine
variety to another, in an attempt to taste a little bit of everything, and this caused
massive confusion. I had no real concept of what types of wine had what
characteristics, so I was at a loss to make
intelligent choices about what wine to buy next. Early on, I was not a big fan of
heavy,
dense reds, but I picked up a
Syrah and was (at the time)
repulsed by it.
So I offer this listing (which was assembled from information gleaned at winespectator.com, though I could probably have built it de novo) as a rough guide. The early ones are generally light-tasting and easy to drink; as you proceed down the list, the wines become progressively more dense and full bodied. Use this list to choose wines to explore around taste areas you like. This can also be a useful guide in choosing what wine to go with what food--use a lower-numbered wine for light meals, or a big one for those occasions on which you go for the big steak.
- Beaujolais
- Dolcetto
- Rioja
- Chianti (not Riserva chiantis, which see less aging)
- Oregon Pinot Noirs
- Non-Italian Sangiovese varietals
- Cotes du Rhone
- Burgundy
- California Pinot Noir
- Merlots from Chile or Italy
- Barbera
- Merlots from CA or Washington state
- Chianti Riserva
- Bordeaux
- Ribera del Duero
- Brunello di Montalcino
- Zinfandel
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Rhone wines (other than Cotes du Rhone)
- The so-called Super Tuscan blends
- Barolo/Barbaresco
- Australian Shiraz
- Petite Sirah
Back to Rook's Wine Reviews