Wine Knowledge: Wine Confusion

Robert Sox
July 18, 2013 

Buying wine is confusing.  Whether you are in a retail store or at a restaurant, there are so many factors to consider.  Most people can handle the red or white decision but after that, it can get complicated quickly. 

Some people cope by not being too particular about what ends up in the glass.  Choose something and hope for the best.  Others find a few wines they like and stick with those. 

I don’t recommend either of those approaches, but I do understand them.  If you are in a wine store, make use of the people working there and ask questions.  You’ll get a sense pretty quickly if they are just pushing what they want to sell or whether they are really interested in finding something that suits your needs.  The same is true in a restaurant.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

Below are some of the issues that can factor into your decision of what to buy:

• Dry or sweet.  Most people say they want a dry wine, but that doesn’t narrow down the field very much.  There is a long scale between the two extremes of dry vs. sweet with most wines falling somewhere in the middle.  Unless you’re looking at dessert wines, though, most reds are fairly dry.  Zinfandels, California red blends (often containing a lot of Zinfandel) and California Pinot Noirs often have more juicy fruit flavors which might come across as more sweet than a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

• Where was the wine produced?  A Chardonnay from France can be far different than Napa Valley or other New World wine locations.  The Burgundy region in France produces world class Chardonnay that ranges from crisp to rich and full bodied, with some mineral nuances.  They are usually lower in alcohol than the typical California Chardonnay.  California is best known for a heavier style, often with prominent butter and oak characteristics, but other styles from California are also available.

• Was the wine fermented and aged in oak barrels or was it produced in stainless steel tanks?  Some people have an aversion to oaked wines, usually because they have had some that were out of balance with more emphasis on the oak than on the wine itself.  Wines that have not come into contact with oak are bright and crisp which makes for an appealing style especially with white wines like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.  Choosing between a traditionally styled California Chardonnay that is rich, buttery and oaky and another Chardonnay that is completely unoaked like Four Vines Naked Chardonnay will provide two very different taste experiences.

• How much should you spend on a bottle?  There are good wines in every price category but different occasions require different choices.  There’s not a linear rise in quality with the rise in price.  You can’t be sure that a $15 bottle is always going to be better than the $10 bottle, but with a little bigger price spread you should expect something extra for your dollars.  So if you need a nicer bottle to take to a friend’s house or for a special dinner, bump up your budget and go for the $25-$30 bottle.  That one should always be better than the $10 bottle.

Cut through the confusion by asking for help.  Sometimes shoppers think they don’t know enough to ask questions about wine.  Just describe what you need for that day:  a wine as a cocktail for you, something to match dinner, a gift for your boss, or something within a certain price range.  It all helps to narrow down the field of wines to consider and gets you closer to something that will make you happy.