#DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED WINE HOW TO#
#DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED WINE FULL#

Here is, in reverse order, my pick of the top five smoothest red wines for beginners.ĥ. However, I would suggest avoiding the most famous, big-name brands… because they tend to be gross.Įnough waffle for now.

If you’re a “beginner”, you’re not likely to be bothered hunting around online for some obscure Lebanese blend. So I’ve left them off the list.Įasily available: As I’m UK based, I’ve plumped for grape varieties that are available at most people’s local supermarket or indie wine shop. Watch out though: certain grapes, like Pinot Noir, don’t generally work well as inexpensive wines. I’m not suggesting going super cheap either, but £10 in a supermarket should be easily enough to secure some of the best red wines for beginners.

#DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED WINE FULL#

Complex wines tend to cost more, but a beginner is less likely to get the full benefit from all those nuanced flavours lurking beneath the surface. Inexpensive: And this brings me on to the next category. Thus, in my view, the latter is better suited to so-called beginners.

A complex wine, with subtle hints of violet and cardamom, is going to be harder to get your nose around than one with obvious aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and tobacco.

#DIFFERENT KINDS OF RED WINE HOW TO#

If so, I’m going to ignore you and choose softer, smoother wines for this list anyway.įruit forward: Not everybody likes oaky wine, but everyone likes fruit, right? And bold fruit flavours help the beginner to determine how to describe what they’re drinking. If you love strong black coffee or sucking wet teabags then you might be an exception to this rule. I recall, in my younger days, viewing strongly tannic flavours as the mark of a bad red wine. And, while many experienced winos can appreciate the robust lick of tannin in, say, a young Bordeaux or a Tuscan Sangiovese, excessive bitterness can be off-putting to less experienced tasters. Not too tannic: Tannic is the opposite of smooth. And it’s one that fulfils the following specifications… BUT… I reckon there is such a thing as a good red wine for beginners. Of course, everyone’s palate is different, and our endlessly varied arrangements of tastebuds give rise to a spectrum of tolerances for sweetness, bitterness acidity etc. What are the smoothest red wines for beginners? You might think this is an odd title for a post, but this is one of the most common questions I get asked by friends who are looking to expand their wine knowledge.

Different kinds of red wine