White wines are more delicate and less powerful in flavor than red wines. Though called white, these wines actually range in color from pale yellow to deep gold depending on the grape and age of the wine. White wines are made in one of two ways:

• From white grapes (which are usually pale yellow or green). The majority of white wines are made this way.
• From red grapes, by separating the juice from the skin of the grape (the skin is where a red wine gets its color).

Though not as diverse as red wines, white wine comes in many types, depending the grapes used to make the wine. Significant variations also exist among white wines made with the same grapes but in different vineyards. These differences are created by the specific environmental conditions of each vineyard and the decisions that the winemaker makes during the fermentation and aging process.

White Wine Guidelines

• Storage - As with red wines, store whites in a cool, dark place away from any windows or heat sources. Store where temperatures are as constant as possible. Do not store white wines in the refrigerator.
• Aging - How long to age a wine differs significantly depending on the type of the wine. Typically, more expensive wines will age better than cheaper wines.
• Serving Temperature - The ideal serving temperature for most white wines is 50ºF (10ºC). If the wine is much colder or warmer than that temperature, its taste will be dulled. To get a white wine to the right temperature, chill it in the refrigerator about two hours before serving, then remove it about 20 minutes before serving.
• Food Accompaniment - Because the flavors in white wines are more delicate than those in red wines, white wines are typically consumed either before a meal or with lighter fare that won’t overwhelm the flavor of the wine, such as pork or fish. The fundamental rule is that the flavors of the wine and the food should complement each other. When serving white and red wine, white is usually served first.

Popular White Wines

• Chardonnay
• Pinot Grigio
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc

Red wines tend to have stronger, richer flavors than white wines. Red wines actually range in color from dark purplish red to full red to a russet brown, depending on the type of grape used to make the wine and how long the wine has been aged.

To make red wines, red grapes are crushed and the juices left in contact with the skin for anywhere from a few days to a number of weeks. This skin contact is crucial, as the skin gives the wine both its color and another crucial element: tannins. Tannins are molecules that occur naturally in grape skins and seeds (and a few other places in nature). More importantly from the red wine drinker’s point of view, the tannins give red wine its distinctive astringent (puckering) quality.

There are many styles of red wine, each made from a different type of grape. For instance, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon are two styles of red wine, the former made from pinot noir grapes and the latter from cabernet sauvignon grapes. In addition, the variations in flavor, structure, and texture within a particular style can be at once subtle and wide, much more so than in white wines.

Red Wine Guidelines

Because red wines can differ quite a bit from each other, it’s impossible to provide a single list of specific instructions for each one. But there are general instructions and traditions for handling all red wines.

• Storage - Store red wines in a cool, dark place. Do not store near windows or heat sources. Never refrigerate red wine!
• Aging - How long to age a wine depends on the type and quality of the wine.
• Serving Temperature - The ideal serving temperature for red wines is about 65ºF (18ºC). If the wine is much colder or warmer, its taste will be dulled. If the red you are serving is too warm, you can cool it in a refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, but not more.
• Serving Instructions - If possible, open the red wine about an hour before serving and let it breathe. Ideally, pour it into a serving decanter to aerate it. This will increase flavor.
• Food Accompaniment - Because red wines tend to have powerful flavors they’re typically served with hearty foods with rich, strong flavors. The fundamental rule is that the flavors of the wine and the food should complement each other.

Popular Red Wines

Here are some of the most popular red wines.

• Beaujolais
• Bordeaux
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chianti
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Zinfandel

A

Acetic - Vinegary taste or smell that develops when a wine is overexposed to air.

Acidity - All wines naturally contain acids, which should be in proper balance with fruit and other components. Sufficient acidity gives liveliness and crispness and is critical for wines to age.

Aftertaste - The flavor impression the wine leaves after it is swallowed. Also referred to as the “finish” of a wine. Fine wines have a lingering finish, or aftertaste.

Aroma - The smell of a wine, especially young wines.

Aromatic - A term for wines with pronounced aroma, particularly those redolent of herbs or spices.

Astringent - The “puckerish” quality of high tannin content, which has the effect of drying out the mouth. Many young red wines are astringent because of tannin.

Austere - Somewhat hard, with restrained fruit and character.

B

Balance - Harmony among the wine’s components — fruit, acidity, tannins, alcohol; a well-balanced wine possesses the various elements in proper proportion to one another.

Big - Powerful in aroma and flavor; full-bodied.

Bitter - Usually considered a fault in but characteristic of such wines as Amarone and certain other Italian reds.

Body - The weight and texture of a wine; it may be light-bodied or full-bodied. Often refers to alcohol content.

Botrytis cinerea - A mold that attacks certain grapes, producing honeyed sweet wines like Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.

Bouquet - The complex of aromas that develops with age in fine wines; young wines have aroma, not bouquet.

Breed - Similar to good bloodlines and handling, as in racehorses; the result of soil, grapes and vinification techniques that combine to produce depth and distinctive character in a wine.

Brix - Term used to measure the sugar content of grapes, grape juice (must) or wine. Grapes are generally harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent.

Brut - Term for dry Champagne or sparkling wine.

Buttery - Descriptor for rich flavor and smoothness of texture, somewhat akin to the oiliness and flavor of butter. More often refers to oak-aged white wines than reds; many Chardonnays and white Burgundies are said to have buttery aromas and flavors.

C

Chewy - Wines with unusual thickness of texture or tannins that one almost “chews” before swallowing.

Clean - Fresh, with no discernible defects; refers to aroma, appearance and flavor.

Closed - Young, undeveloped wines that do not readily reveal their character are said to be closed. Typical of young Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as other big red wines.

Coarse - Rude or harsh in flavor; clumsy or crude.

Complete - Mature, with good follow-through on the palate, satisfying mouth-feel and firm aftertaste.

Complex - Multifaceted aroma and/or flavor. Most wines considered great exhibit a combination of flavor and aroma elements.

Cooked - Heavy, pruney flavor; also said of wines from very hot growing regions or wines that are overripe.

Corked, corky - Smelling of cork rather than wine; due to a faulty cork.

Crisp - Fresh, brisk character, usually with high acidity.

D

Deep - Having layers of persistent flavor that gradually unfold with aeration.

Delicate - Light fragrance, flavor, and body.

Developed - Mature. A well-developed wine is more drinkable than an undeveloped one.

Distinctive - Elegant, refined character that sets the wine apart on its own.

Dry - Opposite of sweet; somewhat subjective in that tasters may perceive sweetness to varying degree.

Dull - Lacking liveliness and proper acidity; uninteresting.

Dumb - Not revealing flavor or aroma; closed; typical of wines that are too young or too cold.

E

Earthy - Smell or flavor reminiscent of earth. A certain earthiness can be appealing; too much makes the wine coarse.

Elegant - Refined character, distinguished quality, stylish, not heavy.

Extra Dry - A term used on Champagne labels to indicate not-quite-dry; not as dry as Brut.

F

Fat - Full of body and flavor; fleshy.

Fine - Distinguished.

Finesse - Distinctive balance; fineness; elegance and flair.

Finish - Aftertaste, or final impression the wine leaves; it can have a long finish or a short one (not desirable).

Firm - Taut balance of elements; tightly knit structure; also distinct flavor.

Flat - Dull, lacking in liveliness; wine without sufficient acid.

Flavor - How the wine tastes.

Fleshy - Fatness of fruit; big, ripe.

Flinty - Dry, mineral character that comes from certain soils, mostly limestone, in which the wine was grown; typical of French Chablis and Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs (Sancerre).

Flowery - Aroma suggestive of flowers.

Forward - Developed ahead of its peers; also, when the fruit is prominent, it is said to be forward.

Foxy - The “grapey” flavors of wines made from native American grapes, Vitis labrusca.

Fruity - Aroma and/or flavor of grapes; most common to young, light wines but refers also to such fruit flavors in wine as apple, black currant, cherry, citrus, pear, peach, raspberry, or strawberry; descriptive of wines in which the fruit is dominant.

Full-bodied - Full proportion of flavor and alcohol; big, fat.

G

Green - A wine made from unripe grapes that is tart and lacking fruit flavor.

Grip - Firmness of flavor and structure.

H

Hard - Stiff, with pronounced tannins; undeveloped.

Harmonious - All elements — fruit, acid, tannin — in perfect balance

Harsh - Rough, biting character from excessive tannin or acid.

Heady - High in alcohol, very full-bodied

Herbaceaous - Aromas reminiscent of fresh grass or hay; grassy, as in certain Sauvignon Blancs; also the green pepper character of some Cabernets.

Herby - Reminiscent of herbs, such as mint, sage, thyme, or of eucalyptus.

Honest - Without flaws, typical and straightforward, simple but not great.

Honeyed - Smell or taste reminiscent of honey, characteristic of late-harvest wines affected by “noble rot” (Botrytis cinerea).

I

Intricate - Interweaving of subtle complexities of aroma and flavor.

L

Legs - The viscous rivulets that run down the side of the glass after swirling or sipping, a mingling of glycerin and alcohol.

Length - Lingering aftertaste.

Light - Refers to wines light in alcohol but also to texture and weight, how the wine feels in the mouth. Lightness is appropriate in some wines, a defect in others.

Lively - Crisp, fresh, having vitality.

Long - Fine wines should have a long finish, or aftertaste; see Length.

Luscious - Rich, opulent, and smooth; most often said of sweet wines but also intensely fruity ones.

M

Maderized - Wine that has oxidized; has brown or amber color and stale odor.

Mature - Fully developed, ready to drink.

Meaty - A wine with chewy, fleshy fruit; sturdy and firm in structure.

Mellow - Smooth and soft, with no harshness.

Moldy - Wines with the smell of mold or rot, usually from grapes affected by rot or from old moldy casks used for aging.

Muscular - Vigorous fruit, powerful body and flavor; robust.

Musty - Stale, dusty or rank aromas.

N

Noble - Great; of perfect balance and harmonious expression. The so-called “noble” grapes are those that produce the world’s finest wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling (some would also include Syrah, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese).

Nose - The smell of the wine; it may have a “good nose” or an “off-nose,” meaning defective odors.

Nutty - Nutlike aromas that develop in certain wines, such as sherries or old white wines.

O

Oak, oaky - Aroma and flavor that derive from aging in oak casks or barrels. Characterized by smokiness, vanilla, clove or other spices. Should not be overly pronounced.

Off-dry - Not quite dry, a perception of sweetness too faint to call the wine sweet.

Off-flavors (also: off-aromas or off-nose) - Not quite right; flavors or odors that are not correct for a particular type of wine; opposite of clean; defective.

Open - Revealing full character.

Oxidized - Flat, stale or sherrylike aroma and flavor; spoiled as the result of overexposure to air.

P

Petillant - A light sparkle.

R

Rich - Full, opulent flavor, body and aroma.

Ripe - Mature, fully ripe fruit.

Robust - Full-bodied, powerful, heady

Rough - Harsh edges, biting, unpleasant.

Round - Smooth and well-developed flavor, without angularity or rough edges.

S

Sharp - Biting acid or tannin.

Short - Refers to finish, or aftertaste, when it ends abruptly.

Silky - Smooth, sinuous texture and finish.

Simple - Opposite of complex; straightforward.

Smoky - Aroma and flavor sometimes associated with oak aging.

Soft - May refer to soft, gentle fruit in delicate wines, or to lack of acidity in wines without proper structure; used on a label occasionally to indicate low alcohol.

Solid - Sound, well structured, firm.

Sour - Sharply acidic or vinegary

Sparkling - Wines with bubbles created by trapped carbon dioxide gas, either natural or injected.

Spicy - Having the character or aroma of spices such as clove, mint, cinnamon, or pepper.

Spritzy - Slight prickle of carbon dioxide, common to some very young wines; frizzante in Italy.

Steely - Firmly structured; taut balance tending toward high acidity.

Stiff - Unyielding, closed; dumb.

Strong - Robust, powerful, big.

Structure - The way a wine is built; its composition and proportions.

Stuffing - Big, flavorful, full-bodied wines are said to have “stuffing.”

Sturdy - Bold, vigorous flavor; full-bodied; robust.

Sulphur, SO2 - An anti-oxidant used in making most wines; the fermentation process creates minute natural amounts.

Supple - Yielding in flavor; a wine that is readily accessible for current drinking.

Sweet - Usually indicates the presence of residual sugar, retained when grape sugar is not completely converted to alcohol. Even dry wines, however, may have an aroma of sweetness, the combination of intense fruit or ripeness. Considered a flaw if not properly balanced with acidity.

T

Tannin - A natural component found to varying degrees in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes; most prominent in red wines, where it creates a dry, puckering sensation in young reds of concentrated extract; mellows with aging and drops out of the wine to form sediment; a major component in the structure of red wines.

Tart - sharp; acceptable if not too acidic.

Thick - Dense and heavy in texture.

Thin - Lacking body and flavor.

Tired - Past its peak of flavor development; old.

Tough - Astringent or hard; wiry; tannic.

V

Vanilla - A scent imparted by aging in oak.

Velvety - Smooth and rich in texture.

Vigorous - Firm, lively fruit, strong body; assertive flavor.

Vinegary - Having the smell of vinegar; see also Acetic.

Volatile, Volatile Acidity (VA) - Smells of acetic acid and/or ethyl acetate, quite disagreeable when excessive though a tiny amount may enhance aromas.

W

Watery - Thin, lacking in flavor.

Weak - Lacking grip typical for the wine; without character

Weedy - Aromas or flavors reminiscent of hay or grasses; not necessarily unpleasant unless exaggerated.

Weighty - Strong, powerful, full-bodied, forceful.

Woody - Excessive aromas of wood, common to wines aged overlong in cask or barrel.

Y

Yeasty - A bready smell, sometimes detected in wines that have undergone secondary fermentation, such as Champagne; very appealing if not excessive.

Young - In simple wines signifies youthful freshness; in finer wines, refers to immaturity, wines as yet undeveloped

Bottle or Glass?

The first question you’ll have to answer when ordering wine in a restaurant is whether you want it by the bottle or by the glass. Your choice depends on how much you plan to drink, whether you want to drink one or a few different wines through the course of the meal, and, for reasons of wine and food pairing, the different foods each dinner guest is ordering.

By the Glass

There are three reasons to buy wine by the glass:

• If you and your party won’t drink an entire bottle.
• If you want to be able to try more than one wine during the course of your dinner.
• If you are your dinner companion(s) are ordering foods that are difficult to pair with a single wine (or you have significantly different tastes in wine).

By the Bottle

Wine by the bottle is a good move if you and your partner plan to drink more than one glass apiece, and don’t mind drinking more than one glass of the same wine (most people don’t mind this at all). In this case, you should definitely buy a bottle because an entire bottle costs less than an equal amount of wine bought by the glass.

If you want to buy a bottle but you and your dinner companion(s) are ordering very different foods (such as salmon and beef), try to order wines that pair well across many foods: good options are Pinot Noirs, Beaujolais, Chianti, and Barbera.

In many areas you can find specialty wine shops that carry a wide range of wines. Also, most supermarkets carry wine but the selection and quality is often not as good as a specialty wine shop.

Supermarkets

Wine sold in supermarkets is usually fairly inexpensive. However, the selection is usually fairly limited and often only includes choices from large commercial mega-wineries. Also, you’re not as likely to find someone in a supermarket or bulk store who knows much about wine. Often, you’ll find that the bottles are not stored properly (keeping bottles upright or refrigerated), which decreases the length of time a bottle can be kept.

Choosing a Wine Store

A quality wine store will have all of the following:

• Good selection - A good selection of wine will range across types of wine, regions of origin, and price. Note that as you become a more dedicated drinker of wine you may “outgrow” a selection that once seemed perfectly adequate.
• Expertise - Expertise means two different things. It means that the wine seller has firsthand knowledge of the wines int he store (he or she knows its tastes and qualities). If you ask a wine seller about a wine and receive an answer about its “ratings” rather than its qualities, then that wine seller has no expertise. Another sort of expertise is the ability to recommend wines based on your preferences for taste, structure, or texture, or simply based on other wines that you’ve liked. If a wine seller consistently recommends wines you don’t like, you may want to find another wine seller.
• Proper Storage - Wine should be stored in cool, dry, dark, constant conditions. It should not be placed in direct sunlight, or near a cooling or heating source. In addition, wine should be stored lying down as opposed to upright. If the wine you buy from a wine seller consistently tastes bad, move on to a different wine store.
• Good prices - A happy fact for most food wine store owners is that wine buyers tend to care less about price than selection, expertise, service, and storage. Of course, you should do some comparison shopping and avoid wine stores that sell at exorbitant prices. But many wine lovers are willing to spend an extra dollar or two out of loyalty and appreciation for a wine seller who really knows and cares about wine and customers.

Wine Ratings

Over the years the wine industry has developed a rating system that scores wines on their quality. Some wine stores will post the ratings next to the wines it sells. It can help to have a sense of what the different ratings mean. Most wine rating systems use a scale of 100, with the following general ratings:

• 95-100 - Extraordinary
• 90-94 - Excellent
• 85-89 - Very Good
• 80-84 - Above Average
• 75-79 - Average
• 70-74 - Below Average
• below 69 - Poor

Just remember that these ratings are a reflection of someone’s taste and preference. You may not always love the highest rated wines the most, and there are often gems that are rated poorly that you will love.

Price Limits

If you know your spending limit, it will always help your wine seller in making a recommendation to you by cutting down the number of choices.

Expanding Your Horizons

There are several ways to develop your taste in wine:

• Tasting Rooms - When you’re in the California wine country, visit several wineries and sample a variety of wines. There are many areas of the United States that grow wine, so if you’re near a winery, pay them a visit and see what they have to offer.
• Wine Shops - In addition to an expert staff, most wine shops will offer tasting nights or seminars where you have the opportunity to taste various wines. These tasting sessions are often themed (for example, there may be a night dedicated to New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs) and will often include food.
• Ask a friend - One of the easiest ways to expand your wine horizons. If you have a friend who enjoys wine, ask them to recommend some of their favorites. Or, go even further and have a tasting party with a group of friends and ask them to each bring a favorite bottle.
• Wine Clubs - Many vineyards in California and other areas have wine clubs. Membership in these clubs often includes monthly or quarterly shipments of wine, as well as newsletters. These are a great way to keep your wine rack stocked with quality wine and also give you a good sampling of the wines a vineyard produces.