Demystifying Wine

A guide for beginners: Find what you like, order with ease

By Ali Amundson

Choosing a wine you’ll love can be very intimidating. Oaked, earthy, bouquet, tannins … wine buzz words can overwhelm a beginner. Luckily, you don’t have to be a connoisseur or end up being a wine snob to learn about wine and discover just what you like.

I remember my early years: I started out with white zinfandel—Robert Mondavi Woodbridge was my favorite. I then decided to move on to chardonnay. Unfortunately, the first chardonnay I chose was so overly-oaked that it tasted like I was sipping on a piece of wood. But, as I learned more, I was able to discover a nice oaked chardonnay that I enjoy in the cooler months.

For the white adventurers starting out, try a great blends, such as Evolution from Sokol Blosser Vineyards in Oregon (a blend of up to nine different white wine varietals), Conundrum from Caymus vineyards (tropical fruit, vanilla, orange blossom and pear) or Foxy white wine.

If you want to explore chardonnays, I would stay away from big, toasty, wooded chards like Merryvale from Napa and R.H. Phillips Toasted Head. Start out with an unoaked chardonnay like Buehler from Russian River (pear and tropical fruit flavors), Yalumba from Australia, or Kim Crawford from New Zealand (pear, almond and lime).

I know one person who had never liked wine (or so they thought) but is now enjoying pinot grigio and certain Rieslings. My choices for these two varietals for someone who is just starting out are Lagaria Pinot Grigio (nice citrus, melon and peach nuances and no metallic aftertaste, as I find many pinot grigios do), and Dr. Loosen or Dragonstone Riesling from Germany (the later being less up-front fruit and a little off-dry). Rieslings from Columbia Valley in Washington are another good choice, such as Hogue Late Harvest White Riesling (apricot, honeysuckle and ripe white peaches) and Chateau St. Michelle. One other fruit-forward white is Elk Cove Pinot Gris from Oregon.

Now, a few suggestions for future red wine lovers: I would tend to stay away from French, Spanish and Italian red wines, generally speaking, when trying to appreciate wine. Many are drier and earthier with little fruit. Some are also better drinking while eating as opposed to just sipping on a glass. For reds, I would suggest round and full-bodied, smooth and fruit-forward wines, such as Cline Syrah (black cherry and raspberry), Ravenswood Vitners Blend Zinfandel (blackberries and cherries), Blackstone Merlot (raspberry, cherry and vanilla), Casillero de Diablo Cabernet from Chile (red plum and berries) or wines that taste like blackberry jam with concentrated and ripe fruit (Chariot Diana by Jim Neal Wines and Bogle Petit Sirah are my favorites).

Sparkling wines may be an acquired taste, but here are a few that are easy to love: New Age White from Argentina (50 percent Sauvignon Blanc, 50 percent Malvasia and slightly effervescent), Zardetto Prosecco from Italy and Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto (strawberry and raspberry flavors).

As the saying goes, “You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.” You have to try a lot of wines to find the ones that wow you, which is what I do when selecting wines for my wine bar, Uncorked. An idea is visiting places that offer flights, which is a good way to taste several wines side by side and figure out what you like, without committing to a whole glass. Soon enough, you’ll be able to order wine you and your guests will love!

Eat … Drink … Relax … Repeat!

Ali Amundson is owner of Uncorked-The Unpretentious Wine Bar in Scottsdale. Reach Ali at www.uncorkedwinebar.com or 480.699.9230.