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The would of wine is vast, and complex, I won’t mislead you in this regard. However many books or websites offering easy solutions to the complex, and time-draining problem of which bottle to have with dinner, only succeeds in sending some poor soils back to the cupboard to fetch red, or white and call it a day. I understand that. And while I can’t demystify wine for you, I can offer a perspective that may make desiring to broach the subject of wine a bit less difficult.
Some people are really put off by how vast the selections of wine are, such that they just end up selecting something safe that they’ve had before. You may be one such person, and if so, this is written for you. The easiest way to learn about the wines of the world is to figure out wehat you like and why. By introducing you to the fundementals of tasting wine, and the winemaking areas that brought modern wine to the fore, this foreknowledge can make buying wines, and reading their complex labels, second nature. I remember a friend of mine asking after my recommended Cabernet Franc some time ago.
“It’s a grape I haven’t tried before, I just want to know that what I’m getting is good, so I don’t detest the grape all together. ”
I understand this sentiment totally, you never want to spend twenty, or thirty dollars on something you don’t like, only to have it spoil your desire to try something new again. I inquired of her what exactly she looks for in a wine; what flavors, or textures she seeks when selecting. She answered,
“For me, there are two phrases I use to describe wine: I like it, and I don’t like it. That’s all I got.”
Good answer! But let's dig a little deeper in this brief course, and try and establish the framework that allows you to determine exactly what you like or dislike. I like to parallel this paradigm with that of the light of the restaurant industry. Tastes as a whole are certainly much broader than they were thirty years ago, and they will continue to broaden as more and more restaurants open with new cuisine styles, and flavors become available to the general public. People are much more apt to visit an unfamiliar restaurant, than they are to purchase an unfamiliar bottle.
Perhaps this is because they feel as though the meal represents somewhat better value than a potentially detestable bottle of wine, and that may be the case. But let’s engage in a thought experiment for a moment. The average meal costs thirty dollars per plate at the average restaurant, then you will need to tip your server.
Though you may know a few of the ingredients, you don’t recognize a few. The salmon: got that, capers: got that, asparagus, lemon: okay, crème fraîche: okay, sorta familiar; and fougasse: yeah, no idea, but the rest sounds really good.
Assume you don’t care for your food combination, but the salmon is by no means flawed, so you order an appetizer, and eat that instead - food is subjective after all, but there’s another twelve dollars on the table, on the low end. When all is said and done, you’ll end up spending about sixty-five dollars, and enjoy a venerable evening.
A wine bottle serves two, and a decent enough, enjoyable wine can be had for around twenty-five dollars, leaving you with forty leftover to cook something you love at home. So what’s the holdup when it comes to trying a new wine? If you don’t care for it, throw it into the pot roast!
Look on wine with the same veracity with which you view food. Be ready to throw caution to the wind and try something new. Every country, and every wine growing region around the world has a style which they’re known for; a grape that they’re proud to introduce to the world, and a sense of being that describes their grower. As one very wise vintner once put it,
“Every winemaker makes the style of wine that he likes to drink, and you just have to try them all...”
No one today bats an eye when asked to try a new sushi joint, or diner with the best chicken and waffles, or even a Laotian, Etruscan, or Hungarian soup, entremet, or platter - yet we hesitate with unfamiliar wines. This can be a problem for those looking to understand value when it comes to wine; and the best value, certainly isn’t always the most familiar, and certainly isn’t always the cheapest option. It takes discovering new regions, winemakers, and grapes to find wines that you’ll truly be able to enjoy; and you certainly don’t need expert qualifications to do that.
If I may, I would like to present you with a challenge: I want you to go to your local big-box wine store, and pick out two bottles of wine; and to make things easy, I will tell you which ones to get. You’re going to be spending about thirty-five dollars per bottle, but if you follow this tract, you’ll learn a bit about how to taste a wine, and get the most out of the experience, so you can carry this knowledge onward to further, delicious experimentation. This is an awesome tasting to enjoy amongst company, as well.
The wines to look for will come from two of the most famous regions of France, called Burgundy, and Bordeaux. These two stellar regions are an excellent contrast, because one is a warm maritime climate, focused on Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blended wines, made on large estates, and the other, adeptly-tuned cold continental-climate region focused on Pinot Noir bottled on its own, by very small shared vineyards. Both are totally oriented towards a concept called Terroir, for which the closest translation is, Sense of Place.
The trick is, neither of these wines will have labels that read, Burgundy or Bordeaux; Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir as is common in California, or other areas you may have purchased wine from before. In France, wines are labeled by place, not grape: this is how the concept of Terroir is expressed through labels. Head to the Burgundy section in your wine store, or simply follow the link attached to the label below. Here is a quick label guide to understand the legal labeling system that is widely used in much of Europe. In France, this system is called Appellation d'Origin Côntrolée (AOC); Controlled Appellation of Origin.
BURGUNDY
Vincent Girardin Santenay “Terre D’Enfance”
*OR any bottle labeled “Santenay”
Grand Vin de Bourgogne
"Great Wine of Burgundy," most French wineries add this to their
labels for whatever reason. It is a nice little hint that the wine comes
from Burgundy, if you're unfamiliar with the village name located just
below in block letters. Sometimes this marketing designation is located
on the top of the bottle, and sometimes you can find it on the bottom.
Some labels on the higher-end opt not to use this ploy at all.
Santenay
The village that this wine comes from, located in the Côtes de Beaune
region of Burgundy, on the Golden Slope (Côte D’Or.) This indicates
to the buyer that this wine will express the sense of place associated
with Santenay. All grapes used for this wine must be Pinot Noir, and
must come from the small patch of estate-owned vines in Santenay.
Vincent Girardin
The maker of this wine. The winery is located in Meursault, another
village to the north of Santenay, where the grapes are taken after the
harvest. Most growers here are small family operations, and you will
see a lot of names that begin with, “Domaine,” and “Maison.” When
descendants inherit a winery, the name is passed on. i.e Domaine
Michel Magnien was changed to Domaine Fréderic Magnien, when
the ownership passed from father to son.
Terre D’Enfance
This means, “Young Earth.” Literally referring to the age of the vines on
which the grapes grow. The older vines get, the less fruit they produce,
but the greater quality they bring to a wine. Most vintners choose to
uproot vines after fifty years and replant because yields are so low. This
is not a legally defined term. Another term you may see is "Vielles Vignes,"
or old vines. This is not a legally defined term either, but most vintners
in France use this term to describe vines that are thirty-five years or older.
Older vines are often cherished for the more concentrated and nuanced
flavors they impart on a wine.
Appellation Santenay Contrôlée
Literally, Controlled Appellation Santenay. This is a legal designation
from the Appellation d’Origin Contrôlée system strapped to labels in
order to affirm the quality of the wine. This wine has been tested by a
board and meets the color, varietal, aging and geographic requirements
to be labeled with the village name Santenay. Notice that though this
wine is from Burgundy, it is not labeled in such a way. Bottles labeled
Bourgogne, are a lower rung of quality designation on the legal totem
pole, as the grapes don’t have to just come from one specific village,
but are allowed to come from many different ones around the region.
This means that the sense of place is muddled by the blend of villages.
BORDEAUX
*OR any bottle labeled "Margaux"
Château La Tour De Bessan
This is the name of the estate that makes the wine. In Bordeaux, estate
land holdings are much larger, and land is far less scarce than in Burgundy.
These estates come complete with castle-like structures built by noblemen
sometimes dating back to the 1100’s. Some have faded away since
that time, and others have expanded their property holdings so to the
extent that they are able to launch more affordable secondary wines.
Margaux
This is the town in which the estate holds land. This is important gain for
the sake of the sense of place that is so desirable in French wines. Margaux
is home to some of Bordeaux’s top wineries, including the very prestigious
Château Margaux itself, which in the eighteen-hundreds was rated along
with three other houses, as Premier Grand Cru: highest quality classification.
Consumers are expected to know that wines here are blends, and the grapes
used, or cépage, are higher percentages Cabernet Sauvignon with splashes
of Merlot, for layered softness, Petit Verdot, for floral aromas, and Cabernet
Franc, for red fruit, and graphite flavors. See our grape guide, here.
Marie Laure Lurton
The name of the owner of the estate. Though the names of the owners may
change, the names of the estates often do not, unlike in Burgundy where
we see generational name changes. The Lurton family was a famous
estate-owning family in Bordeaux, that used to bottle wines and distribute
them. This old practice was part of a system called the negoçiante system.
To this day, they own a great wealth of Châteaux, including the prestigious
These two examples provide a look at how wines are labeled in two major regions in France you can read more about wine labeling, and reading wine labels on each of the national overview and wine law pages, but this is a brief look at the common practice.
In Burgundy, there are several other villages, of which Santenay is just one of the better, and more affordable options - our guide to Burgundy is linked here, for further reading on this incrddible region. In Bordeaux, Margaux is one of several very prestigious villages located in an area known as the Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary - Bordeaux tends to be priced a lot lower than Burgundy due to the quantity of wine which can be produced there.
BOTTLING
Bottles are also a thing to be considered. They come in a number of different shapes and sizes. The wine bottle you’re probably familiar with holds seven hundred and fifty milliliters of wine, which has been the ideal size noted to serve two guests over diner. Wine by the glass is a relatively new idea that has been commonplace at tables in America for not a very long time, but is an effective means of allowing guests to try glasses of wine they may not have been adventurous enough to purchase as a bottle.
The Burgundy bottle and Bordeaux bottles are the most common and used throughout the world on the respective varietals of those regions: Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir for Burgundy; and Cabernet, Merlot for Bordeaux. Of course other varietals are bottled in these shapes as well, namely Rhône varietals in Burgundy bottles, and Malbec and Sangiovese in Bordeaux bottles, but for the most part these are are somewhat of an indicator as to the wine type. The shape of bottles themselves makes very little difference as to the quality or flavor, but these bottle shapes are simply traditional or their regions.
The Albiesa bottle is a staple of Piedmont, and is used near Mount Etna, as well as in some other areas in Italy, and Greece (Naoussa.) Varietals are varied, anything from Nebbiolo to Corvina, and Narello Mascalese can be found bottled in the Albeisa. This shape is similar to Burgundy but with more of a tapered shoulder. The Champagne bottle has more of a stout, round figure than a Burgundy bottle, though it tends to be taller, and this is due to the excess glass used to build the shoulders and ensure that the bottle does not break under the pressure of the gas. This bottle style is used in Prosecco and Cava as well as a lot of sparkling wines Crémants from across France, and California.
The hock bottle is also called the flute, or hoch, and is required for Mosel and Rhine Riesling in Germany, as well as white wines of Alsace, and is a staple of the Loire Valley, and Jura regions. This glass style is traditional of course, serves no practical purpose, is slightly taller, skinnier, and rounder, making it harder to store on a wine rack. Just a personal gripe.
Switching to sizes, if you head overseas to any bistro in France, and you’ll be offered a bottle or, at if dining alone, a demie (375mL), which is roughly two glasses. On the flight over, the flight attendant will serve you a split, which is 187 1/2 mL. The comically large bottles that resemble jerry cans - and on up to oil drums, are all named after old testament kings.
Realistically, anything larger than a Rehoboam size is reserved for Champagne only, though some Bordeaux Châteaux will offer some larger bottles on request. Other than the liter, or magnum, you probably won’t see too many of these larger sizes. They’re rare, and are usually bottled in high-yield vintages, or given as gifts to friends, investors, or supporters of the winery.
GLASSES
Now that we have covered the basics of regional wine labels, it is time to move on to the vessels with which we will be poring them into. As with anything else in wine, there is a lot of added complexity here as well. Over the years, and with persistent marketing, especially in the nineties, glassware companies began building specific glasses for individual regions, adding to plethora of already traditional glassware for those regions.
Consumers gladly began to welcome different sized Burgundy and Bordeaux glasses, smaller glasses for Chardonnay, specific glasses sworn to make Viognier sing, but really destined to occupy the back of the cabinet. Not to say that there is nothing to different glass sizes for different wines, but realistically, if you get the most aromatic glass possible and use it on all wines, who’s to say you’re missing anything at all?
Luckily, several companies have sworn off the scourge of excess glassware, and opted instead to make universal glasses. I like this a lot, and I think that they are usable as advertised. Glasses are very expensive, and prone to breakage, so honestly get some that you can afford, and spare yourself the hassle of buying ten different glasses for all the different wine regions - all wine deserves the same attention as a Burgundy glass can afford it - that’s a good rule of thumb.
If you have a certain manufacturer that you like, buy their Burgundy glass. I personally like the Gabriel Glas Austrian Crystal Universal glasses for all of my wines, but Riedel and others make fabulous glasses to use as well, especially their Vinium line of Cabernet glasses, which are relatively more affordable and available at major stores. Nevertheless, here’re five good rules for selecting an all-rounder glass.
RULE I: Find a glass that is totally clear, and free of etching, so that you can observe a wine for sediment, and see its color unimpaired.
RULE II: Find a glass that has a stem, so that you do not risk heating up the wine inside the glass with your body temperature inadvertently, and so that you have somewhere to grab to avoid doing so.
RULE III: Find a glass that has a thin rim. You do not want to be impeding your ability to taste a wine’s nuance because you’re chewing on the rim of the glass every time you take a drink.
RULE IV: Find a glass that is thin at the top, and larger at the base, to direct the smells from the bowl, to your nose. The bowl should be wide enough to spread the surface are of the wine so that 4oz of, lays flat at the middle of the curvature of the bowl.
RULE V: Find a glass that is small and manageable to store, and comfortable to hold, but large enough to get your nose into. Follow the rule of thumb: the bowl should be no taller than the bottom of your wrist to your thumb, with a rim equal to the length of your nostril to your nasal bridge.
ANALYZING
Assuming you’re playing along with this grand experiment, let’s uncork our bottles and begin the visual inspection. Follow all of these steps, first with the Burgundy, then with the Bordeaux - consider the differences! Just like inspecting a car after hearing a strange noise, or the embers of a campfire before turning in, a visual inspection of a wine can tell you a lot of information about the wine. There’s a lot to look for besides just color. In order to simplify this process, let’s go over the things to look for.
To open a wine bottle, I’d recommend a Coutale-style, two-stage wine bottle opener. Cut below the bottle indent in the foil, and turn the opener along the groove. Pull up with your knife and remove the top of the foil exposing the cork. Hold the opener at an angle and press the short end down into the middle of the cork, then turn counter-clockwise. Pour the wine into the glass without swirling the glass yet.
CLARITY
Observe the bottom of the glass for any chunks, black bits, crystalline structures on the bottom, noticeable flakes, or gas bubbles. Any solids are going to manifest as chewy tannin. The clear flakes should dissolve. These are simply solidified sulfer, either from the wine itself or winemaking process. You can sometimes find them on the bottom of the cork in older wines, as well. It’s not a bad thing to have sediment deposits, as this is quite common in aged wines. Wines loose tannin over time and this can because tannin softens and falls out of suspension and manifests as coagulated sediment at the bottom of the wine bottle.
When you open an older wine bottle, sometimes it’s wise to pour the bottle slowly into a decanter, except for the last half-inch, to avoid astringent tannin. Noticeable suspended chunks are leftover bits of skin from crushing. In newer vintages, this can be a sign of an unfiltered wine.
Some red wines today are fashionably unfiltered, and this trend is growing in whites as well, though is a bit more noticeable due to the lighter color of white wines. Some varietal grapes perform very well under this recompense, but Find a white piece of paper, marble, or even a white sleeve, and put the glass in front of your white background of choice. See if you can see your fingers behind the glass. If not, this is probably an unfiltered wine, or a glass poured from the bottom of a very old wine. Both of the wines in our experiment today are neither.
COLOR
The color of a wine is dependent on a number of factors, notably the grape skins, level of ripeness, and varietal, as well as the clonal variation of that varietal. There are many different color that wines express. In red wines, color will generally fall into one of four major expressions. These are Scarlet, Ruby, Violet, and Garnet.
The color can hold secrets as to what wine it is you’re tasting, and its age. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon begins life as a violet wine, and ages to a dark ruby. Merlot, the same. Cabernet Franc bares a striking scarlet color in youth and fades to more of a ruby with age. Young Pinot Noir is often scarlet, and begins to garnet as it gets older. Nebbiolo starts out garnet, and often ends up darkening and picking up more amber as it ages. Vincent Girardin’s Santenay I think is quite layered and complex for a village wine. I love the way it shows notes of garnet color even in youth.
Exposure to oak can amber a light colored wine like Pinot Noir, Grenache, or Nebbiolo as well. This is also often the case for older Gamay and Barbera, although ageworthy communal (Morgon, Brouilly et al., Nizza) examples of these latter wines are few and far between.
The reason for this is two-fold, one, oak is permeable to oxygen, and exposure to oxygen brings out brown hues in wines, and the toasting, that is, fire roasting treatment of new oak barrels can also impart tannin, and caramel color of its own onto wines. Anything Cabernet usually loses its violet hues with oak aging, and begins to become a dark red. Syrah, Tempranillo, and Malbec retain their violet hues due to the thickness of skin and prevalence of tannin and anthocyanin (red pigment) in the skins of these grapes. In fact, Malbec often begins to turn black with age.
The aging effect is the opposite in white wines. With age, whites begin to draw more and more color, in the case of some Chardonnays from Burgundy, or whites from Bordeaux that are meant to be aged, begin to take on less of a straw character and more of a honey color. Likewise, Pino Gris from grand cru Alsace vineyards can go from green-grey pale, to gold in a matter of several years - same for Arneis from Piedmont.
TEARS
Despite what anyone says about their meaninglessness, it is custom to check the rim of the glass for glycerine - do with that what you will. Give your wine a swirl, and I’m actually going to have you refrain from sticking your nose in it, but, perhaps smell the overall bouquet from a distance. Next, place the glass on the table, and look around the highest point where the wine was able to reach when it was swirled.
You will notice on any wine, red or white, the band of streaking clear fluid racing down the glass to rejoin the rest of the liquid. These are called tears, or legs, and they are insoluble glycerol: very similar in consistency to the oil that preserves your ranch dressing, and makes up the vast majority of the fluid in an electronic cigarette.
Glycerol is a slow-moving, non-polar substance that is the result of fermentation. It is essentially the thick part left over from the alcohol production, a bit like tar sands in a refinery. When you swirl the wine, the unbound liquids become detached and the quicker moving water rolls over top of the glycerol, dragging pigments, esters, and anthocyanin down into the glass with it, though sometimes some pigmentation is left bound to the glycerol. This is something to note.
Most wine professionals will tell you to note the legs, for the benefit of tasting blind and deducing a varietal, but honestly, I’ve found that you won’t see much of a difference wine to wine based on the legs. At least not enough inter-varietal similarities to build your knowledge. I liken tears to more of a sneak preview for body on an individual basis.
Glycerol is the chemical that makes a wine feel mouth-filling. If there’s more alcohol present in a wine, say, a higher alcohol varietal like American Zinfandel, you typically will see slow-moving glycerol, running in one single streak that retains some pigment on the rim of the glass. This will indicate a rounder, richer tasting wine.
Lower alcohol, lighter-tasting wines generally will have multiple fast-moving streaks. This will tell you on a per-bottle basis what you can expect as far as a wine’s body. Do you want to drink something big, rich and round, or light and refreshing? Do you notice the thickness and coloring of the tears in the La Tour de Bassan compared with the indicatively lighter Santenay?
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