I have developed a friendship with the cutest couple from work (#relationshipgoals -seriously, they are adorable) which has led to a few wine nights together. During a work dinner one night last summer, numerous bottles of wine were opened ranging from an Italian Barolo to a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds and from an Italian Friulano to a Greek Assyrtiko for the whites. There were a few wine nerds at the table, including myself, who were geeking out over various wine trivia and my friends were just soaking it up. They were talking about how much they enjoyed drinking wine but admitted that they just didn't know much about it. This became obvious when I innocently asked them to name three grapes and they stopped at Cabernet.
Fast forward several months and I was invited to a homemade Persian dinner at their house. I was super excited but wasn’t sure what type of wine to bring; however, after careful consideration and surveying my wine community I came up with four wines. I gave them an Australian Shiraz as a gift. Shiraz, Iran is known as the city of poets, literature and wine so although the grape has no ties to the area I am am told it is a favorite wine of many Iranians. We drank the other three bottles and all of them were a hit!! We started off with the Fendant from Switzerland which was hugely popular and then followed with the Assyrtiko which topped the previous wine. They loved the whites but what was so funny is that one of them asked if they were Chardonnay and when I told her no, she then asked “aren't all whites Chardonnay?" Her husband quickly responded, "No, it could be Moscato."
I served the Chateau Musar with dinner after an hour or so in the decanter and the host exclaimed that he was instantly transported back to his childhood. The aromas in the wine reminded him of a seaside cabin where he spent his summers. He wanted more of this wine and wanted to know where to buy it. Tasting this wine was almost as equally emotional for his wife. I was so excited for them, not only did they learn about 4 wines from all over the globe and realize that there is a lot more out there than Cabernet and Chardonnay, but they really had their "ah-ha" moment with one of the wines.
Now as I said, this was an authentic, home cooked Persian dinner which is a bit out of my usual to say the least and I had to do a bit of research as well but was pleased to find some of my favorite wines on the list. Sauvignon Blanc is pretty well known and even if you couldn't name it off the top of your head, chances are you have heard of it. It is a very flavorful white wine that is often described as "crisp" due to the higher acidity which is what makes this wine refreshing like a cold beer when it is hot out.
Actually, many of the wines on this list are higher acid wines, which is my "go-to" type of white wine including Grüner Veltliner, Albariño, Assyrtiko and Riesling. These wines have a different texture and feeling in your mouth than a "buttery" Chardonnay. I prefer these crisp wines, maybe because I'm a beer lover, and a sour beer lover at that. Other people prefer a full bodied white wine like the above Chardonnay or a Viognier because they can stand up to more foods, but what ever you like, know that there endless varieties to try. Same thing with red wine, some people love big, bold fruit with big body like a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and others prefer a lighter Pinot Noir like one from Oregon. Know, however, that there are endless styles of red wines that require their own dedicated posts but as an example the reds listed in the chart above are Pinot Noir, Barbera and Syrah. Everyone is likely familiar with Pinot and Syrah, the last of which is a bigger, fruitier wine with flavors of blackberry and black cherry compared with the less intense strawberry, raspberry and red cherry flavors of the former. Barbera is somewhat like the Pinot in that it has juicy red fruit flavors but it is a bit higher in acidity which can catch people off guard, but let me tell you that if you put a chill on it and drink it in the summer, oh la la!
I do plan to do more comprehensive deep dives into some of these and other grapes in future posts as well as plan some lectures where tasting is an option. Not only am I an eager wine student, but I am also a collector of rare and unusual wines and I love to share my passion with others so stay tuned.
I have just barely scratched the surface here, but hopefully I have stirred up an interest in learning more about wine in general especially if you happen to be one of those people who only drink Cabernets or only drink buttery Chardonnays.
Additionally, I have added this picture showing an orange wine. Say what? Yep, that's a thing too which I hope to talk about in the future and I am drinking a rose in the picture below, which I know I will talk about in the future.
So, cheers! Go be adventurous the next time you are looking for a bottle of wine, pick up one you know you love but also try a completely new one just for fun as you may find something you can't live without!
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