Wine Worries: Leading a Wine 101 Class

Hi Wine Taylor,

I have a wine worry to submit. I recently moved to a new city and made some new friends. I am trying to get them interested in wine, so I am holding a wine tasting party this weekend. I am hoping to do a blind tasting, but I want to make it a total softball -- what are some wines in the $15-$25 range that would be extremely typical of their varietal? For example, for the red tasting I want a Cab, a Pinot, and a Zin, each of which is pretty close to what you would think of as a standard for that varietal. Usually I like to choose wines that are a little different or stand out in some way, but this time I want to stay in the box!

Thanks for your help,
Stephanie

Pinot Noir is always a good wine -- tell the class that you can identify it by its pale color. Rosemount Pinot Noir is a good one to watch for.

Shiraz is also a good one, because it's dark and spicy, a lot of people drink it, and it's trendy. Any Shiraz from Penfolds is good, and there's a range of prices. Stay away from the blends -- they're very common, and you'll lose the single varietal expression.

I actually don't like Cabernet for a blind tasting, though. There are very different Cabernets from different regions of the world, but they all are very different, so it's hard to identify based solely on varietal character. Also, even when they're labeled Cabernet, they're often blended with other grapes, and winemakers actually are not required to put this on the label. Having said that, if you're set on Cabernet, a California or Australian one is probably best, because they're the ones people are most likely to encounter again.

Zinfandel is good because it's full-bodied, tasty, and not too tannic. It's practically California's "national grape." Look for Ravenswood or Rosenbloom.

For whites, go Chardonnay because it's very commonly "oaked," which should make it easy for people to identify. If you want to be a jerk, go with an un-oaked Chardonnay, and people will have a lot of trouble with it. Generic Chablis is a good un-oaked option.

I think Riesling is the best white grape in the world, so it should be a part of every tasting. It has tons of varietal character like apples, petrol, and minerality. Once you learn the smell of a riesling, you'll always recognize one.

Add in a Gewürztraminer or a Viognier because they have lots of floral character, which should stand out from the others.

Thanks for asking the winetaylor,

Enjoy!


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