I’m relatively new to the wine experience, ever since I turned 21, I have been slowly exposed to the world of wine. For my 21st birthday I went to the Blacksburg Wine Lab. I tried everything from Merlots, Cabernets, Pinot Noirs, to the white wines of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc to Rieslings. I also experienced sparkling wines and Champagnes. Regarding the red wines, I didn’t care for them as they are very dry and forward. Not very easy for me to palate. Regarding the white wines, I like Rieslings and Chardonnays more because they are sweeter versus the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blancs because they tend to be drier. Regarding Proseccos and Champagnes, I like the Proseccos and Champagnes better as the bubbles disguise any dryness that I would not like. I’ve been told many times that my taste will change more and more throughout my life, and I will stray away from the Rieslings and Chardonnays I like more now, towards more dry wines.
A family friend of mine made her own version of a wine tasting for me after I tried a Cabernet that they were drinking. She thought it would be good for me to learn more about wine and she created a whole wine sheet for me of foods that go best with certain varietals. For example, on this sheet she said that Rieslings taste better with spicy foods and a pinot noir would be best with something like salmon, tuna, poultry, pork, or red meat. Later that year, I went to a wine tasting at their house and there was an assortment of red and white wines that I was not particularly fond of. I used the cheat sheet she gave me and it helped me through learning more and more of what I do and do not like. A small wine tasting that was for my 21st birthday that a family friend did for me.
Since my 21st birthday and my exposure to wine I have been particularly fond of Kung Fu Riesling, and Kim Crawford and Chalk Hill Chardonnay. I do not like the reds given the fact that they are dry and too forward. One thing I noticed during the wine tastings I have been to is that I have trouble tasting any particular flavors such as “peach” “oak” or any other descriptive words people use. I’m excited to use my newfound knowledge about chewing wine and breathing in once I’ve taken a sip to see if that helps. These new skills will come in handy for my 22ndbirthday in February. Perhaps, it will help me appreciate dry wines that I do not care for much right now.
