Thread:Suchinum/@comment-32738051-20160619042150/@comment-32738051-20160621025756

Absolutely! It's really quite simple: taste, taste, taste. There's nothing better for developing your palate than going to as many wine tastings as you can and tasting as many different wines as possible.

Wine bars, if any near you, and some restaurants may offer a wine tasting menu so you can try tasting amounts of flights of wines or individual ones for a smaller price each than by the glass. Check with some of your local wine stores to see if they offer tastings. If you're near any wineries or vineyards, visit some of them...most offer tastings and are open to the public. You can also find out about local tastings by visiting Local Wine Events. Tastings are usually either free or only a few dollars. When tasting, pay attention to color, nose/aroma and palate/taste. Before checking nose and taste, if the wine is still (not sparkling), you should swirl in the glass...this adds oxygen to the wine, helping it breathe and opening up its characteristics to better discern the nose and the palate. Also when tasting, you should take two sips: 1 larger that you should swirl in your mouth (to clear and coat your palate and for the initial reaction) followed by 1 smaller one that you should savor (for the secondary and some say truer reaction). Your notes can be as brief as you like it or you don't and whether or not you'd be willing to buy it. Or you can use or borrow from more complex systems until you're used to tasting more quickly and have a more developed palate. Review any materials provided on each wine...whether before or after you sample is a matter of personal preference. If there are free copies you can take with you, do so. It will help your memory later on.

I find that people who are just starting to develop their palate often prefer whites to reds, lighter body rather than bold, less complexity, clearer rather than dense in color, either very little or way too much oak, and lighter alcohol content. Entry level whites, matching the above profile, include pinot gris/grigio (1 is the French term, the other is Italian...the grape is the same), sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Palate changes tend towards complexity. Entry level reds, matching the above profile, include zinfandel, merlot, syrah, and pinot noir. Palate changes tend towards complexity and boldness and moving into cabernet sauvignon, shiraz (Australian for syrah, though there are American ones too...usually shiraz is more complex than entry syrah...same grape), GSMs (grenache, shiraz, mourvedre...another Aussie specialty), sangiovese/Super Tuscans and any of the lesser red grape varietals. Rose/blush wines are great at both entry level and for developed palates. In sparkling, entry wines include moscato d'asti, Proseccos and any of the lesser expensive brut champagnes and are often characterized by alcohol content of less than 10%. Dry champagne can be hard on the sinuses and cause headaches but you can acquire a taste for it if your symptoms aren't too bad. I'd suggest holding off until much later on expensive champagnes...low end can cause too many problems...mid-range, both in price and complexity is best. Fortified wines, like port, sherry and madeira, are higher in alcohol content (18%-22% usually) and are an acquired taste and I recommend tasting before purchasing and sipping rather than drinking.

A lot of people start with the brands that are most marketed and mass produced and least inexpensive. For example, there's nothing wrong with Trader Joe's 2 Buck Chuck...at least for a beginner. They may be mass produced but they still use a fair amount of quality in their production processes. I'm not one for their wines myself...never have been...but I have had some $20 wines that are "drink now" but still are very good...in my opinion. When purchasing and if in doubt, ask the merchant for a recommendation. Basic questions to ask yourself first are: (1) will you be consuming by itself or paired with food and, if the latter, what will you be eating; (2) will you be consuming by yourself or with others...you may want to consider what you know about their likes; (3) what taste profile you want for the wine you pick up (whether dry or not so dry, white/rose/red/sparkling/dessert/aperitif, light/young or bold/oak-aged) and (4) how much you want to spend. Note: very rarely do people with young palates cellar wine (that is hold them so they can age further in bottle). When you buy a wine, you'll probably want to drink it that week or, if purchasing after a tasting, within the next few months. Keep the bottles you have on hand at home to a minimum. You can branch out further later on if your interest takes you in that direction.

Here's a couple of good primers:
 * http://www.winemag.com/2015/01/20/wine-for-beginners/
 * http://winefolly.com/wine-basics-beginners-guide/

One last thing: there are NO wrongs in wine...everyone is different with their own preferences and each person has to find their own path. Whether a wine is good or not good is more often than not personal opinion (though I have experienced some truly bad wines before). No matter what opinions others share with you, including me, stay true to yourself. Let me know if this helps. And cheers! 🍷🍇😊