I loooove wine! Love love love!
Hope's Guide to Wine:
Reds:
Merlot:
Probably the most popular of all the red wines as it is many people's go to wine for many foods. It has a mild to medium smooth taste and pairs well with a lot of foods. It is not my particular favorite but that is just me.
Pairings: steak (beef or venison), lamb, sausage, mushroom, marinara sauce
Pinot Noir:
A deliciously smooth red that often times has oak undertones. It pairs well with many of the same foods as merlot but doesn't have quite as much as a harsh taste as merlot.
Pairings: steak, lamb, marinara, mushroom, sausage
Cabronet Sauvignon:
Cabronet is one of your strongest red wines. It is often fermented in Oak barrels to provide a robust smokey undertone. It should be paired with heavier foods so the flavors of the food don't get lost in the wine. I don't recommend this wine for beginners as it is very harsh.
Pairings: beef, venison, ribs, sausage, etc
Syrah or Shiraz:
This grape does great in the warmer climates of California, Australia, and some parts of France. It is called Shiraz only in Australia, but is called Syrah everywhere else. This is particularly one of my favorite reds. It has smokey and oak flavors as well as black pepper undertones.
Pairings: steak, lamb, sausage, mushroom, marinara, pizza, burgers
Zinfandel:
Zinfandel is a mild to medium red wine that is smooth and is a great wine for beginners. This wine pairs with a Lot of foods so it's a great one to have on your shelf.
Pairings: steak, sausage, mushroom, marinara,
Whites
Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is a drier white wine that has some buttery flavors. It is many people's go to white wine and can be found at any restaurant or bar that serves wine.
Pairings: fish, pasta with white sauce, turkey, chicken, etc
Pinot Grigio:
One of my favorite white wines. It has a milder taste than chardonnay and is slightly sweeter with lots of fruity undertones which is why it pairs so well with fruit.
Tip: freeze some fruits or berries like raspberries and drop them in the wine to keep it cool and provide some extra flavors!
Pairings: fruit, pasta with white sauce, fish, breads, cheeses, etc
Riesling:
This wine is on the sweeter side and is often paired with desserts or served as an after dinner drink by itself. It is very yummy if you don't mind the sweetness. It also often has undertones of raspberries, apples, or other fruits.
Pairings: fruit, cheese, desserts, light meals, pastas with white sauce, breads, etc
Favorite brands: Chateau Ste' Michelle,
Moscato:
This is definitely a dessert wine and is heavy on the sweeter side. Works well with a cheese and fruit tray or can accompany your favorite dessert, or can be drank by itself!
Pairings: cheese and fruit, desserts
These are just a few of the common wines that you will come across in the stores and restaurants, however there are way too many to actually name. You will also see a lot of blends. I highly recommend going to some Vinyards to do some wine tasting or at the very least always try something new whwn picking out a bottle at the store.
Wine Tasting Tips
The legs:
The legs refers to a way of telling how much sugar there is in the wine, hence giving you an idea to how sweet it is. First you pour about 2 Oz of wine in the glass. Give the glass a nice swirl so the wone swirls up towards the rim. Take a look at the wine on the sides of the glass as it drips back down towards the bottom. It will appear as lines flowing down. These are called the legs. The more lines, or legs, there are the sweeter it is. Also the more defined the legal are determine the amount of sugar.
Pairing:
When tasting a new wine for the first time take a sip by itself first. I recommend cleansing your palette first with a bland cracker. Swish the wine on your palette to develop a sense of the complex flavors in the wine. Next try pairing it with some different foods. Different foods will pull out different flavors in the wine. Therefore, if you have a wine you're trying and you don't like it paired with a certain food, give it a try with another. You never know what you'll like until you discover it.
I hope this helps!