Food 'n' Drink – Food and Drink news |

What types of wine to choose can feel like a daunting prospect for starting-out wine enthusiasts, but once a few basics have been grasped the process becomes both straightforward and enjoyable.

Now that it is possible to buy wine online, and many different varieties at that, it is important to understand the different wine types, their respective tastes and how they should be stored before making those first few purchases.

Among the main wine producing countries are Australia, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand and South Africa – so why not choose a bottle from each nation before deciding which you prefer?

Part of the New World of wine producers, Australia boasts a number of wine styles, with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz among the most popular. Most wines made in the country are under 30 years old, and Australia is currently the world’s sixth largest wine producer.

One of the best beginner’s wines is the Blackwood Ridge Un-Wooded Chardonnay 2008, which is produced by award-winning winemaker Sam Plunkett. Boasting a mellow, clean taste the Plunkett 2008 has a beautiful scent of pineapple, lemon and a hint of thyme, while its taste is noted for its melon and citrus.

New Zealand, located across the Tasman Sea, produces similar wine varieties to Australia, and its Sauvignon Blanc has received critical acclaim from around the world. The country, which exports $900 million of wine each year, is also establishing itself as a leading grower of Pinot Noir, Riesling and Merlot varieties.

Beginners are encouraged to try the Seifried Sauvignon Blanc 2009 which, according to Bob Campbell, one of only 264 Masters of Wine in the world, is a “concentrated Sauvignon Blanc in an accessible style for current drinking”.

On his website, Mr Campbell went on to describe the white wine has having a “regional purity without searing acidity”, featuring sweet lemon grass and capsicum flavours and a hint of passion fruit.

Staying in the southern hemisphere, and the Chilean wine industry, which has been established for centuries, is confined to a small central belt in the country’s centre, such are the variations in its climate and geography.

Chilean Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot became popular in the UK thanks to their inexpensiveness, emerging at around two-thirds the cost of Australian wine, which was once Britain’s favoured wine-producing nation.

Enthusiasts wishing to buy wine online should consider Facundo Red Blend 2006, which has a smooth, slightly sweet taste, something that is achieved thanks to a mixture of four different grapes. It is also an excellent accompaniment to risotto or other light Italian dishes and is perfect for drinking after a long day at work thanks to it easy taste.

Closer to home, and nearly everyone with a likening for wine will have tasted a French variety at some point in their lives. France is the world’s largest wine producer, with 550 million cases of wine filled every year (Italy, its closest rival, produces 495 million cases annually).

Black grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Carignan, Merlot and Pinot Noir, while white grape types includeMarsanne, Petit Manseng, Rousanne and Viognier.

With such a wide variety, where’s the best place to begin? It’s probably best to concentrate on wines from specific areas. For example, Sauvingon Blanc is the most widely used grape used for white wine in the central part of the Loire Valley. A good starting point is the Villebois Loire Sauvignon Blanc 2009, which is among France’s most popular white wines.

Refreshingly crisp, Sauvignon Blanc has a citrusy, tropical fruit flavour and is normally unoaked, which allows the delicacy of the grape to be highlighted.

Those wishing to sample France’s red wine offerings should try a variety produced in Bordeaux, with 80 per cent of the wine in the region red and produced from either Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Merlot grapes.

For a taste of Bordeaux’s Left Bank, which has soils with a higher gravel content (favouring Cabernet Sauvignon grapes), why not try M Seduction Haut-Medoc 2005? Produced by Eric Boissenot, the wine was awarded a silver medal at the 2006 Decanter World Wine Awards, and has a fruity flavour finely balanced between subtlety and structure.

Italy is another country famed for its wine production, and a huge variety of types are made in the southern European country. Among its most famous are Sangiovese, a variety produced in Tuscany; Nebbiolo and Montepulciano. Chianti, Barolo and Barbaraesco are also among the best known.

In terms of red wine, a good starting point is Rais Vigne del Fuoco 2007, which hails from the south of the country. Its flavour is rich and intense and is known for its rich acidity, making it a useful accompaniment to tomato-based dishes.

White wine enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that Italian whites are full of character and are generally crisp, soft and highly acidic. Many are specifically designed to accompany food rather than overpower it.

Among the most popular varieties is the Vivolo Pinot Grigio IGT Veneto 2009, which is perfect when enjoyed in the warm spring sunshine and offers a taste Veneto for those buying wine online.

Further afield, and South Africa enjoys a status as one of the world’s top ten wine producing countries, with the majority of the country’s wine-growing regions located in the Cape.

Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most traditional white wine, and a good starting point is the Parrot Valley Chenin Blanc 2009, an entry level wine that, according to Matthew Jukes of Top 50 Cape Wines 2008, enthusiasts should “ignore at their peril”.

In terms of red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon does particularly well in South Africa, and the JH Pacas Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 is a particular highlight, which boasts a flavour combining deep berry fruits and oak spiciness.

If you’d rather go it alone, however, then bear in mind the ‘three Ps’ when selecting a bottle of wine: price, preference and pairing, with the latter becoming important when choosing a wine to specifically accompany a meal.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.