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Don’t listen to what all the self appointed
wine buffs and wine snobs say – it’s what you
like that counts.
It’s not what Mr X, Mrs Y or Sommelier
Z says but what you personally enjoy that matters when it
comes to wine. Taste is individual to you and must always
be treated as such.
If you like really “unsophisticated”
sweet German wines such as those 70s standards Liebfraumilsch
or Hock (which incidentally almost put a whole generation
off drinking wine) then that’s great.
Feel free to carry on drinking them but make
sure that you take the time to carry on experimenting with
other wines of a similar nature or perhaps a different style
of your preferred grape.
If you like a white Burgundy, such as the
steely Chablis, then you may also like other wines matured
in metal casks such as a Sancerre.
If you enjoy a nice Sauvignon Blanc then take
a look at a South African Chenin Blanc. But don’t put
yourself off by scaring your palate through trying completely
new and perhaps a bit ‘left field’ choices immediately.
Work up to these experiments. Try the more
obvious ones first. If you go from a nice oaky Australian
Chardonnay to a Gewurtztraminer right away you might never
appreciate the subtle pleasures of the German speciality,
which is a bit of an acquired taste for most people though
it can be dynamite paired with the right foods.
And when it comes to teaming wine with food
then the same rules apply. If you like your oysters with a
full-bodied claret rather than a dry white or a champagne,
then that is great too.
White wine with fish dishes is the accepted
combination worldwide but now many people are realising the
delights of eating a ‘meaty fish’ such as tuna
with a light red wine.
However do bear one thing in mind : the ‘rules’
have evolved over time and reflect the preferences of millions
of palates over many generations of fine dining. Like the
classics of fiction, the classic combinations of food and
drink are exactly that for a reason – they have proven
to be superior
over time.
So by all means experiment but don’t
ignore the tried, tested and recommended combinations as they
have stood the test of time very well indeed.
As with everything in life, the only way to
learn is to test.So you’ll have to move out of your
comfort zone and risk the odd bad choice in order to move
up to the next level of wine enjoyment.
Yes you may love Californian Pinot Noir but
it’s important that you stop buying it every week simply
because you know that you like it and that it’s a safe
choice. You need to branch out, as this is the only way you
will find something even better than your current favourite.
And believe me, I’m sure it exists among
the many thousands of wines available worldwide. The best
way of branching out is to start buying mixed cases of wine,
typically a dozen
bottles of red and white wines and simply try each one out.
And it’s particularly useful to make
some tasting notes as you open each one so that you can keep
a note of exactly what it was, where it was from and which
variety of grape it was and so on.
And don’t forget to note precisely why
you liked or disliked it. Was it the citrus fruit flavours
on the tongue, or was it the creamy vanilla oakiness that
really made it for you?
Did the light fresh aroma contribute to the
enjoyment? Get it down on paper before you open the next bottle,
as tomorrow your recollection might be a little hazy!
So you must experiment a bit, but don’t
go for a complete extreme to what you normally drink right
away.
Go for similar varieties at first and you
are less likely to put yourself off progressing and expanding
your taste in wine.
And remember, the only one who can tell you
what wines you like best is you yourself so, whatever the
combination, be sure to enjoy it.
Wine
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