What mistakes we usually make when choosing a wine
'11.05.2018'
Source: The Village
Now all over the world, and especially in the USA, there is a real boom in rosé wines. All expensive restaurants have more than one position of rosé wines in their wine lists - but, contrary to the popular myth, not only girls drink them.
Elite alcohol expert, Cavist Daria Fotiadi, who knows almost everything about good alcohol, shared with The Village about common misconceptions of Russian wine lovers.
"Pink - for girls"
In Russia, for some reason, pink wine is still considered frivolous and uninteresting. Someone even believes that it is obtained by mixing red and white. In fact, there are two technologies for the production of rosé wines: “bloodletting”, in which grapes produce juice under their own weight, and a short infusion on the pulp, resulting in a light pink tint. There is one thing you need to know about these wines - they need to be drunk "here and now." After all, most rosé wines are light and tender, and they should not be stored for a long time.
"I am semi-sweet"
The tradition of buying semi-sweet wines appeared in Soviet times. It was possible to drink only what was produced here, and our wines did not differ in good quality. Dry wines were completely impossible to drink, and semisweet ones were still somehow worse, because sugar drowned out the faults of wine. Now in the category of semi-sweet wines nothing has changed - the sweetness still covers the flaws in production. And although now there is access to excellent dry wines, people out of habit continue to buy semi-sweet. In France, in all dessert wines, natural sweetness - sugar, of course, is not added there. Everything happens in a natural way: the berry "dries" on the vine under the influence of the noble mold, as a result of which a lot of sugars accumulate in it. I advise these wines for ardent opponents of dry. The only negative - will have to spend money.
“Good wine is expensive”
Inexpensive wine will not necessarily be bad. There are wonderful, open and light wines for 400 rubles. They bring a lot of pleasure - the main thing is not to expect anything supernatural from them. Most major manufacturers have their own budget lines that you can trust. They do not dump waste there, it's just such a tactic of working with the market. My advice: when choosing a wine worth up to 500 rubles, it is better not to buy French and Italian, but to pay attention to the wines of New World - Chile, Argentina, South Africa, because there is a higher chance of finding a good wine at reasonable prices.
"Screw plugs are a sign of a fake"
Many, seeing the screw cap, get scared and think that the wine is spilled in the neighboring Mytishchi. This is absolutely not true. Now such a cork is becoming increasingly popular not only in the countries of the New World, but also in the traditional wine-making regions of France and Italy. All the expensive Australian and New Zealand wines that you meet are likely to be screwed up. This happens because natural cork stoppers are prone to diseases that they transmit to the wine. In fact, besides the aesthetic value, they do not carry anything important in themselves. Alternatives they invented different - plastic, glass, screw plugs. The last option - the most budget in the production, therefore the wine will cost less, and its quality will be no worse.
"Monosortovoe better"
Quality wine is first and foremost a harmonious, balanced wine. It should not be too sweet, acidic, tannic or alcoholic. Each grape variety has its own characteristics and sometimes it lacks certain qualities - a dense structure or softness. To balance it, for example, to soften the acidity or add aromatics, another type of wine is added to it. Each of the components of the blend complements the other, and the result is a harmonious product. Most of the perfect combinations have long been known. There are regions, like Bordeaux, where almost no monosortovy wines are produced, only blends, and these are high-quality wines that cost tens of thousands of rubles.
“Wine has been prettier over the years”
It is a mistake to believe that any wine only gets better with age. There are wines that should be drunk as quickly as possible, and there are those that can be stored for many years. If you buy an ordinary wine for every day, it is better to choose the most recent harvest - the wine will be more open. The beauty of the young wine - in its freshness, juiciness, brightness. After three years, it will lose these properties and it will be unpleasant to drink it. There are other wines, they become softer, more pliable, more elegant with age. When choosing them, it is best to contact a professional. If there is no adviser, you can refer to the table of millesimes. She will tell you in which year in which region the successful harvest was and when this wine should be opened.
"White - to fish, red - to meat"
The most common myth is that white wine is only suitable for fish, and red wine is exclusively for meat. This is a mistake that incredibly limits a person in feelings. There is a white wine that goes well with chicken, turkey and even pork. In general, one of the most important details in the study of wine is how it complements gastronomy. One without the other is simply unthinkable. Any uncomplicated wine can flourish if you correctly pick up food for it. The main thing is not to be afraid of experiments. The pleasure of wine depends on the time, the situation, the surrounding conditions. For example, I will not drink heavy, heavy red wine, sitting on the veranda on a summer day and seizing his fruit. But to the meat, in the winter evening by the fireplace it will be just right.
“Funny labels are not serious.”
Another common prejudice: wine with funny labels will definitely be of poor quality. Meanwhile, many manufacturers are now moving in this direction - they make bright labels, with humor, with images of cats, chickens and frogs. This especially applies to the wines of the New World. Do not be afraid of them - most likely it will be light, fresh wine. And even the opposite: if you see loud names and depiction of castles on budget French wines, take it as a cheap “lure” and don’t expect anything good from wine.
“Precipitation means colored”
A little sediment in wine is not a reason to panic. The reason for this may be the loss of the natural sediment of tannins and dyes in the aging process of wine or the restriction of the use of chemicals by the winemaker. In any case, this is good luck - you drink a mature or biological wine that has not passed the filtering process, which means you have not lost some of the substances that make up the taste of the wine. The main thing is not to forget to pour the wine from the bottle into the decanter in order to get rid of the sediment.
