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The First Rule of Wine Drinking
by Fraser Neilson

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.

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Fraser Neilson is webmaster at www.FairWine.com and a
graduate of the Wines and Spirits Education Trust.
You can find some great wine resources and special offers
to help improve your enjoyment over at
www.FairWine.com/resources.html.
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