Very Novice Newbie

[jodi217]

Hi Everyone!

I am very new to the word of wine and need help. I want to be a wine lover but I never enjoyed the taste of wine. Probably because I never really had any ‘good’ wine. My question is which type of wine (brand as well) would be best for someone to start with to develop a palette for wine. My husband and I love to partake in a drink every now and then but are planning to start a family soon and thought that switching to wine would be the best bet.

Thank you!

Jodi

[wondersofwine]

Welcome to the Wine Board.
You'll want to avoid all alcohol when pregnant. However, before you take that step or after the baby is born, a glass or two of wine a day can have some health benefits.
Do you have a "sweet tooth?" Is your usual beverage sweet tea or Pepsi or Coca Cola or the like? If so, you may want to start with a sweet or "off dry" wine such as a German Riesling Spatlese or a Muscat (Italian version may be labeled Moscati d'Asti) for white wine or Italian Lambrusco for a red wine. Reunite Lambrusco has wide distribution but you may be able to find a better Lambrusco at a good wine shop. Sangria, a wine with fruit juice added, may also appeal to you as a refreshing summer drink.
If you don't have a sweet tooth it may be that you are put off by wines that are bitter-tasting due to tannins (tannins may derive from grapeskins, stems or leaves that are in the grape must after harvest, etc.) Strong tea is also tannic so if you don't care for strongly brewed tea, you may want to avoid the more tannic wines. Pinot Noir and Beaujolais are less tannic reds than Cabernet Sauvignon for example so you might try a Beaujolais Villages or a Mark West or Echelon Pinot Noir (inexpensive). White wines generally spend less time with grapeskins during fermentation and may have less natural tannin in the grapeskin so are less likely to taste bitter. However, they can have high acid and thus be tart. Here Chenin Blanc or Viognier wines may be less tart than Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet. German Riesling can have high acid balanced by residual sugar such as at the Spatlese or Auslese level. Hopefully, this will give you a start. Try one or more of the suggested types of wine and report back whether you liked it or didn't like it.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 08-09-2007).]

[Innkeeper]

Welcome Jodi. For a very delightful, easy to drink red, look for 2005 Georges Duboeuf Fleurie. As the name indicates, it is a very fragrent wine from the Beaujolais region of France. Duboeuf has three or four bottlings (all good) ranging from $12 to $18.

[jodi217]

Thank you so much for the replies! I think this is enough to get us going. I do have a sweet tooth so I will try those suggestions and post back with what I find. I do not plan to drink during pregnancy but before and after, yes!! Thanks, again!!

[TheEngineer]

There are a few other wines for those with a sweet tooth. I started with Icewines myself.....talk about sweet! If you can find a half-bottle (they typically are only in half bottles) and they are not cheap, Canadian icewines may be another area one to try.