New to wine

[DoC]

Hi to everyone here,
I say I am new to wine, in reality I have been drinking red wine for a few years now and have some idea of what I like and don't like but not much knowledge about it. My question is about aging wine, how do I know which wines are suitable for aging and not? I am registered blind though I can read with magnifiers etc.. but it does mean that scouring shelves and looking at labels can be difficult!

[Drew]

Welcome, DoC. Most wines benifit from some short term aging, IMHO, couple of months to a couple of years just to allow the wine to rest and come together. Sort of like letting a soup or stew set in the fridge for a day or two, much better. Aside from that it's kinda like an intelligent crap shoot. Certain producers make long term aging wines and have good reputations as such. Also, do you like aged wines and at what stage in their aging? Personnaly I like my wines on the youthful side and it's fun for me to follow a wines transformation over a period of time so I always buy at least several of each type of wine that I purchase. Others more experienced than me will weigh in on this subject as it's an often asked question with no real definitive answer. Plain and simple, drink what you like and experiment. Your palate, brain and heart will lead you on the right path.

There is one producer that prints wine lables in Braille and others will, no doubt, follow suit. Of course that doesn't help trying to scour the aisles of most wine shops. Try to establish a good relationship with a good wine shop who can help you selecting wines.


Wine Labels In Braille
by Kate George

A wine producer from France is leading the way in making its products identifiable to people with vision disabilities. M. Chapoutier wines is now using Braille on all of its labels. The company, located in the Rhone valley, produces nearly two million bottles of different wines a year, including Chateauneuf du Pape.

The company’s aim is to give people with vision disabilities an alternate "means of identifying a bottle of wine, thus enhancing their appreciation of a great vintage."

The information on the label includes: the appellation (e.g. Hermitage); the name (e.g. Monier de la Sizeranne); the colour; the name of the wine producer (M. Chapoutier); and the town and country of origin (Tain, France).

The whole process took over a year to research and refine and involved modifying a special typography machine to print in Braille. The company is willing to share the research and methodology with other companies. Perhaps this will lead the way for other mass market products.

M. Chapoutier products are available across Canada. For more information, call the Canadian distributor, Phillippe Dandurand Wines, at (416) 368-3344.


Drew



[This message has been edited by Drew (edited 01-01-2004).]

[Innkeeper]

Welcome DoC. There are only a handful of wines in world worthy of long term aging. These include many from Bordeaux, a handful from Burgundy, and a couple from the Upper Rhone from France. Then there are Barolos, Barbarescos, Brunellos, and Amarones from Italy. From the so called New World you can add California (mostly Napa Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon and a handful of Australian Shiraz'. That is not all, but just about it. There are also a few whites, but you seem to talking about reds. Oh, did I forget Port?

[DoC]

Thank you both for your rapid response, I am sure this will be my first question of many. Now that I have been drinking wine for a little time I feel it time to learn something about it and develop my taste a little more, I look forward to asking more questions and finding more answers.

Thanks again