So you don’t like red wine huh?

You are one of those “I hate red wine, I only drink white” kind of people?

It’s fine.  This is America you are free to be who you want to be.  But that doesn’t mean you are right.   

I would bet that the reason you don’t like red wine is because you probably have gone about it all wrong.  

You are probably used to drinking fruit wine, sweet wines (click here to find out if it is wrong to drink sweet wine), or even chardonnay.  Someone once probably served you a two year old red Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and your face puckered up like an old guy who forgot to put in his dentures, and you probably e spit it out thinking to yourself “who the heck can drink this crap”.  Starting out with a young Cabernet Sauvignon is like learning to ski on an Olympic downhill course instead of the bunny hill.  You simply started with the wrong red wine.  You went too fast too soon.  

The reason your mouth puckered up and you did not enjoy the experience is because Cabernet Sauvignon has lots of  tannins.  If you want to know what tannins are find a black tea bag and suck on it.  That sounds like it would be terrible and it is. Tannins are introduced to wine through extended contact with stems, seeds, new oak barrels, but mostly grape skins (especially grapes with thick skins) during the fermentation process.  The reason you want tannins in the wine is because the tannins allow the wine to age longer and the fact that those tannins soften over time and if you wait long enough you will have a unique, complex, and  interesting wine.  

Most white wine is processed in such a way to minimize tannins.  Many red wines are as well.  But because when you think of red wine you immediately flash back to that traumatic Cabernet Sauvignon encounter you refuse to try any red wine.      

Another reason you don’t like red wine is because you try to drink it alone, without food.  Wine, especially red wine, transforms the taste of food, and food transforms the taste of the wine.  Some red wine is just not meant to be alone.

So, with that as background, I would view it as a personal favor it you would try the following step program that will help you lose your fear of and learn to love all red wine.  

Step 1 – Try a Dry Rose

I consider Rose to be a gateway red. Wine gets its color not from its juice but from contact with grape skins during the fermentation process. Rose wine is made from red skin grapes but only has a short period of content with the skin so its color is lighter and because wine gets much of its tannins from skin contact it is not very tannic.  

When many people when they think of Rose think of White Zinfandel which is a sweet wine. That is not what I am talking about.  Most Rose is not sweet.  I would suggest you start out with a light red or salmon color Rose from the Provence region of France.  The lighter the color the closer it is to white wine.  If you like that I would then try a rose from the Tavel (my personal favorite) or Bordeaux regions of France. The color in Rose from those regions is a little darker and the flavor is a little more intense then Rose from Provence but it is still very close to a white wine.  Rose should be enjoyed young and does not require any aging.  Another reason that white wine drinkers should try a dry rose is because they are served cold, like most white wines are.  California and other parts of the world make great Rose as well but the styles vary greatly and are not as consistent as wines from these French regions are.  I like to drink dry Rose alone but I also enjoy it with salmon and other heavier seafood.  

Step 2 – Try Gamay/Beaujolais

Now that you have started to enjoy dry Rose it is time to take the next step, a real red wine!  Fear not you do not have to drink a dreaded tannic Cabernet.  There are several wines to try before you have to make that leap.  There are many wines that are made from grapes with thinner less tannic skins and are not aged in new oak barrels and in some cases are not fermented with their skins and seeds.  In many cases these wines are made from grapes that have a fruitier flavor.   

The first real red wine I would try is Gamay which is used to make Beaujolais.  It is light, not tannic at all, and unlike other red wine can be served cold, a comfort to most white wine zealots.  Gamay would be a great wine to enjoy alone or with salad or with some lighter pork dishes.  It also should be enjoyed young as it does not improve much with age.  

Step 3 – Try a light bodied red.  

After you have tried Gamey and found that not only did you not break out into hives but actually enjoyed the experience it is time to take the next step trying some fuller bodied but still lighter red. A wine like Pinot Noir, Grenache, Barbara, or Sangiovese.  These wines should not be fully chilled but, like most red wines, should be served below room temperature at around 60 degrees. Red wines that are too warm mask a lot of their character and exaggerate the impact of any tannins in the wine .  Of these the only one I would drink alone would be the Pinot Noir as the others are better with food like pasta, pizza, and pork roasts, and heavier fowl dishes like Turkey. I would make sure that these wines have aged at least two years (from the year on the bottle) before drinking.

Step 3 – Try a medium body red.    

If this is as far as your red wine journey takes you then so be it.  Many people consider those light bodied red wines, especially the Pinot Noir, to be among the finest in the world.  But if you have enjoyed the ride so far and are ready to go a bit farther then it is time to try some medium bodied reds like Sarah, Malbec, Red Zinfandel and Merlot.  These wines are more tannic than the others we have discussed and should be at least 4 years old before drinking.  Red Zinfandel would be my favorite to drink alone and they all would taste great with roasts, beef stews, and Mexican food (I think Red Zin and Mexican food is a match made in heaven.)      

Step 4 – Try a Heavyweight red.

Admit it, my advice has opened up a whole new world for you.  Hey you made it this far and have not turned back so let’s go all the way!  It’s time to learn how to enjoy the heaviest and most tannic red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo, and Bordeaux.  First and foremost, and this will upset many red wine zealots, I would not drink any of them without food.  They are infinitely better when paired with grilled fatty red meat like steak or ribs.  They also taste incredible when paired with chocolate. Key to your enjoyment will be choose wine that is at least a minimum of 6 years old in order to give the tannins a chance to mellow out.   If stored properly these heavyweight reds can last 20 years or more.  Trying one of these wines, properly aged, and matched  with the right foods could very well make you regret all the time you spent refusing to try red wines.  But don’t feel bad you have the rest of your life ahead of you to make up for lost time.

Agree? Disagree? Have a question? Let me know by leaving a comment.