Just stopping in to see, haven't been here for quite a While. the link is at the bottom of the page, but I copy/pasted the artical, this is a vinting magazine.
about him maybe he had a long, day ,
thought you were trying to get a buzz they deal with that I would think.
sorry I didn't help with more questions
This artical helped me alot, I can tell you this though, about how things can change the wine lets start with climate high temps can make a higher Brix(Percentage of sugar) So that is more alcohol, alcohol dumbs the sensation, which can reduce flavors, Then there is over bad vinyard management, or just bad weather years that are rain less can yeild some great grapes,
See fructose is a sugar, so is glucose when fructose which is in honey is in the grape from dry years, IT gets the wine tasting good.
Then what about How they are grown if A vine has 12lbs. of grapes(instead of 50lb. or some even 100lbs.) on a vine from what I understand is The grapes are more potent more glycerine, which adds body(Like whole milk, or skin)they thin out extra grape flowers, cut them off so it produces less yeild, but some cheap wines(NOT ALL)jug wine is thin they also thin out the leaves covering the fruit more sun exposure.
Some wineries even add grape concentrate(don't remember the brand --sun -somthing maybe) to add color, It is illegal for California wineries to add extra sugar, but not concetrate, (I think it is vis sa versa In France).
I didn't get to the acids, Im not going into it for growing, but grapes have mainly tartartic, and malic acid(sharp like apples) you probaly wouldn't want a wine to be to acidic, See malic acid is, but a bacteria (lactic acid bacteria culture)MAlactic fermentations(MLF) EAt malic acid turns it into lactic acid which is found in milk(you ever hear buttery)
Now I didn't get into barrrels They have French OAk(white Oak)American OAk(white Oak) French barrels are more expensive, they have closer grained wood or denser wood, they can bring out flavors like carmel, but that depends how the toast of the wood is(carmel is darker toasted--Burnt)
vanila Can be from American, Did you taste, any in the Melot, and a newer barrel makes a difference also.
See dry Wine is bitter
So is dark tea I like it, and drink alot of tea a day it has tannin, In wine it mellows out, so thats good for againg your getting somthing out of aging when a barrel is new it doesn't hurt to break the it in it can be harsh, but wine should mellow(Age) unless you drink it first.
I mean there are every day drinking wine's and the stuff you age.

OK I should of said this more plain, and simple, didn't think to
(tried)
A vinyard is being taking care of nutrient wise nitrogen,potasium calcium,K,etc. weather is good, but the next door neighbors, aren't giving the vines what they need, The grapes are going to come out different, not in balance with he acids which is a big deal like I said malic acic is potent sharp, even though MAlactic fermentation can be done(to mellow it to lactic acid) that is going to affect the end results.---but like I said somtimes weather can make a differece itself.
Oh
malactic fermentation (MLF) is also done with grapes in balance to smooth out the wine.
I Am carful of the myths though wild grape wine(vitis riparia(vitis vulpina) is my second favorite I've ever had no of flavors to me, and somtimes price doesn't mean anything.

_______________________I QUOTE______________

Amplify Your Taste, Bud! Apr, 2002
by Dick Fruehwald

A hint of racy raspberry? A touch of forest floor? Here's a fast, simple tasting technique that can help you capture - and understand - the flavors and aromas of wine.

The wine tasting technique that I describe in this article was developed over the last fifteen years out of sheer frustration. As a wine sales representative, Ive made hundreds of wine presentations to chefs, maître dÂs, sommeliers and restaurant owners. IÂve poured wine in restaurant kitchens, bars and dining rooms, and IÂve tasted wine out of glass, paper, plastic and even styrofoam cups. ItÂs discouraging to confess how many times IÂve heard even the wine experts say something like this: "I donÂt get what theyÂre saying in this wine description."

I needed a wine-tasting technique that experts and novices alike could master in minutes. I also wanted to help people new to wine tasting get excited immediately about the aromas and flavors in wine. I wanted to hear them say, "I never knew wine could taste this good." Or "I can really taste the wine for the first time!"

So I developed a method I call "Power Tasting." ItÂs easy to learn, and it works. I canÂt back that statement up with academic studies or empirical data, but the positive comments of nearly a thousand wine tasters have convinced me that any wine aficionado should give Power Tasting a try.

How do you taste a wine?

There are many factors to consider when tasting a wine: the container or glass, the wine, the eye, nose, lips, mouth and tongue, the soft palate, the nasal passage and throat, and last of all, the stomach (or the spittoon). Each serves a specific purpose.

The glass is the most unpredictable factor in the tasting process, varying from a plastic cup to crystal stemware. The eye visually whets the appetite. The nose can be an effective tool to facilitate taste but many times is hindered by distractions  the scent of dinner or a summer breeze, to name a few. The lips should be pursed to help contain a small amount of wine. The mouth, for obvious reasons, is a critical tool in any wine-tasting technique. The tongue is the center of basic sensations  sweet, sour, bitter and salt. The soft palate is where the finish of a wine resides. The nasal passage carries the wineÂs aroma to the olfactory organs. The throat is the place through which good wine will pass. Finally, thereÂs the stomach (or spittoon!), where all wine, good or bad, eventually will reside.

When evaluating a wine, the standard technique considers sight, smell, taste, finish and an overall impression. The idea behind Power Tasting is to maximize this available information.

Standard tasting techniques are all over the board. There is what I call the OTDT technique (Over the Tongue and Down the Throat). This method yields not much more than the basic tongue sensations of sweet, sour, bitter and salt. The second technique, one that many tasters new to wine employ, is what I call ALS (A Little Sip). This results in the appreciation of a little flavor that wafts its way through the senses, but it is an ineffective way to evaluate a wine. The third approach is probably the most widely used by experienced tasters. I call it the TS (Traditional Slurpy). A complete explanation of this technique can be found on pages 95 and 96 of Emile PeynaudÂs classic book, "The Taste of Wine." (It takes two pages for Peynaud to describe this venerated wine-tasting technique, and I challenge any novice to follow successfully along.) Luckily, there is a simpler and better way.

Simply put, my Power Tasting
technique is a seven-step process:
1. Take a small sip.
2. Swish the liquid in your mouth for approximately 10 seconds.
3. Swallow or spit.
4. Breathe in through your mouth, as if through a straw.
5. Close your mouth and breathe out through your nose, pausing to reflect on the flavors and aromas.
6. Breathe in through your nose.
7. Breathe out through that "straw."

Here are a few additional thoughts on the seven steps. Step 1) A small sip is all you need; generally, an eighth of an ounce will do. Step 2) Swishing the wine in the mouth for this length of time acclimatizes the mouth to the wine, giving you a better sense of the wineÂs body, balance and acidity  especially when tasting different wine styles. I even find this method effective when switching back and forth between red and white, sweet and dry wines. Step 4) Drawing in a breath to a moderate three-count is about right.
The key to the success of Power Tasting is "going retro." In Step 4, you collect the wineÂs vapors. In Step 5, you propel these vapors in a focused stream up through the retro nasal passage into the nasal cavity and olfactory center, rather than depending on the nose. High up in your nasal passage is a small slit or recess where a mucous layer with protruding hairs, the olfactory mucosa, link nerves to the olfactory bulb, which is part of the brain. This whole area is about the size of dime. In order to get as much information to that area as possible, using the retro nasal passage is the most direct approach, rather than depending on the intake of vapors through the nose.

The ability to taste is largely a result of the ability to smell. In fact, many experts will tell you that taste is 70 to 80 percent smell. So an effective way of getting a large amount of information to the olfactory center, where aromas are "sorted out," can only enhance the ability to taste. The "sorting out" process involves the olfactory mucosa translating aroma molecules into electrical impulses and then sending the impulses to our associative memory. Once there, our associative memory works to find a match with a prior experience. When there is a match, "BAM!" (with homage to Emeril). The corresponding information is transmitted to our thought processes, where we casually verbalize the aroma as "a racy raspberry with a touch of forest floor."

You can provide even more focus by pausing to savor the feedback, preferably with your eyes closed. With practice you can even determine approximate alcohol levels from the sensations created by vapors passing through your nasal cavity in Steps 5 and 6. In Step 7, breathing out through your mouth creates friction on the inside of your cheeks, causing the saliva glands to kick in and replenish the moisture stripped away by the acidity and/or tannin in the wine. I call this the "gush rush." It enhances the finish for good wines and brings out objectionable characteristics in others, while resetting the palate for the next wine to be tasted. This also affords the taster an opportunity to take secondary breaths in through the mouth and up through the nostrils to further identify other aspects of a wine.

All wine tasters, experienced or not, are a product of the surrounding environment. The library of aromas and tastes in our associative memory has been built by our life experiences, from growing up on a farm to eating our favorite foods. Science tells us that most of these libraries contain well over a thousand entries. Calling up these entries is not always easy. It takes practice. A novice taster can access about 50 entries. An experienced taster might access 200.

A wonderful tasting tool is Ann NobleÂs Wine Aroma Wheel. Have you ever been tasting wine with a friend, and they ask whether you get a hint of anise in a wine, and suddenly the anise pops out at you? Scanning the wheel as you are tasting helps you focus on 90-plus aromas associated with wine. If this is too much to handle, use my "Starting Points" (see below), which gives a few aromas and flavors that can be associated with common grape varieties.

With proper use of the Power Tasting technique, the wineÂs "nose" becomes a valuable supplement to the information you gather about a wine when you taste it. Varying your technique helps in gathering additional information. First "nose" the glass from the center, then next to the rim, and finally from 2 to 3 inches above the rim, in quick sniffing bursts and in long slow draws. Each technique captures different esters and aromatics.

Regarding glassware: There is nothing finer than drinking wine from the correct crystal stemware, but with Power Tasting, even wine from a paper cup will show you all of the subtle flavors and aromas that it has to offer. ThatÂs because the key aromas are carried forcefully to the olfactory area through the retro nasal passages instead of being sniffed up through the nostrils. So happy Power Tasting, and may you soon be able to detect even the slightest hint of racy raspberry or damp forest floor!

Starting Points

Cabernet Sauvignon: Cassis  Blackberry  Cherry  Herbs  Mint  Vanilla  Cedar
Chocolate (after aging)

Merlot: Berry  Plum  Cherry  Vanilla  Spices

Zinfandel: Blackberry  Raspberry  Berry Jam  Black Pepper  Vanilla

Pinot Noir: Strawberry  Cherry  Violets  Vanilla  Spices  Soy/Earth (after aging)

Chardonnay: Pineapple  Pear  Green Apple  Citrus  Vanilla  Butter  Nuts  Spices

Sauvignon Blanc: Grapefruit  Lemon Â
Floral Notes  Melon  Dried Herbs  Bell Pepper  Vanilla  Butter

Riesling: Honeysuckle  Peach Apricot  Green Apple  Pear  Honey

Dick Fruehwald is chairman of the Cincinnati chapter of the American Wine Society and a certified wine judge. He has worked in the wine wholesale trade for 15 years.

Uncleskeeter, since you say you are very new at wine it might be fun to take a wine tasting course offered at a local university or school? Some of the charity wine tastings or events sponsored by wine stores, are not very welcoming to newbies as seems to have been your experience.

Start out buying wines that are young and not aged. Always buy good quality or you are never going to like it. Wine Spectator magazine is a good resource to use as an aid in shopping for wine. You can check out issues at the library. Don't worry about what others think about your purchases. Wines are to be enjoyed and everyone is going to like something different. You may want to buy wines that are slightly effervescent to start out. Nothing wrong with pop wines - Mammertino, Lambrusco, Paul Mason Crackling Rose, with dinner. After you feel comfotable with a wine glass in you hand, you can start with some of the sweeter or fruity white wines and experiment to see where your preferences lie. Later move onto buying medium bodied reds and then aged red wines. Food pairing are important so if you are ordering wine in a restaurant ask your waiter for an opinion on the wine/food pairings. Never allow yourself to get talked into buying something out of you budget. When you try a new wine, take notes on it and use your notes as a guide for future purchases.

Bud gave you good advice. I'll try to answer your questions in more detail

"is drinking wine an aquired taste or do you aquire a taste for wine?" Two different questions. I suppose it is an acquired taste. And not everyone acquires the taste.

" there are so many brands out there to buy and was wondering also,say if i am into merlot, grigio or any other flavors for instance....do they all have the same taste from different wineries or are they different in taste?"

Several questions here. Brand does not equal varietal. Say you pick Blackstone merlot. Blackstone is a company making wine from the merlot grape. It goes for about $9/bottle. Then you buy a Petrus. They are in France, making wine from merlot. It goes for about $800/bottle.

Part of that is because the wine is VERY different. And part is for the brand name. How much of each is for you to decide. But the same grape made into wine by different winemakers will be different. The soil in which it is grown, the way in which the vineyard is set up and cared for, the climate of the area, all these and more will play into the final product.

"tasting (flavor) cold versus room temp" There is an old saying that reds should be served at room temperature, but remember in the drafty stone chateaus, room temperature hovers around the low 60s. And that is a great temp for most red wines. Room temp in a NYC apartment hovers around 80 F. That is way too hot. Warm temps emphasize the alcohol and sugar. Most restaurants also serve their wines too warm IMO. Put it in the fridge for 15 minutes and see the dif.

That said, a lot depends on the wine. Start with the young and fruity. Australia and Argentina are great bets - many cheap but good wines. Try some Beaujolais - not the young stuff that comes in November, but the "cru". It goes for $12 - $25 bottle. Go to your local store and ask them for a cru Beaujolais from Fleurie, for example. And look at Spain.

Then look at some more traditional Spanish wines. Widely available are Marques de Cacares and Marques di Riscal. Not too expensive if you buy the crianza. Note that they are different from the other examples - less up front fruit for example.

And most important, find a wine store where the folks are really knowledgable. Short of that, look online - there are some great stores on line.

I would disagree with start with fruity wines,
but that just me.
I Try all different types, and you might want to age one(or the same variety) if you like it.
You might Like get stuck on what you like, but not realize somthing better is for you.
This may, be a good cheap wine to try
Today I was just drinking somthing very cheap, it said bottled In Napa Vally, Crane Lake $3.34 or 3 bottles for $10.
It usualy helps to decant(let sit out open) the wine for 1, 2 days

thanks for the responces. i guess i'm just trying to get by the bitey taste that wines have. i guess that's what you call it. i find that when i add something to it (raspberry or 7-up etc...) it makes it more pleasent to drink. is that because of the aging or date of the wines where you get that taste?

uncleskeeter, I think what you describe as "bitey taste" are tannins; and that's actually a very good description. Tannins are very prevalent in most red wines and you are also right about aging...as wine matures, the tannins mellow out. If you are a tea drinker, tannins are very prevalent in strongly brewed tea.

If you want a red wine with lighter tannins, get thee to a wine merchant and tell him you are new to wine. Ask him to recommend a few bottle of different reds, with low tannins. Be sure to give him a price range. I would probably recommend a Napa or Sonoma pinot noir, which is generally much smoother than, say a cab sauv of the same year.

Decanting also helps smooth out the tannins; however the best way to smooth them out is to pair the wine with a good cheese. The fat in the cheese will mellow out the tannins in your mouth. Once you pick the wine, ask the shop owner to recommend a cheese to snack on while you drink it.

Oh, and keep a journal and jot down wines and wineries you like. As you learn more about it, you will discover that you have a few favorite grapes (pinot noir, merlot) and a favorite winery region (Napa, Austrailia).

Good luck with your quest. Wine is FUN!

Franciseric, wines commonly available these days do not need to be decanted. Winemakers make sure the wine is thoroughly clarified before being bottled. Since Uncleskeeter is new at wine he is probably not going to be starting out with bottled wine from the barrel at a Chateau or aged in the bottle.

There are two reasons for decanting. One is to remove sediment. The other is to aerate the wine so that the flavors develop. Wines need to "breathe". NOT for two days. If a wine sat out open for two days - throw it out, don't drink it.

thanks for the replys all. they really help and i will try a few. i will try the napa and sanoma's and see what i can come up with.

i was going to question the region of growers or that the wine (napa,sonoma) could be from different growers and different countries as well or is there a certain region to buy from? i would think that it does'nt matter,does it?

After you taste lots of wine you will know the answer. The reason I suggested lighter fruiter wines is because my experience shows that most people prefer those initially. If you want to age the wine, that is an entirely different issue and not something you are going to do without knowing a thing about wine!

So to your question - the region is what some people hold to be most important. Others disagree. The French have a word - terroir, that doesn't perfectly translate but it cna be understood as the microclimate - the slope of a hillside, whether the sun reflects from a nearby river, the type of soil, the fact that the trees at the top prevent the cold winds from coming down, etc. That is why some winemakers prefer grapes from one vineyard or one section of a vineyard to another. Throughout the world there are many sites where wine can be made. But in Napa for example, some people like to be high on a mountain, say Howell Mountain, while others are in the valley and others are on slight slopes in Rutherford. The soil types vary, the fog effects vary, the winds vary, etc. In the Mosel in Germany for example, the area is cold but the Rhine river reflects sunlight on to the steep hills and the vineyards are a few degress warmer than they might otherwise be. That really matters.

So the gross regions (Napa, Bordeaux, Long Island, Rioja) matter and so do the smaller subregions within those areas.

And they matter for more reasons than those I just mentioned. In some countries, the law dictates what grapes can be grown in certain areas. So in Rioja in Spain for example, you will find tempranillo, some garnacha, some manzuelo, and some cabernet sauvignon, although not too much. In Napa on the other hand, you will find almost no tempranillo, very little garnacha, probably no manzuelo, and a whole lot of cabernet sauvignon. These grapes produce very different wines. In Napa they can grow whatever they want, in Rioja, they cannot, at least if they want to sell the wine as a Rioja crianza, reserva, or gran reserva. They would not be allowed, for example, to plant zinfandel.

In addition, there are aging and vinification requirements in many areas. Germany for example, might require that certain grapes be picked at a certain time if they are to be made into a Spatlese. In Australia, they pick whenever they want. Spain dictates how long a wine must sit in wood and in bottle before release. Argentina for example, does not.

In general, the European countries are more restrictive. They limit the choices to certain grapes in certain areas. How zinfandel would do in Piedmonte, for example, is an existential question because I doubt that it will ever be planted there.

As a result, things like the country, the region within the country, the producer, the winemaker (who may be hired by the wine producer), the vintage (year the wine was made), the varietal, and a hoste of other factors really make a difference! So far from not mattering, all of these things matter a whole lot.

Back to your choices. You don't like the "bite". I agree with the poster who suggested that you are probably referring to tannins. So go with a wine having fewer tannins. That is why I suggested a cru Beaujolais. Or a young, sometimes called "joven" Spanish wine. Or a wine from the Barossa valley in Australia. Or a wine from Mendoza in Argentina. All of them produce examples for under $20 or even under $15 that should be good choices.

If you want to try something aged, you will need to spend a little more. That will be an entirely different experience and you will need to find a store that can source these wines or buy them at auction or from private parties.

There are a few places that sell some older wines - Lopez de Heredia, for example, is a Spanish producer that is perhaps one of the most traditional in the world. They have released 1964 and 1973 vintage wines from their winery. They are NOT going to be like the others I recommended. In addition, they will be about $250 or so.

Best of luck.

Uncleskeeter....I recommend you start with some of the fruity australian wines. For example a New Zealand Monkey Bay Sauvignon Blanc, sells for about $10 here where out taxes are high, also try Black Opal Sauvignon Blanc and Chablis, an Australian wine, well under $10 and quite nice for casual drinkers.
Then perhaps a Black Swan Shiraz/Merlot...another Australian wine, cheap and very nice. Reminds me a little of an Italian table wine. And there are many others.
I think what you describe as "bite" is rough tannin and acid. Aging softens the tannin as does a breath of air. If a red seems "rough" or bitey pour it from a height into a glass and let it sit for about 10 minutes and see if that's better.
I can be as much of a wine snob as most and likely a bigger snob than many....but wine is for drinking, it doesn't always have to be a $25 deal....just something that tastes good with dinner.
Try some of the inexpensive Aussie or New Zealand wines.
Linda C

And try several of the same grape from different regions. Sauvignon blanc, for example, often has a grassy aroma, and sometimes a smell of cat pee, which some people love. Try versions from New Zealand, California, and the Loire valley in France. None will be too expensive.

Then try some red wines from different regions. A chinon from the Loire, for example, can be picked up for only $15 or so. It is made with cabernet franc and it will be very different from the same grape from California, which is also going to cost a lot more. You will see the climate difference and you might not even like that grape, which is something else you will learn.

Keep in mind too that some areas are just going to be more expensive. If you are paying less than $12 for a red, it is unlikely to show much of the terroir influence that I mentioned. Most of those grapes are purchased from growers and can be vinified in large containers into which wood planks might be put. You won't get something aged in barrels, which can cost $800 each. But you can still get good some good wine if you shop carefully - look for something that was not put into oak, that will usually be something younger and fruitier.

California has little to offer in that price range, but Spain and Argentina and Australia and south France do.

thank you for the responces. there are several new wine stores that just opened and i'm going to go out and talk with them also. i missed their friday nite wine tastings but will go and inquire about the above wines too.the latest to open is winestyles (winestyles.net)in my area of florida so that's where i'll go first on my list.later