When someone comes into our shop and asks me this question, I get very excited! Kudos to that person for trying something new, and for stopping by The Wine Merchant for direction on where to begin!
My first question is always, “Have you ever had red wine?”, followed usually by “what didn’t you like about it?”
9 times out of 10, the person was turned off because of the dryness, which comes from the tannins in the wine. It’s that feeling of someone taking a squeegee and pulling it over your tongue, leaving you longing for a glass of water:(
So, if in fact that is your issue with red wine, then how to you begin your journey into the world of red wine? My recommendation is almost always t0 begin with domestic red blends or Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
Most of the $8-$15 domestic red blends tend to have riper fruit flavors with a slightly higher content of sugar (higher degree of brix or °Bx). The result, a fruit forward, soft, and more approachable wine. Less tannin (the dryness that comes from the skins of the grapes), means less dry. I usually refer to these wines as great crowd pleasers or party wines. They are wines that are less offensive to the masses.
The other recommendation that I suggest is to choose a Washington state Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Due to the climate and soil in Washington, many of the wines take on that beautiful silky soft texture and loads of wonderful dark fruit. The result, very approachable wine with plenty of structure to hold up to most food combos.
The next time you hear someone claim that they hate red wine or just can’t get into it, keep in mind that maybe they just haven’t been introduced to that segment properly. Instead of chastising them, your first question should instead be, “what was it that you didn’t like about the red wine that you had?” Followed by a comment such as, “…you should stop by The Wine Merchant in Oakley and have them help you pick out a red wine that you just might fall in love with!”
- Logan Wallace
