People who are budding wine enthusiasts often find themselves in a bit of a quandary. They are learning about wine, and friends of family suddenly treat them as “wine connoisseurs.” Novices are being asked to make wine choices at restaurants, to bring wine to a dinner party, to recommend something.
Now, I’ve never been offended when someone thinks I know more about a subject than I really do. Still, it is uncomfortable to be asked to make a recommendation and not be absolutely certain. So, with this in mind, I offer you the three most important wines to know: Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese. This information comes from Michael Jordan, general manager at Disney’s Napa Rose restaurant and a soon-to-be Master Sommelier (if he hasn’t achieved that title already!). When it comes to wine, Michael is a guru, so when he gives advice, I listen.
When I interviewed Michael a couple of years ago, he stated that if people can remember Riesling, Pinot Noir and Sangiovese, they would have everything covered. One white, two reds–nice, simple, basic, yet incredibly spot-on. These three wines are perfect for matching up with food or enjoying on their own. Nothing complicated, just solid wines that will not fail you.
What makes these wines so perfect? First, each of them can stand on their own–they don’t “require” food to be enjoyable. Second, each of them pairs up well with a wide range of foods. Let’s look at these in a little more detail.
Riesling is a terrific white wine that almost everyone enjoys. It can be bone-dry (meaning it has no residual sugar in it) to slightly sweet to very sweet. We won’t get into all of the types of Riesling here, but if you pick an American Riesling or a German kabinett style (think “wine cabinet” to help you remember), you’re set. They are slightly sweet, but few people think it’s too sweet. It is crisp, bright, light on the palate and has great acidity. This wine matches up perfectly with all sorts of fare: Asian food, shellfish, salads, chicken with light sauces (or no sauces), even Mexican food. The acidity offsets the spiciness in some ethnic foods.
Pinot Noir is a lighter red wine originally from Burgundy in France. While a red Burgundy will set you back quite a bit, there are great Pinot Noirs to be had from the U.S. and New Zealand. The wine is dry–but not in the sense that it dries your mouth out. (That’s a topic for another post.) It’s soft, approachable, and like liquid velvet. You can pair Pinot Noir up with burgers, steaks, pizza, pasta with red sauce, salmon, tuna, and more.
Sangiovese is not as well known by its grape name, but if you’ve ever seen Chianti, you’ve encountered Sangiovese. This wine is the “big brother” of Pinot Noir in the sense that it’s more powerful and can be paired up with “bigger” foods: game, steaks, lamb, and so on. It also works well with most Italian dishes: spaghetti, lasagna, and more.
We’ll cover each of these wines in more detail soon. But for now, just remember Riesling, Pinot Noir and Sangiovese. You’ll be glad you did!
Technorati Tags: wine, important wine, riesling, pinot noir, sangiovese, chianti
