Benjamin - Wine Hacks: Understanding The World of Wine In 25 Bottles

Wine Hacks: Understanding The World of Wine In 25 Bottles

Wade Benjamin

Copyright Wade Benjamin 2015

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Table of Contents

White Wines:

Red Wines:

Sparkling Wines:

Fortified/Sweet:

The world of wine can be a confusing place: languages we don't speak, terms we aren't familiar with, grapes we've never heard of (if they're even listed at all) and a completely new way of describing it.

All of these things come together and make wine, for lots of people, a very scary and intimidating thing - it certainly was for me.

Almost ten years ago when I started in the business, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew next to nothing about wine, and needed to throw myself into it as quickly and deeply as possible. It was my job, and I needed to know what I was talking about. So, I asked questions - lots of questions. I harassed my co workers, day in and day out for years. I picked up every bottle of wine around me and read it. Front label, back label. Sometimes the side label, whatever was written on it.

I looked up maps, charts, read magazines, books, watched videos, and tried as much as I could. I eventually started taking formal classes on wine, and am now considered somewhat of an expert on wine. Who cares, I know - but I'm not here to sell you on what I know or impress you with credentials (that's at the back of the book).

Lots of people out there know lots about wine. You're here because you like wine, are curious about learning more, but are fed up with the mumbo jumbo, flowery language, and pretentiousness of other "wine people".

Lucky for you, you won't be getting any of that here. In this book, you will learn the nuts and bolts of wine, the major regions, countries, grapes, and styles that have come to shape the wine world into what it is today.

You won't find any confusing terms or weird descriptions, just the essentials. Where are you going to learn the essentials, in a 500 page wine manual? No. You are going to learn it here, in this easy and straightforward guide - wine hacks for the new wine drinker.

But, there's something here for everyone: with every wine, I'm going to break down where it comes from, what grapes are used, what it tastes like, and what food goes great with that wine, all in the 4 major wine styles: white, red, sparkling, and fortified/sweet wine.

So, kick back and pour yourself a big glass of grape juice (it's like stretching for your brain) as we dive into the big world of wine. No complications, no mystery - just wine and real talk.

Loire Valley, France

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol: Medium

Sugar: Dry

Acidity: High

Body: Light

Tannin: N/A

Smell/Taste: Fresh Grass - Grapefruit - Smoke

Sauvignon Blanc, and the Sancerre appellation in particular, are great introductions for people new to wines. This particular wine, Sancerre, comes from central France in an area called the Loire Valley.

Although Sauvignon Blanc is originally from Bordeaux, making up a big portion of both dry and sweet blends, it is the Loire Valley's single varietal versions of Sauvignon Blanc that are important here. Unlike in Bordeaux, the Loire Valley and it's two famous appellations (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fum) produces wine from strictly Sauvignon Blanc, and never sees oak ageing.

Much further north than Bordeaux, these neighbouring appellations in the Loire have a much cooler climate, keeping acidity in check, along with extremely different soils. These special soils give the wines a unique smoky mineral flavour that is characteristic to the area.

With this smoky minerality, high acid, and herbaceousness, the Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire Valley are very different to anything else in the world. Some common flavours and aromas you'll find in Sancerre are fresh grass, white grapefruit, passion fruit, smoke, and herbs.

Worlds away from the heavily oaked or overripe wines, they are light, crisp and refreshing, perfect for sipping on while cooking, or with more serious dinner fare. A classic pairing would be with local goat cheese on some crackers, but these are very versatile wines - they are very popular in seafood restaurants, pairing very well with white fishes, shellfish, and white meats with herbs.

Because of its strong herbaceous and "grassy" character, Sancerre does very well with similar flavours in foods it is paired with. Mint, bell pepper, tarragon, and other fresh "green" flavours do very well with Sancerre and other Sauvignon Blancs.

Burgundy, France

Grapes: Chardonnay

Alcohol: Medium

Sugar: Dry

Acidity: High

Body: Light

Tannin: N/A

Smell/Taste: Lemon - Green Apple - Pear

Like so many other international grape varieties, Chardonnay comes from France, specifically the Burgundy region in central France. While a handful of other regions have extensive plantings of it (Champagne, Jura, Languedoc) it is Burgundy that is the true home of the grape, where it shows its best expressions.

Sometimes, people will describe Chardonnays from other parts of the world as very "Burgundy" like. The thing is, Burgundy is a big wine region, so there are several different styles. The most common and popular style, light and crisp, is made in Chablis.

In the far north of Burgundy, very close to Champagne, Chablis makes a very distinctive Chardonnay. Because of the specific kind of soil here, which is also found in Sancerre and Champagne, Chardonnay from Chablis will be very lean, acidic, and light. If you are used to drinking heavy and oaked Chardonnays, you are in for a surprise - these wines go nowhere near oak barrels.

Chablis, much like Sancerre, are known and appreciated for their trademark smoky minerality. To give you an idea, imagine taking two big rocks and hitting them together - that's what it should smell like. Also, the Chardonnay flavours of green apple, pear, and lemon zest shine through. These pure and clean flavours are what Chablis is known for.

Because of these crisp flavours, high acid and lighter body, Chablis is best paired with oysters on the half shell, sole Meunire, steamed mussels, and other light white fish. It is also simple and refreshing enough to sip on its own, whether on a hot day on a patio, or in the kitchen while cooking dinner.

Alto Adige, Italy

Grapes: Pinot Grigio

Alcohol: Medium

Sugar: Dry

Acidity: High

Body: Light

Tannin: N/A

Smell/Taste: Peach - Lemon - White Flowers

In the early 1990's, there was not much more than a small patch of land planted to Pinot Grigio grapes in Italy. Several years later, it was the most planted variety. Maybe it was due to the ABC rebellion - anything but Chardonnay - where people wanted nothing to do with heavy, oaky wines, and light and fresh was king. In steps the Italian Pinot Grigio - crisp, clean, and easy to drink.

This particular Pinot Grigio comes from the Alto Adige region in the far north east of Italy. Bordering Austria, the vines are planted in the hills of the Dolomite Mountains. With a high altitude, cool climate, and just the right exposure to the sun, these wines are picked slightly less ripe than other Pinot Grigio.

Because there is less sugar ripeness, the wines are light, low in alcohol, and rely more on fresh fruit flavours creating a light and aromatic wine. This is the signature Italian style Pinot Grigio: because in Italy the wine and food go hand in hand, they prefer to make lighter styles of white wine to make it better suited to the dinner table, and specifically the wide range of seafood seen along the coast.