Whether you're curious about that mysterious bottle gathering dust in your kitchen or ready to understand what all the wine fuss is about, this guide will transform you from wine-intimidated to wine-confident. Plus, we also provide some of the most recommended types of wine for beginners.
Wine Basics
What exactly is wine? Wine is made from fermented grapes. The juice is extracted from the grapes by pressing or macerating them, allowing the sugars to interact with yeast until fermentation occurs, transforming them into wine. Some wines are named after the grape variety they are made from (varietals, such as Pinot Noir), while others are named after the region they come from (like a Burgundy). Wines named after the region can be either a single varietal or a blend of grapes.
Wine grapes are different than table grapes. They are smaller, sweeter, and have lots of seeds. Most wines originate from a single species of vine that originated in the Caucasus, called Vitis vinifera. There are thousands of different varieties within the Vitis vinifera species – the most common is Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wines derive their colour from grape skins. Red wine is produced by soaking the juice with the skins (using black or red grapes), while white wines are generally made without the grape skins (using green grapes). Wine labels typically display the producer or vineyard name, the year of production, the region where the grapes were grown, and the type of grape.
Tips on How to Start Drinking Wine
Before diving into the best wines for beginners, here are some tips on how to begin drinking and enjoying wine.
Try Something New
When at a restaurant and you spot an unfamiliar wine on the menu, you might want to consider asking about it or even giving it a try. If you didn't enjoy the taste, take a moment to assess the wine, and share your thoughts with the server about what you found off-putting. This feedback will help them guide you toward a selection you'll prefer. On the other hand, if you liked this new wine, note its flavours or what made it enjoyable for you.
Take Notes
As you begin your wine journey, it can be difficult to recall where you tasted certain wines. What was that delightful white wine I enjoyed last month?
To help with this, consider creating a notes page on your phone, taking photos of the wine bottles you like. For the tech-savvy wine enthusiasts, there are even wine-tracking apps that provide wine-related information while allowing you to save your own tasting notes.
Ask Questions
When you’re at a restaurant or wine shop, don’t hesitate to ask staff about the wine’s origin, the grape varieties used, and the winemaking processes involved. The staff typically have a deep knowledge of their inventory, so go ahead and inquire – there are no silly questions. You might even hear a personal story about the winemaker or the winery’s history, which is one of the most fascinating aspects of wine to discover.
Book Wine Tastings
While visiting wine country is wonderful, exploring the Niagara region's renowned wineries becomes even more enjoyable with a professional guide. At Winery Guys Tours, a family business serving the Niagara Region for over 33 years, we offer both private and public wine tour experiences. Our knowledgeable guides will help you discover the best local wineries while teaching you about the winemaking process and the unique characteristics of Niagara's wine regions.
Whether you're looking for an intimate private tour or want to join other wine enthusiasts on a group experience, having a designated tour guide and driver allows you to fully focus on tasting and learning about the wines you'll love.
Explore Different Wines
If you appreciate a certain grape from a particular region, consider tasting it from another region as well. Factors like climate, terroir, and winemaking techniques produce distinct flavours for grapes grown in various locations. Sampling the same varietal from different regions lets you further understand how these elements affect the wine you enjoy.
Relate A Wine To Your Experience With That Bottle
Wine embodies not just the contents of the bottle, but also the atmosphere in which it’s enjoyed. Have you ever bought a wine at a winery that you loved while savouring it amidst the beautiful vineyard views, only to find that it doesn’t taste quite as good when you open it on your couch at home? Perhaps there was a wine you thought you wouldn’t like, yet it became enjoyable when shared over a delightful meal with friends.
This experience not only enhances the wine's flavour but also helps create lasting memories, making each subsequent encounter with that wine a reminder of those cherished moments. Associating a particular bottle or style with a specific experience is among the simplest ways to remember it.
What Are The Best Wines For New Wine Drinkers?
As you embark on your wine journey to uncover enjoyable varieties, here are some good wine choices for beginners.
These wines are fruit-forward, highlighting fruity notes rather than earthy ones, making them a breeze to sip. They feature mild acidity, non-drying tannins, and a body that suits a beginner’s palate.
Best White Wines For Beginners
The ideal white wines for novices are sleek or velvety in texture, offering balanced acidity and fruity notes.
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde is a crisp, light-bodied white wine from Portugal, crafted from local grape varieties such as Alvarinho, Loureiro, and Arinto. This refreshing wine boasts fruity flavours, featuring notes of peaches, green fruits, citrus, and melon. Vinho Verde may present a slight effervescence upon opening, enhancing its drinkability. Additionally, with a typically low alcohol content, Vinho Verde serves as an easy-drinking option that doesn't necessarily require food pairing.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is a dry white wine originating from Italy, making it an excellent choice for novice wine enthusiasts. This light-bodied wine features flavours of lemon, lime, and sometimes hints of stone fruits like apricots and peaches.
It's an ideal introductory wine due to its straightforward profile, predominantly fruity notes without overwhelming complexity. You can enjoy it on its own without any fuss, and it’s also budget-friendly.
Sancerre
Sancerre, a white wine crafted from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, is produced in the Loire Valley of France. Interestingly, this is the region where the cherished Sauvignon Blanc grape originated. This is often considered to be one of the most beginner-friendly expressions of Sauvignon Blanc due to its smooth taste and milder profile, lacking the intense pungency, citrus zest, or herbaceous notes found in other versions of this grape. In Sancerre, you can expect a harmonious blend of green fruit flavours, floral notes, and a hint of minerality.
Unoaked Chardonnay
Unoaked Chardonnay is a type of wine made without the use of oak barrels for fermentation and aging. Instead, it is usually fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks or neutral oak barrels, which have been used before and add little to no flavour. This method highlights the wine's natural flavours, making it crisp, refreshing, and often fruity. Unoaked Chardonnay tastes of the varietal characteristics of Chardonnay, which include green apple, lemon, and sometimes pineapple, with a long, tingly finish.
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety that originates from the Rhine River region in Germany. It produces wines with high acidity and aromas of orchard fruits like nectarine, apricot, honeycrisp apple, and pear. In addition to fruit notes, you might also detect hints of honeycomb, jasmine, or lime peel. Riesling is used to create dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling white wines. These wines are usually varietally pure and rarely undergo oak aging.
Prosecco
Prosecco, a sparkling wine from Northern Italy, is arguably the best option for beginners. It tends to be fruitier and lighter-bodied than other sparkling wines such as Champagne or Cava, offering a refreshing and easy-drinking experience. Crafted from the Glera grape, Prosecco is made using the tank method, a winemaking technique that preserves the wine's fruity flavours, including green apple, pear, and citrus. Since it undergoes no oak aging, Prosecco resembles sparkling fruit juice and offers various sweetness levels.
For those preferring a drier wine, look for 'Brut' on the label. If you prefer something sweeter, search for 'Extra Dry' or 'Dry'. Furthermore, Prosecco is often one of the most budget-friendly sparkling wines, making it an ideal choice for the beginning of your wine journey.
Best Red Wines For Beginners
The ideal red wines for novices feature low to medium detectable tannins (the drying or cotton-mouth feeling), vibrant, fruity flavours, and are enjoyable to sip on their own without food accompaniment.
Gamay
Gamay is a light to medium-bodied red wine from France. It is related to Pinot Noir but is typically fruitier and less earthy than its counterpart. When tasting a Gamay such as Beaujolais Nouveau, you’ll notice its light body and intense fruity profile, reminiscent of alcoholic cranberry juice. This is a great sweet wine for beginners. This represents the grape's most straightforward expression, while regions like Beaujolais Villages or Beaujolais Cru offer a more refined version of Gamay.
Wines made from Gamay can be easily enjoyed without food, are low in tannins, and have red fruit flavours, making them ideal for novice wine drinkers.
Merlot
Merlot is a medium to full-bodied red wine that originated in France but is now cultivated globally. I often recommend Merlot to novices since it presents a gentle flavour profile. It typically features a smooth mouthfeel, medium tannins, and notes of cherry, plum, vanilla, and chocolate. Merlot is generally easy to enjoy, particularly when produced in New World areas such as California or Washington.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted grape variety worldwide for a good reason – most people enjoy it.
This is a delightful wine with its juicy black fruit flavours, subtle vanilla notes, and smooth finish. If you’re new to wine, consider starting with Cabernet Sauvignon from New World regions like California. These versions tend to be the fruitiest, misleading your palate into perceiving sweetness. The jammy flavours often yield a rounder, more approachable wine that distracts from the tannins or drying sensations.
Moreover, Cabernet Sauvignon's acidity is generally medium, so it won’t overwhelm you with sharp or sour notes.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a robust red wine that traces its origins to Croatia. Most varieties of this grape, however, are currently produced in California or Italy, where it’s known as Primitivo.
This wine often boasts jammy qualities, featuring flavours of black and blue fruits, along with hints of chocolate or sweet cinnamon. While typically not sweet, the wine's concentrated, overripe fruitiness lends a juicy, thirst-quenching character.
With low acidity and fruity flavours often masking the tannins, Zinfandel is an accessible wine that appeals especially to newcomers.
However, it’s important to note the potentially high alcohol content of Zinfandel (sometimes exceeding 15%). So remember to drink water alongside it and to drink in moderation.
Lambrusco
Lambrusco is a sparkling red wine hailing from Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It exhibits a variety of sweetness levels, and many find it to be quite fruity. For those who prefer a drier wine, look for 'Secco' on the label. If you wish to begin with a sweeter Lambrusco, seek out 'Semisecco', which signifies higher sugar content.
If you’ve mainly enjoyed white wines until now, Lambrusco serves as a great gateway red, easing you into the more robust structure and tannins characteristic of red wines. This wine is exceptionally easy to drink and perfect for savouring a chilled glass on its own.
Your Wine Discovery Journey
Hopefully, this list of beginner wines inspires you to embark on or continue your wine education journey. As you sample these wines, you’ll notice changes in your palate over time. Keep track of which ones you enjoy or dislike, and observe how food pairings can alter your wine experience. Ultimately, how you wish to navigate your wine journey is entirely up to you! That’s the beauty of it – there’s no wrong approach to exploring the world of wine and discovering your preferences.
To help you get started on your journey, our expert wine tour guides are here to show you around some of the stunning wineries that the Niagara Region has to offer. With both private and shared options, we have a wine tour to suit every occasion.
Are you looking to learn more about the wonderful world of wine and discover your new favourite? Book a tour with our expert guides and visit some of the best wineries Niagara-on-the-Lake has to offer.