Which three wines ($/$$/$$$) for a blind tasting?
August 13, 2020 12:35 PM Subscribe
My girlfriend has been an avid hobbyist beer drinker for her entire adult life. Beer makes her sick, now, though, and we’ve been talking about getting into wine. Her birthday is at the end of the month, and I’d like to do a fun blind tasting of three red wines at different price points. Recommendations?
Years ago I did something like this with my advisor to celebrate the end of a project —she brought three wines of the same variety but at different price points, $15, $50, and $150. I remember thinking the $50 dollar wine was the nicest, but didn’t know which was which when drinking, to give you an idea of how this worked. I sent her a message to ask her for her input as a lifelong wine person, but thought I’d ask here, too.
I don’t know which varietal would be most fun, or which wines to pick, etc. Let’s say my budget is under $250.
Years ago I did something like this with my advisor to celebrate the end of a project —she brought three wines of the same variety but at different price points, $15, $50, and $150. I remember thinking the $50 dollar wine was the nicest, but didn’t know which was which when drinking, to give you an idea of how this worked. I sent her a message to ask her for her input as a lifelong wine person, but thought I’d ask here, too.
I don’t know which varietal would be most fun, or which wines to pick, etc. Let’s say my budget is under $250.
Response by poster: Her main interest in beer was pine-y double IPAs! Though she did like the occasional porter...
posted by baptismal at 12:49 PM on August 13, 2020
posted by baptismal at 12:49 PM on August 13, 2020
You should also throw in two buck chuck for the real bargain basement option.
posted by rockindata at 1:03 PM on August 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by rockindata at 1:03 PM on August 13, 2020 [2 favorites]
Not at all my wheelhouse, but maybe someone can give you suggestions on Retsina.
posted by bfranklin at 1:04 PM on August 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by bfranklin at 1:04 PM on August 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'd go to a local wine store where the people working there are good at recommending wines dependent upon price point and taste preferences.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:17 PM on August 13, 2020 [12 favorites]
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:17 PM on August 13, 2020 [12 favorites]
Winking Owl reds aren’t bad for a dirt cheap wine. They’re definitely far more drinkable than 2-Buck-Chuck. We get them at Aldi.
While you’re at Aldi, pick up a bottle of their Mendoza Argentina Malbec. Good stuff.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:52 PM on August 13, 2020
While you’re at Aldi, pick up a bottle of their Mendoza Argentina Malbec. Good stuff.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:52 PM on August 13, 2020
One thing to keep in mind about wines is that many are judged by how they taste with certain foods. If you've ever been to a fancy dinner party you probably were served a different wine with each course, because different wines pair best with particular foods. So -- you might think of doing your tasting with a meal and choose three wines that go best with meat or fish or pizza or whatever you fancy.
posted by pjsky at 2:32 PM on August 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by pjsky at 2:32 PM on August 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Definitely plan to visit your good local wine shop and ask them for advice. There are a bunch of ways to approach how you're going to achieve a) the most fun b) the most retainable knowledge c) the most value.
This site produces splendid wine maps and wine tasting notebooks. Very useful tools to record impressions when tasting, so you remember later. This is the hardest thing for people just starting out tasting, as by the second glass....
Personally I avoid tasting 'based on price' method. There are so many factors as to why a wine is priced at $ 30 versus $ 100; I'd much rather learn which wines I like and why. Stick with wines around $20-30 for the best representation of value within a varietal or region, and you can create more of a wine tasting program. This is where your passionate wine shop will really help out.
For $ 250 US, it's easy to compose 3 different wine tasting journeys, a red with 3 wines, a white with 3 wines, and 3 classic 'dessert' wines like port, sherry, and sauternes or tokay. Or a nice bottle of actual bubbly, after your first two classes, to celebrate newfound knowledge.
I think it interesting to showcase the variety within a category, such as the difference between lightweight fruity reds from France or Italy versus the heavier reds from those same countries. So I'd start with a classic beaujolais or dolcetto, move on to burgundy or barbera, and finish up with a bordeaux or cote du rhone and a nebbiolo.
Since you mentioned she liked pine-y IPAs, perhaps think about trying some white wines. There will be more similar floral, tropical, herbal, and acids in white wines, similar to beer, than in reds. Start with a NZ Sauvignon blanc, move on to an unoaked chardonnay from Cali, finish with a Vouvray or Riesling.
If you are really attached to tasting $, $$, and $$$, then absolutely stick with the same grape, same region, same general wine making method, for all 3 wines. AT least this way you will be comparing similar products, and hopefully be able to get some idea of what goes into the $$$ bottle that makes it that price.
Also plan to get one of these wine vacuum pump & stoppers, for preserving your nice bottle for a couple more days. It's a good exercise to see how a wine changes once it's been opened for a while, and removes the urgency to 'finish it off before it goes bad'.
And here's a fun little film about wine tasting by none other than John Cleese, Wine For The Confused.
posted by winesong at 3:21 PM on August 13, 2020 [6 favorites]
This site produces splendid wine maps and wine tasting notebooks. Very useful tools to record impressions when tasting, so you remember later. This is the hardest thing for people just starting out tasting, as by the second glass....
Personally I avoid tasting 'based on price' method. There are so many factors as to why a wine is priced at $ 30 versus $ 100; I'd much rather learn which wines I like and why. Stick with wines around $20-30 for the best representation of value within a varietal or region, and you can create more of a wine tasting program. This is where your passionate wine shop will really help out.
For $ 250 US, it's easy to compose 3 different wine tasting journeys, a red with 3 wines, a white with 3 wines, and 3 classic 'dessert' wines like port, sherry, and sauternes or tokay. Or a nice bottle of actual bubbly, after your first two classes, to celebrate newfound knowledge.
I think it interesting to showcase the variety within a category, such as the difference between lightweight fruity reds from France or Italy versus the heavier reds from those same countries. So I'd start with a classic beaujolais or dolcetto, move on to burgundy or barbera, and finish up with a bordeaux or cote du rhone and a nebbiolo.
Since you mentioned she liked pine-y IPAs, perhaps think about trying some white wines. There will be more similar floral, tropical, herbal, and acids in white wines, similar to beer, than in reds. Start with a NZ Sauvignon blanc, move on to an unoaked chardonnay from Cali, finish with a Vouvray or Riesling.
If you are really attached to tasting $, $$, and $$$, then absolutely stick with the same grape, same region, same general wine making method, for all 3 wines. AT least this way you will be comparing similar products, and hopefully be able to get some idea of what goes into the $$$ bottle that makes it that price.
Also plan to get one of these wine vacuum pump & stoppers, for preserving your nice bottle for a couple more days. It's a good exercise to see how a wine changes once it's been opened for a while, and removes the urgency to 'finish it off before it goes bad'.
And here's a fun little film about wine tasting by none other than John Cleese, Wine For The Confused.
posted by winesong at 3:21 PM on August 13, 2020 [6 favorites]
Something to keep in mind is that it doesn't have to be a strict varietal - blends are coming back big time and something that says "red wine" on the label no longer means it's bad. A $15 rioja or something would be a perfectly acceptable alternative if you can't find a cab or whatever that seems just right. (I'm not a wine person exactly, just have seen this a lot recently.)
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:30 PM on August 13, 2020
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 3:30 PM on August 13, 2020
There's a Calvin Trillin article where he says that experts had trouble telling red wine from white in masked wine glasses, and it would be fun to try.
I have had pretty good results trusting the wine guy at Trader Joe's, but your budget will take you to a wine store. Ask around; one of the best local wine stores where I live is pretty unassuming, but has a really good buyer. Don't get 2 buck chuck, but TJs will have something fun and cheap.
3 Red wines - California Pinot Noir or Zinfandel, French Burgundy or a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian Chianti.
3 White - French white burgundy, German Riesling, and a California Chardonnay
Have some stoppers on hand for leftover wine. You're not supposed to swallow, you probably will anyway. Have sparkling water to refresh your palate. For the 1st round, no food, then try different cheese pairings and bread. When I could eat cheese, some cheese & wine pairings were unusually good, but I'd always forget. Take notes, have fun.
posted by theora55 at 3:44 PM on August 13, 2020
I have had pretty good results trusting the wine guy at Trader Joe's, but your budget will take you to a wine store. Ask around; one of the best local wine stores where I live is pretty unassuming, but has a really good buyer. Don't get 2 buck chuck, but TJs will have something fun and cheap.
3 Red wines - California Pinot Noir or Zinfandel, French Burgundy or a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian Chianti.
3 White - French white burgundy, German Riesling, and a California Chardonnay
Have some stoppers on hand for leftover wine. You're not supposed to swallow, you probably will anyway. Have sparkling water to refresh your palate. For the 1st round, no food, then try different cheese pairings and bread. When I could eat cheese, some cheese & wine pairings were unusually good, but I'd always forget. Take notes, have fun.
posted by theora55 at 3:44 PM on August 13, 2020
Ooh, what a fun idea! I, too, would suggest throwing in the 2 Buck Chuck, because it barely costs anything and the varietal character is actually pretty consistent these days for the dry reds. Definitely also try for the same region-ish, because it will be much more illustrative to compare. I would go for Napa Valley Merlot, since with your budget you can really afford top of the line for that variety. Low would be something like Franciscan Estate, it's around $20 in California. Hard to find Napa at that price, but I would stick to California. There is obviously a ton of crappy merlot around. Midrange you have a lot of choices, many producers make one in the $40-60 range. Groth, Duckhorn, Rombauer, Peju, Chappellet, Twomey, Plumpjack, or Pride. Then for high, a single-vineyard Duckhorn, they specialize in merlot. I feel like merlot and pinot noir may be the varieties where you really get what you pay for. Cheap chardonnay and cabernet taste, stylistically, like less good versions of their expensive cousins. They don't have the polish and French oak, but there's a lot of commonality. High-end merlot tastes nothing like the cheap stuff. So pinot noir would also be a good choice. French sparkling wine would be a good choice as well, though perhaps confounding. The style in Champagne has tended toward the austere in recent years, so you might find cheaper cremant from Burgundy or the Loire more palatable than more expensive Champagne.
posted by wnissen at 4:02 PM on August 13, 2020
posted by wnissen at 4:02 PM on August 13, 2020
Oh, and one more thing. Most peoples palates (mine included) fatigue ridiculously quickly. Have some mild crackers or something to nosh on between wines to get the most contrast.
posted by wnissen at 4:05 PM on August 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by wnissen at 4:05 PM on August 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
You’ve probably already thought of this, but make sure she can tolerate wine before this occasion.
Here’s a cute chart that recommends particular types of wine for each type of beer.
posted by Kalatraz at 11:22 PM on August 13, 2020
Here’s a cute chart that recommends particular types of wine for each type of beer.
posted by Kalatraz at 11:22 PM on August 13, 2020
I don't know where you are, but my recommendation would be to find a local wine store (here in the A I recommend Vinoteca all the time) and the nice people there will help you find a few bottles. Just literally tell them what' you've told us, that she liked piney IPAs, and that you want 3 bottles, and your budget is $250 or less for all three. They will make it happen!
Sidenote this sounds lovely and very thoughtful! I hope you guys have fun.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:59 AM on August 14, 2020
Sidenote this sounds lovely and very thoughtful! I hope you guys have fun.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:59 AM on August 14, 2020
Definitely use the advice of the staff at a good local wine shop. If you can find someone with actual wine knowledge they will absolutely love helping you construct this tasting.
I also agree that if the key differentiator is price then you want to keep all the other variables consistent. You will want the same vintage year, the same grape varietal and the same region i.e. in ideal world you'd find 3 different 2016 Oregon Pinot Noir bottles at different price points. (Note: Oregon has many sub-regions called AVAs but you are unlikely to find cheap Oregon wine with an AVA designation so the holy grail of comparing 3 same vintage, same varietal, same AVA at 3 different price points is unlikely).
posted by mmascolino at 8:01 AM on August 14, 2020
I also agree that if the key differentiator is price then you want to keep all the other variables consistent. You will want the same vintage year, the same grape varietal and the same region i.e. in ideal world you'd find 3 different 2016 Oregon Pinot Noir bottles at different price points. (Note: Oregon has many sub-regions called AVAs but you are unlikely to find cheap Oregon wine with an AVA designation so the holy grail of comparing 3 same vintage, same varietal, same AVA at 3 different price points is unlikely).
posted by mmascolino at 8:01 AM on August 14, 2020
My immediate thought is sparkling wine, but I am a person who also now can't drink beer and I'm not 100% certain I could actually make my way through a tasting of three bottles of sparkling wine without the same effects as if I'd been drinking beer. For me: one beer will result in some terrible cramps and maybe vomiting, and two beers will definitely result in vomiting. My wife and I have been celebrating Sparkling Sundays since the pandemic lockdown started. We can split a bottle of sparkling wine without me suffering for it, but on the Sundays when we've been enjoying ourselves enough to open a second bottle I've admittedly ended up feeling a bit like I'd had too much (but not actually gotten sick).
So anyway, if sparkling wine works for her, and thus you: get a bottle of Gruet Brut (should be under $15), a bottle of non-vintage ("NV") Champagne from a house like Billecart-Salmon, Charles Heidsieck, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, or Taittinger (expect to pay $45-70; see this shopping list from the NYT's Eric Asimov if you have access), and then pick up a vintage Champagne from perhaps one of the same producers that'll run around $150.
If sparkling wine doesn't work for the same reason beer doesn't work, though, I would take this question to a wine expert at a specialist store in your area. In the Before Times I'd have said just to go to a wine bar and let the sommelier guide you, since you can order by the glass and they can build a tasting course based on your palate and feedback. Now with indoor seating problematic at best and some bars struggling to stay afloat, a good wine specialist store may be your best bet.
posted by fedward at 8:04 AM on August 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
So anyway, if sparkling wine works for her, and thus you: get a bottle of Gruet Brut (should be under $15), a bottle of non-vintage ("NV") Champagne from a house like Billecart-Salmon, Charles Heidsieck, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, or Taittinger (expect to pay $45-70; see this shopping list from the NYT's Eric Asimov if you have access), and then pick up a vintage Champagne from perhaps one of the same producers that'll run around $150.
If sparkling wine doesn't work for the same reason beer doesn't work, though, I would take this question to a wine expert at a specialist store in your area. In the Before Times I'd have said just to go to a wine bar and let the sommelier guide you, since you can order by the glass and they can build a tasting course based on your palate and feedback. Now with indoor seating problematic at best and some bars struggling to stay afloat, a good wine specialist store may be your best bet.
posted by fedward at 8:04 AM on August 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you really want to taste the wine as it is, you might avoid pairing with cheese, which is a tactic sometimes used by resellers to mask the taste of lower-quality product.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:40 AM on August 14, 2020
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 10:40 AM on August 14, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bfranklin at 12:41 PM on August 13, 2020