Do i not like wine or am i just not looking hard enough ?

[iccanui]

Ok so since coming across this podcast and topic i have tried 3 wines and i have not liked any of them.

1. i cant remember the name, but he had this after taste that made it unbearable. I mean there was flavor in it not bad, but then it would hit me with something that almost made me want to gag. I literally said F it, im not wasting it and held my nose to stem the taste as i drank it.

2. Beringer White Zinfandel 2006. Yea i didnt spend a lot. I would have but i decided to take some advice and i just asked the guy what wines he likes and i was pointed to this. I was worried that it was like a 11 dollar bottle of wine, but i said F it and went for it. Well i didnt like it at all. It was not as bad as the first, but it still didnt taste " good ". I mean when i drink a good beer, i LIKE the taste. If its a hot day or even a hard day and i sit down and drink a Heiny, its can be sooo good. But so far i have to force these down. Though as i said, this one was not the worst.

3. Clos Du Bois Merlot 2004. This again had that after taste that just grabbed me and body slammed me. At its coldest it was barely tolerable, but the second it wasnt straight from the freezer it was so bad i just stopped drinking it. Even ice cold it was pretty horrible. Like the first of the wines was not bad but then BAM horror on my taste buds.

So im wondering, did i just have a bad run? Did i meet the dreaded Oak Monster on the frist and second ? They both had that after kick that was just horrible. Both kinda had that experience of like ... Hmm this isnt to bad its kinda like.... OMG WTF IS THAT ITS HORRIBLE.

lol

So should i just stick to beer or am i just getting the short end of the stick trying these 9-16 dollar bottles of wine that the guys at the store recommend. I have no problem dropping 30-40 bucks on a bottle of wine, but if its all kind of the same, then maybe wine isnt for me.


Thnx for any input !

[esophagus]

You should see if there are any tastings going on anywhere around you. Trying that range of stuff is a good way to find out if it's for you or not.

[radzack]

Try drinking your merlot and other darker wines at room temperature.

If possible, allow them to decant for as long as you'll leave them out...maybe set them out at breakfast and enjoy after dinner?

Whites are great chilled.

-Zack

[tokenuser]

Sorry Zack - room temp for reds is a myth. The correct temperature is cellar temperature (or cave temperature) which is more like 16-18C (65F). And red wine should be placed in the fridge for 30min before serving to bring to to cellar temp.

iccanui - that after taste you are getting is called tannine. Yeah it can be nasty, but it can also really enhance a red wine as well.

I am not a Zinfandel fan - red or white. They are described as "peppery", but to me they just taste like ass.

If you want to start out drinking wine, I'd suggest something white - a chardonnay is a fairly safe bet. Fetzler make a couple of great white wines at a reasonable price point. Serve them chilled. A chardonnay is considered a "dry" wine - in that it doesn't contain much sweetness (it might still smell sweet though). If you want something sweeter, then try a traminer or a reisling.

I only like sweet dessert wines - and reach for a Tokay or a Muscat (or a fortified Port). You don't pour a full glass of any of these ... they are "shot glass" sized serves.

Wine is a great drink, so dont let a bad experience turn you off. Find a place that does tastings, or better yet, do a cellar door wine tour.

Who knows - maybe you'll get to the point where you really love the taste of a Shiraz (Syrah) or CabSav, and the pucker on the lips the tannins leave. I know I do ... especially if I have a bold cheddar cheese, or a nice prime rib to go with it.

[iccanui]

so all wines have that tannine thing ? I just want something that tastes yummy.

[esophagus]

As far as I know, Tannin isn't in white wines. I've never found it to be a problem in red wines, though.

[tokenuser]

so all wines have that tannine thing ? I just want something that tastes yummy.Tannins are a red wine thing. In fact, they are also present in tea

You need to start with something lighter. Jumping straight into red wines - especially something heavier like a Merlot is a bad idea.

As said, I am not a fan of sweet wines (unless they are dessert wines), so can't really recommend any of them, but suggest you look for a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio if its Italian origin) - they are about as sweet as I go in regular wines.

Then I'd try an oaked or unoaked Chardonnay. Difference is how the wine is fermented. Oaked chardonnay spends its time fermenting in an oak barrel, which makes the wine more caramel in colour, and gives it slightly more syrupy feel on the tongue, with hints of vanilla. Unoaked is lighter, crisper, and gets a more "fresh cut hay" scent to it (dont laugh - it doesn't taste like hay, but the smell is important, because it make the wine taste more "flowery"). I'll drink either, but prefer oaked.

I am not a wine snob when it comes to food pairing, but these go well with salads, pastas, chicken, fish, pork. The sweeter Pinots go well with spicy foods too - chinese, mexican, thai - with the spicy food making the wine sweeter than it normally is.

[radzack]

I like mine at room :/

My room temp stays around 69.

decant!