What wines are the most delicious. A matter of taste: how to choose a good and inexpensive wine? Where is the wine produced

"I'm semi-sweet"

The tradition of buying semi-sweet wines appeared in Soviet times. It was possible to drink only what was produced in our country, and our wines were not of good quality. It was completely impossible to drink dry wines, and semi-sweet ones - still somehow, because sugar drowned out the shortcomings of the wine. Now nothing has changed in the category of semi-sweet wines - sweetness still covers the flaws in production. And although there is now access to excellent dry wines, people out of habit continue to buy semi-sweet ones. In France, in all dessert wines, the sweetness is natural - sugar is, of course, not added there. Everything happens natural way: the berry is “drying” on vine under influence noble mold, resulting in a lot of sugars accumulating in it. I recommend these wines for ardent opponents of dry wines. The only negative is that you have to spend money.

“Good wine is expensive”

Cheap wine doesn't have to be bad. There are wonderful, open and light wines for 400 rubles. They bring a lot of pleasure - the main thing is not to expect anything supernatural from them. Most major manufacturers have their own budget lines that you can trust. They do not dump waste there, it's just such a tactic of working with the market. My advice: when choosing a wine worth up to 500 rubles, it is better not to buy French and Italian ones, but to pay attention to the wines of the New World - Chile, Argentina, South Africa, because there the probability of finding good wine at reasonable prices is higher.

"Screw plugs are a sign of a fake"

Many, when they see a screw cap, are frightened and think that the wine is bottled in neighboring Mytishchi. This is absolutely not true. Now such a cork is becoming increasingly popular not only in the countries of the New World, but also in the traditional wine-growing regions of France and Italy. All of the expensive Australian and New Zealand wines you see are likely to come with screw caps. This happens because natural cork stoppers prone to diseases that they pass blame. In fact, apart from aesthetic value, they do not carry anything important in themselves. Different alternatives have been invented for them - plastic, glass, screw caps. Last option- the most budgetary in production, therefore the wine will cost less, and its quality will be no worse.

"Single variety is better"

Quality wine is, first of all, harmonious and balanced wine. It should not be too sweet, acidic, tannic or alcoholic. Each grape variety has its own characteristics and sometimes lacks certain qualities - dense structure or softness. To balance it, for example, soften the acidity or add aromatics, wine of a different variety is added to it. Each of the components of the blend complements the other, and the result is a harmonious product. Majority perfect combinations have long been known. There are regions, like Bordeaux, where almost no single-varietal wines are produced, only blends, and these are high-quality wines that cost tens of thousands of rubles.

"Wine gets better with age"

It is a mistake to believe that any wine only gets better with age. There are wines that are worth drinking as soon as possible, and there are those that can be stored for many years. If you buy an ordinary wine for every day, it is better to choose the latest harvest - the wine will be more open. The beauty of young wine is in its freshness, juiciness and brightness. After three years, it will lose these properties and it will be unpleasant to drink it. There are other wines, they become softer, more supple, more elegant with age. When choosing them, it is best to contact a professional. If there is no adviser nearby, you can refer to the table of millesims. She will tell you in which year in which region there was a successful harvest and when this wine should be opened.

"Pink is for girls"

Now all over the world, and especially in the USA, there is a real “boom” for rosé wines. All expensive restaurants have more than one position in their wine lists rose wines. They are drunk by young girls, and adult ladies, and even serious men.

But in our country, rosé wine is still for some reason considered frivolous and uninteresting. Someone even believes that it is obtained by mixing red and white. In fact, there are two technologies for the production of rosé wines: "bleeding", in which the grapes release juice under the weight of their own weight, and a short infusion on the pulp, resulting in such a light pink shade. You need to know one thing about these wines - they need to be drunk “here and now”. After all, most rosé wines are light and delicate, and they should not be stored for a long time.

"White - for fish, red - for meat"

The most common myth is that white wine only goes with fish and red wine only with meat. This is a mistake that incredibly limits a person in sensations. There is white wine that goes great with chicken, turkey, and even pork. In general, one of the most important details in the study of wine is how it complements gastronomy. One without the other is simply unthinkable. Any uncomplicated wine can flourish if you choose the right food for it. The main thing is not to be afraid of experiments. The pleasure of wine depends on the time, the situation, the surrounding conditions. For example, I will not drink dense, heavy red wine, sitting on the veranda on a summer day and eating it with fruit. But for meat, on a winter evening by the fireplace, it will be just right.

"Funny labels are not serious"

Another common prejudice is that wine with funny labels is bound to be of poor quality. Meanwhile, many manufacturers are now moving in this direction - they make bright labels, with humor, with images of cats, chickens and frogs. This is especially true for New World wines. Do not be afraid of them - most likely, it will be easy, fresh wine. And even vice versa: if you see loud names and images of castles on budget French wines, take it as a cheap “lure” and don’t expect anything good from the wine.

"Sediment means colored"

A small sediment in the wine is not a reason to panic. The reason for this may be the natural precipitation of tannins and coloring substances during the aging process of the wine or the limitation of the use of chemicals by the winemaker. In any case, it's luck - you drink aged or biological wine that has not gone through the filtration process, which means that it has not lost some of the substances that make up the taste of the wine. The main thing is not to forget to pour the wine from the bottle into the decanter to get rid of the sediment.

The question of whether good wine can be cheap is not new. There are already hundreds of materials on this topic, but in order not to re-read them all, we decided to dot the i's in one. Below brand chef sommelier restaurant holding Maison Dellos Sergey Aksenovskiy and wine expert Anton Obrezchikov talks about the price below which wine should definitely not be bought, what to look for when choosing inexpensive wine, how to drink it correctly, and other nuances.

sergey aksenovsky

brand-chef-sommelier of the restaurant holding Maison Dellos (restaurants "Cafe Pushkin", "Orange 3"

and others)

The price is a kind of starting point for those who find it difficult to navigate. I pay more attention to the region and country of origin.

I would divide the topic of good inexpensive wine into several parts: what to choose, how to choose and how to drink. The latter plays an important role. Unfortunately, few people pay attention to the process of drinking wine outside the restaurant. At home, we usually don’t always follow the rules, don’t bother about the right temperature and correct glasses. But everything is in order.

What and how to choose

For good expensive wine, I would advise you to go to specialized stores, wineries, but in the case of inexpensive wine, on the contrary, I advise you to go to supermarkets, due to their volumes they can provide a favorable price. You can, of course, come across good prices and in a boutique, but this is rather an exception. In the West, by the way, supermarket chains have long been puzzled by the issue of educating customers through own wines guides. For example, the British Tesco has been releasing a guide in the form of a booklet for ten years. It has its own ratings, its own identification marks, which are designed to help the buyer with the choice of wine. If you want to buy inexpensive but good wine, you need to go to serious chain supermarkets, such as, for example, Auchan, Perekrestok, and so on.

Inexpensive wine for everyone. For someone, 300 rubles is the limit, for someone -400, 700 and so on. But, frankly, it is very difficult to find more or less normal wine on the store counter for less than 600-700 rubles. In fact, now this figure tends to a thousand rubles. You, as a private client, can order wine from an importing company. So it will cost you much cheaper than in a store and even more so in a restaurant. For this, wine trading companies have departments of private / corporate clients. Once in the database of such customers of the company, you can count on quite reasonable prices and delivery of wine. Every company has different conditions. But if we consider supermarkets, I repeat, 600–700 rubles, in my opinion, this is currently the lowest price indicator, below which you can only take if you are sure that you are taking.

Wines of the Old World are usually more expensive. This is not news either. Therefore, we are oriented on New World

It is clear that Old World wines are usually more expensive, this is not news. Therefore, we focus on the New World - Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. We do not pay attention to the screw cork: like us, this is not an indicator of the quality of wine (also the cork can be rubber, polyurethane, composite, and so on, this is in this case simply reduces the cost of packaging). Inexpensive wines are young wines that need to be drunk right now, and over 80% of these wines are made with screw caps. If you meet on the shelf inexpensive wine with some dilapidated year - even the year before last - this most likely indicates what the wine from the old purchase is like (which, again, may allow the store to make a lower price for it). But it could be stored incorrectly. Stores do not always have the right storage conditions (temperature, humidity, lack of bright light and odors in warehouses, good ventilation). Wine of a democratic format, as a rule, is very popular and sells out quickly. Therefore, we pay attention to the year - the younger, the better for an inexpensive wine.

We also look towards white wines. As experience shows, it is white wine that is easier to find on reasonable price. Inexpensive semi-dry white wine is easier to find than a normal semi-dry red. In addition, we give preference to single-varietal wines, that is, wines from one grape variety. As a rule, the name of the variety can be seen on the wine label. Anything more than one variety is already an assemblage wine. Single varietal wines tend to be more understandable.

The varietal characteristics of grapes in wine are the basis, like a letter in the alphabet, having studied them, you will be able to form words, that is, gradually recognize them in assemblage wine.

Cultivate a taste

Taste is a muscle, it needs to be trained. Even if you do not possess it, it can be developed like any skill if there is interest and motivation. In the case of the body, we do sports, in the case of wine, we taste. Due to this, the receptors become more developed, sophisticated, and over time they recognize more and more nuances. But only if you do everything consciously. Don't just drink and forget. You need to make an effort and, even in the case of cheap wines, read the labels, memorize, take pictures.

Now the mass of mobile applications is at fault. For those who are starting to get interested in wine, I would advise you to use, for example, the Vivino application. This is an extremely simple story: any person, drinking a bottle of wine, takes a picture of the label through the application, the scanner recognizes the wine, and you immediately get access to information about your wine: the internal rating of this wine, reviews, how many people have tried it, price, region, information about the manufacturer. Then you can place in the program the location of the place where you drank, with whom you drank, your impressions of the wine you drank, which will then be seen by another user who has scanned the same wine. The disadvantage of this program is subjectivity. Users are non-professionals, and therefore reviews and ratings are often strange.

Speaking very roughly, there are complex, complex, noble varieties, but there are simpler ones. Of the latter, it is easier to find inexpensive wine - for example, Pinotage (red), Pinot Grigio, Blanc, (white). There are more complex varieties -, nebbiolo: cheap wines from them, in principle, are rare. But, again, I repeat, this is a very rough explanation.

Even inexpensive wine you can make it more interesting, complicate it just due to the correct delivery

Three Pillars of the Wine Business

Often winemakers themselves distinguish three components of their business. First, territory, that is, a set of climatic and natural indicators that ultimately affect the wine. These are soil, groundwater, exposure of the slope relative to the cardinal points, distance from the sea, and so on.

The second component is production. The winemaker has a lot of tools within the framework of the legislation, thanks to which it is possible to influence and correct the process of wine production itself. This also includes work in the vineyard. This is a whole science.

The third is marketing. Making wine is one thing, it is important to be able to sell it. And here often the efforts of one winemaker will not do. Wine producers unite in associations, consortiums, unions to protect, promote, popularize their own wines, wine-producing regions. As an example, the situation with Austrian wines in Russia. Holding annual salons of Austrian wines in Moscow for several years has done its job. Austria produces amazing wines, but conscious promotion of the product is also important here. Now any wine map A decent Moscow restaurant is complete without Austrian wines. Therefore, it is impossible to neglect marketing.

If we talk about marketing in terms of its share in the price of a bottle of inexpensive wine, then it is probably worth looking for serious brands here, because they can afford to maintain the quality level, it is easier for them than for small producers. By the way, as a rule, small producers sell their wine material to larger ones, who mix it and produce it under their own brand. If you really pay attention to the company, then you should choose large manufacturers.

How to drink

Much has already been said and written on this subject. Allegedly, it is possible to spoil good wine so that you will not experience anything: if you serve it with right temperature or drinking from the wrong glass. Following this logic, it turns out that inexpensive wine can be made more interesting, complicating it just due to the correct presentation. Of course, a 320 ruble wine served at the right temperature won't be ambrosia in your Riedel glass, but at least try it. It will be a rewarding experience.

If you bother with a picnic, bother with a glass, the temperature of the wine. Get more pleasure. Of course, you can, as in your student days, drink wine from plastic cups, but in this case you just pour something into yourself. In principle, there is no need to talk about any organoleptics.

What's happened correct serving? It is primarily temperature. Refrigerate both red and white wines. Why is it important? Different aromatic compounds have different weights and evaporate at different rates at different temperatures. If you serve wine warm, you will simply lose most of the aromatic components: they will disappear. It’s better to chill the wine a little and let it warm in the glass (for a picnic, you can cool it a little more and wrap the bottle in foil to keep it warm longer). By the way, it heats up very quickly in it, so you need to hold the glass by the leg so as not to heat it by hand.

All red wines must be chilled to 16 degrees. Pinks and whites need to be cooled more, from 9 to 11 degrees. Just put the bottle in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.

Get one versatile glass. It has a Bordeaux shape - with a non-sealed, cut edge. There are such impersonal wine glasses, the so-called jokers, made of thick glass, of which any wine will be the same in aroma and on the tongue.

I have several glasses at home, like any person who deals with wine, because I know that this affects the perception of wine. I don't bother much: I have five glasses. Two for sparkling: narrower and taller for prosecco and larger for champagne, which is more like wine - the more serious champagne, the more voluminous the glass should be. Aromatics appears due to evaporation, due to the interaction of oxygen with wine, and the larger the contact area, the larger the evaporation area, and the brighter the aroma will be. If the glass is wide in the middle and narrowed at the top, the aroma will be more concentrated. In addition, there is one glass for white wine - Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, one universal Bordeaux glass, another large Bordeaux glass for Bordeaux and the largest - for serious wines, for example, Pinot Noir.

Well, do not forget: the simpler the wine, the simpler the appetizer should be. After all, wine has always been and is a companion of the meal. Drink wine, taste, write down your impressions, study wine. Everything is relative. We all started with inexpensive wine at one time or another.

Anton cutters

wine expert

Wine is such a matter, which is sometimes quite difficult to evaluate, like art objects. There is poor quality cheap wine, but there is also an unsuccessful expensive one. Obviously, there is a certain lower price threshold, after which the cost of wine “on the shelf” includes almost nothing, except for the cost of a glass bottle and the cost of corking it.

A bottle of wine made in Europe cannot cost one euro simply based on the labor of the growers. At the same time, say, already for one and a half euros in Italy, for example, if you know the places, it is quite possible to buy a liter of sane table wine in bulk - from a machine that looks like a gas station. This wine will not be outstanding or memorable in its characteristics, but if it is just normal, without flaws, made under the right set of circumstances, with the right people and in right place, you can drink it with great pleasure, for example, at a spontaneous picnic with some local snacks.

What follows from this? The emotional component is extremely important in wine. Of course, wine for 100 euros per bottle will be different from the wine from the "gas station" - it will be richer, with more complex aromas in the bouquet, it will live and develop in the glass, and you will understand this without difficulty, while wine for one and a half euros you will just drink food - like water, but only with wine.

Will a wine for a thousand euros per bottle be different from a wine for a hundred euros per bottle? Undoubtedly, but if you compare both with wine "from a gas station", you will hardly notice the difference - rather, they will need to be compared with each other. Can a wine worth a thousand euros be bad? Yes, it may be damaged, for example, by a disease called cork, but if you buy such wines, then you can probably prove the defect to the people who sold it to you, and, in a good way, they should return your money, be it a sommelier in a restaurant or an importer.

In addition, expensive wines are sometimes counterfeited, as are art objects. Is it worth overpaying the conditional difference between a bottle for a hundred and a bottle for a thousand euros? It is, frankly, who cares. Wines for 5, 10, 15, 50, 10, 500 and 1,000 euros per bottle can be great each in its own way, the main thing is not to try to compare them with each other solely by the price parameter and, foaming at the mouth, prove to someone that a bottle of Massandra, which you bought yesterday at Auchan for 400 rubles, is cooler than this Portuguese port wine for 4,000 rubles. If the winemaker set such a price for his wine, apparently, he wanted to say something by this. If the price of your favorite wine hurts your eyes compared to European, try to find something similar in style, but only cheaper. All wine is different - this, in fact, is the main meaning of the “message in a bottle”.

Illustration: Olya Volk

It is very difficult to choose a really good and high-quality wine. Showcases in the supermarket are full of beautiful bottles with non-standard names, and prices can be either very low or too high. The vast majority of our citizens know about wine only that it is red, white, sweet, semi-sweet and dry. It is believed that only professionals (sommeliers) can correctly determine the quality of wine, and this is beyond the power of a simple man in the street. In fact, wine is an ordinary product with simple characteristics, the meaning of which can be understood by everyone.

Red wine: characteristics

Typically, red wine is classified according to several criteria: the ratio of the amount of sugar and alcohol, as well as the method of making the drink.

In the first case, wine can be divided into:

• Canteens. They are dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet.
• Fortified. They are strong, sweet, dessert, liquor.
• Flavored.
• Sparkling. This includes wines such as brut and champagne.

According to the method of making wine, the classification is somewhat different:

• Varietal. Such wines are made only from selected grapes of a certain variety.
• Separate. Drinks in this category are blended from several grape varieties.
• Blended. Mixing is already happening. finished wine, and not grapes, as in the previous case.

Also, wines differ in the aging of finished products:

• Single wines are very common in the trade and are a budget option. Such bottles are not aged for a long time and usually go on sale already in next year from the grape harvest.
• vintage wines are distinguished by a longer exposure (at least eighteen months). In addition, each drink of this category has its own production technology, which, in fact, distinguishes each vintage wine.
• Collection wines are derivatives of vintage wines that have been aged in the bottle for at least three years. For connoisseurs, the age of a collection drink is considered to be about ten to fifteen years.

Wine selection in the shop

When buying wine, you need to focus on the signs of quality:

• The wine must be either sweet or dry. The advantage of dry wine is that it does not contain sugar. And the lack of sweet wine in conservation, and conservation occurs due to the presence of sugar. All this complicates the secondary fermentation of the drink. Dry and sweet wine does not undergo additional sulfation, which greatly affects the health of the person who has consumed the wine. In all countries, semi-sweet wine is prohibited, because it is very harmful, but for Russia, of course, it is available. It is made from low-quality raw materials, in other words - from waste.
• Crop year indication. If the vintage year is not written on the label, this means that the wine is unnatural and most likely chemical or concentrated.

• Grape varieties on the label. Almost on every bottle they write the same thing - “Made from the best grapes” or “Made from fresh and healthy grapes”, but why don’t they indicate the grape variety? Maybe the fact is that not the best raw materials were used? If they do not write the variety, try to navigate from the reviews about the wine. Of course, if the legislation does not allow you to specify varieties, no one will do it, for example - French wines do not write the composition, because this cannot be done. But terrible wines are also made in France, which are also not indicated by the composition, but they are sold in other countries. Therefore, try to choose a wine with an informative composition, which indicates the grape variety.
• Indication of the aging time (in bottle and barrel). Poor quality wine is never casked, although oak can mitigate some of the problems, the cost of such storage is not worth it. It is much easier to proceed as follows - pour the drink into a plastic container with a volume of 10 tons and send it to Russia. We will “process” and “improve” it with the help of dyes and sugar, and then even sell it. Remember that only the highest quality wine is aged in barrels, which pays for the costs of aging.

• bottle price! Good wine cannot be cheap. Don't believe the one who says that natural product can cost 100 rubles. In Europe, you can not find quality wine cheaper than seven euros per bottle. Inexpensive alcohol is made, in best case, from waste. Often it contains additives that enhance the taste, dyes, preservatives. Such an alcoholic drink can cause:

1. severe allergies;
2. poisoning
3. indigestion.

• What does the label say? The label will help you choose the right drink. The manufacturer must indicate the following information on it:

1. harvest year;
2. manufacturer;
3. holding period;
4. alcohol content.

It is worth passing by a bottle if its label contains poetic phrases like: “wine from the best varieties”, “wine from selected grapes”. Such an alcoholic drink is made from the waste of wine production.

Wine Producing Countries

France - the first place in world winemaking

Indeed, this country has long and firmly taken a leading position in the production of wine. Every year, about a quarter of the world's volume of this is produced here. alcoholic drink, which is exported in large quantities. But such volumes do not at all indicate the quality of each bottle, especially for those countries whose inhabitants know little about quality wine. So, let's figure out how to choose the right dry red wine from France, so as not to be mistaken.

French wine label

• On wines best quality the label is rather modest.
• High-end drinks are labeled with the words appellation (wine community) or chateau (castle) with the name.
• The best French-made wines have the word "control" or Grand Cru classification.

Types of French alcoholic drinks

The most famous are Bordeaux (they are much more expensive and considered more prestigious) and Burgundy.

The best Bordeaux wines

• Chateau Latour;
• Chateau Lafite Rotschild;
• Chateau Haut Brion;
• Chateau Mouton Rotschild;
• Chateau Margaux.

The best wines of Burgundy

• Ramonet;
• Leroy.

Wines of Italy

This country produces slightly less wine than France. The most common type of this drink is Chianti. If you choose the right manufacturer, then such a dry red wine may well become a regular on your table, conquering with its unusual taste. The best brand is Chianti Classico. On the label of this wine you can find the high quality mark D.O.C.G., which is a guarantee of authenticity. Also on a real Chianti you can find the emblem - a black rooster. They drink Chianti young, but if you keep it for about 27 months, then the taste will become much better. Such a drink has the additional name Riserva and its price is three to four times higher than the classics. It should be noted that the serving of these two types of wines is different. If young wine is served chilled to a temperature of 16-18 degrees in medium glasses, then Riserva is drunk at room temperature in large pot-bellied glasses.

Ukraine

More than 300,000 tons of grapes are harvested in Ukraine every year, so approximately 15 million decaliters of wine are produced. The strangest thing is that wines are produced much more than they should be. It is for this reason that people do not trust Ukrainian wine, everyone has the idea of ​​diluting the wine with more water or adding chemicals. Almost all Ukrainian semi-dry and semi-sweet wines have chemical impurities in their composition. Not grape alcohol is added to the wine, but ethyl alcohol, and then sweetened with standard sugar. Of course, it is difficult to prove this without an examination, but you can just look at the cost of Ukrainian wine. But in Ukraine, just like in Russia, they pass off low-quality goods as high-quality ones. To earn a lot of money on gullible people. But it is quite possible that Ukrainian wine is of high quality, for example, dry. Although most restaurants do not include Ukrainian wine in the menu, and openly say that their wine is of poor quality, and dry wine is made from spoiled raw materials. Before buying Ukrainian wine, look at the manufacturer's address, if it says that grapes are grown near Kiev, most likely the wine is of poor quality. But now Ukraine is trying to correct the situation, technologies are improving, and the number of vineyards is growing. But why buy wine from a dubious producer when there are producers who have proven themselves in the market?

Moldova and Georgia

In any store you will find wines from Georgia and Moldova, but for some inexplicable reason, people think that these are very high quality wines with a low price. Of course, the cost of such wines is the main advantage, because it is much lower than that of Ukrainian producers. Most wines from these countries are semi-sweet and dry. The choice of wine depends on your preferences, if you need a light wine, buy Moldovan, if strong - Georgian. Wines are made from Georgian and Moldovan grape varieties, and therefore their taste differs significantly from European wines. Experts say that these wines are of dubious quality, that is, the wine can be both high-quality and not very good. But often high-quality Georgian and Moldovan wines can be found on the menu of restaurants. How to choose a quality wine from these producers? This is very complex issue because the store shelves are full different wines both cheap and incredibly expensive. You need to start from the reviews of friends who have already tried several wines from these manufacturers. Don't forget that you can't buy wine in a ceramic bottle, despite the wonderful appearance of the bottle and label. During corking, the wine overheats greatly, and this affects the quality, and very negatively.

Hungary

Hungary lost a lot when trying to get used to the taste various wines from other manufacturers. Every Hungarian wine is different spicy taste, even white and amber-golden. The wine from Hungary is distinguished by an incredibly rich taste that can satisfy any person. Perfect fit spiced wine for spicy and fatty foods. Tokay is the most delicious and high quality Hungarian wine, you can be 100% sure of its quality.

Germany

At the moment, it is believed that the best white wines are made in Germany. Their taste is rich and refined. The wines are of such high quality that they can be stored for decades without spoiling. But red wines from Germany are not of high quality. The point is also that the vineyards are very small, and the large ones are under the control of the church. Germany does not focus on wine production, so imports are about 5 times higher than exports.

Important little things

When choosing wine, you need to pay attention to what container it is poured into. Give preference glass bottles. This is the most environmentally friendly way of storage, and a guarantee of the quality of wine. Look at the appearance of the label, it cannot be sloppy, with traces of glue. When opening a bottle, it is important to look at the cork - it must be clean, dry, not dried out, with no visible traces of wine. The sommelier opens the bottle and sniffs the cork. Any bad smell means a poor-quality product or improper storage of the bottle. Today, plastic corks are allowed for good wine, winemaking technologies also do not stand still. When choosing a drink, pay attention to the sugar content. Good wine is either sweet or dry. Semi-sweet wines are most often low-grade, made from waste. Knowing the basics of choosing wines, you can further focus on your own taste, financial capabilities and format of the upcoming event. Someone prefers dry wines, someone - fortified. For fish, seafood and white meat- White wine. For steak - red.

But this is no longer a dogma, many famous winemakers and sommeliers are trying to reveal the tastes of wines with radically opposite dishes in a new way. If you are going to visit and do not know the upcoming topic on the menu, then it is better to grab two types of wine. Just in case. Which particular good wine from the presented variety you choose is not so important. The main understanding is that wine is a refined drink that will only add pleasure from a pleasant company, significant event, loved ones.

Covering festive table for guests, I want to decorate it with fine wine with a delicate, refined aroma. The host of the feast invariably faces the question: how to choose a wine worthy of dear guests? To answer, you must have at least a minimum of knowledge about the classification of wines, their properties, characteristics, compatibility with certain dishes.

The main thing is to follow the rule when setting the table: less is better, but of higher quality.

The entire range of wines is divided into two large parts:

• still wines "table and fortified";
• rich carbon dioxide"and sparkling".

Calm wine according to the degree of exposure is:

• young;
• vintage;
• collectible.

Young wine is sold in the distribution network immediately after maturation. It has a weak strength and aroma of a bouquet belonging to the grape variety. Young wine has many fans among people of different age categories.

For vintage wine grown special varieties of grapes. The brand of wine depends on the time of maturation of the wine. According to the existing standards of winemaking for wine of this category, aging is required in the range from one to six years. Vintage wines stored for more than 6 years are considered collectible.

Table wines are made from natural juice obtained after pressing grapes.

The production of table wine completely eliminates the addition of alcohol. The amount of sugar in the wine of this variety is different: from complete absence to a certain percentage. The sugar in table wine is the product of an incomplete fermentation stopped at a certain stage.

The quantitative residue of sugar in table wine serves as the basis for dividing this variety into the following types:

• Dry;
• Semi-dry;
• Semi-sweet.

The color of the wine is determined by the variety of grape raw materials used for its production. Distinguish between white wine and red wine.

Dry white wine is characterized by a small strength of about 11% vol. Light acidity, pleasant, soft taste goes well with fish dishes, cold appetizers, fruit and cheese.

Dry red wine has shades from pink to rich cherry color, tart taste with a bouquet of grapes ripened in the area where the drink is produced. Compared to white, red wine has less acidity and more strength. Dry red wine is served with hot fried or baked meat.

Semi-sweet and semi-dry wines are obtained by incomplete fermentation of dry wines, leaving a certain amount grape sugar. These drinks are friendly with meat, fish, vegetable dishes. They have a short shelf life in uncorked containers.

Fortified wines are made by fermenting grape must. The fermentation process is stopped and stabilized by the addition of alcohol. Wine contains residual sugar, the percentage of which depends on the stage of stoppage of fermentation. Alcohol additives increase shelf life fortified wine. The name of the wine is associated with an increased strength from 17 to 20% vol.

Fortified wine is usually consumed before dinner in small portions, sweet wines can be served as a dessert.

Notable Representatives strong wines: Madeira, port, sherry. Pairs well with hot first courses.

A large group is made up of dessert wines: Muscat, Cahors, Tokay. Used in the dessert part of the meal. The sweetest of this group are liqueurs.

Champagne wine is obtained by secondary fermentation carbonated and bottled under pressure. Champagne is the wine of holidays and celebrations. It is served in tall transparent wine glasses to highlight the beauty of color and the play of gas bubbles. The wine seems to be playing. Has a light pleasant taste, when poured, forms a lush, beautiful foam. The taste of any wine varies significantly with the serving temperature. For red table and strong wines the best temperature will be 16-18 degrees, Discriminating taste dry white wines will be emphasized by cooling to 12 degrees, champagne will sparkle at 10 degrees.

The gaze of many scientists and researchers is riveted to wine. From a scientific point of view, it is studied beneficial features and impact on human life and health. There are heated debates about which wine is healthier: white or red? Wine, in fact, is a complex organic substance resulting from the fermentation of grape juice. This ancient drink In addition to water, there is a huge amount chemical substances and elements: ethanol, grape and fruit sugar, vegetable glycosides "anthocyanins", beneficial acids, tannins, vitamins and microelements.

The only thing that all researchers agree on is that wine has a healing effect on the body only with moderate consumption. If you consume no more than 100 grams of red wine daily, a positive trend is observed in a person’s condition: blood pressure, toxins are removed from the body, cleansed blood vessels reduces the risk of developing diseases such as heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis. IN Lately opinions are expressed that red and white wine are almost equivalent in terms of usefulness.

Red wine owes its color to grape varieties with dark skins and hearts. The composition of wine includes such useful coloring substances as anthocyanins. They give the wine a noble color, rich taste and delicate aroma. Red wine has a relaxing effect.

Many health institutions practice the use of moderate doses of red wine in the treatment of diseases. respiratory system and cardiac pathology, removal of a depressive state.

There is an opinion that red wine protects against the effects of radiation and solar radiation.

Which red wine to choose

Which red wine to choose: dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, fortified?

The listed varieties differ primarily in the content of sugar and alcohol. Dry red wine of a full fermentation cycle contains almost no sugar "0.3%", and alcohol is a product of natural grape fermentation. In semi-dry and semi-sweet wines, residual sugar is present due to the interruption of the fermentation process. Preservatives are added to these wines to extend the shelf life, which does not make them 100% healthy.

Fortified wine contains alcohol - rectified, has a high strength, it is recommended to use it in limited quantities.

Dessert varieties of red wine or liqueurs are preferable to semi-dry and semi-sweet, so special chemical methods are not used for their preservation. Conventional wisdom dictates that dry red wine is the healthiest and most natural.

Now about the age of red wine and its usefulness in this regard. It has been established that the age of the wine does not affect its healing properties, but only changes its taste characteristics. The content of vitamins and useful substances young, unaged wines, healthier than aged vintages.

Dry wines that do not contain sugar are much healthier than semi-sweet and dessert varieties.

Foreign producers of red wine

Dry red wine, which one to choose from imported varieties?

Wines from different countries are made from many local grape varieties. On shelves shopping centers Russia has a lot of wine from France with a wide range of prices from cheap to expensive.

The Russian buyer is mainly in demand for inexpensive varieties of dry red wine.

France is a leader in the production of wine, but among its products come across low-quality drinks. Therefore, when choosing a French wine, you should carefully study the information on the bottle: there should be information about the manufacturer, harvest date, year of release of the wine. The most famous French red wine varieties are Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone.

Italy ranks first in the export of wine. Sunny, warm weather makes it possible to grow grapes all year round. Red wines from the Tuscany wine region, made from the Italian Sangiovese grape variety, have earned worldwide fame. The most popular dry red wines are Chianti Classico, Super Tuscan, Brunello di Montalcino. Chianti is a wine aged no more than 2 years, if the exposure exceeds this value, the wine is called Riserva, it is several times more expensive.

The label will again help in choosing a quality Spanish wine. Wine of different aging has identifying inscriptions:

• cheap canteen;
• local, improved quality;
• vintage;
• elite.

suitable Spanish wine for juicy meat steak is the classic "Rioja" with fruity bouquet and bright taste.

When choosing imported red dry wine, one should be guided by the principle that the hotter the climate in the country of origin, the tastier the wine. Therefore, wines from Argentina, Chile and other countries of the New World are so popular with us. Drinks from these countries have exotic flavors due to the use of original local grape varieties: shiraz, grenache, zinfandel, malbec. Famous grape varieties grow here: Cabernet and Merlot. The use of cheap labor, sunny climate, rich soils, high yields make the prices of wine from these countries affordable for the entire population.

The collection of traditional Georgian red wines will become wonderful decoration any feast. The first toast is said with glasses filled with the precious moisture of the Georgian semi-sweet wine Khvanchkara. Vegetable appetizers accompany Georgian red dry wines Saperavi or Mukuzani, smoothly moving on to the main meat dish - shish kebab. Semi-sweet red wines based on the Kindzmarauli or Akhasheni saperavi varieties are also perfect for dishes cooked on an open fire.

In recent years nice addition quality Abkhazian wines have become the Russian market.

Several large wineries operate on the territory of Abkhazia, producing relatively inexpensive red wine, which has a wonderful taste and bouquet.

Many private wineries are opening, where wine is made according to their own original or old recipes. Wines from private wineries with a richer taste, but also a higher price. Most popular brands Lykhny, Bouquet of Abkhazia, Chegem, Amra, Apsny.

After choosing a brand, variety and winemaker, it's time to check the originality of the wine and protect yourself from fake. All world wine producers strive to adhere to the rule of three colors in the design of labels. Therefore, stay away from multi-colored pieces of paper.

Honest winemakers always indicate the name of the manufacturer and its location.

An important sign of quality wine is the indication of the year of harvest. Quality wine should not have sediment. An important compass is the cork of the bottle, its top should be at the level of the top of the neck and it should sit very firmly, keeping the wine fresh. Currently, some winemakers are replacing corks with screw caps. metal lids, simplifying the way you open bottles.

For the production of dry red wine, grape varieties Merlot, Cabernet, Negrette, Aglianico, Sauvignon and others are used. There are thousands of varieties of red wine in the world. The best of them are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir.

Intense, bright color of wine can only be obtained from good grapes. Scarlet, burgundy, ruby, purple, or dark cherry hues indicate the youth of a dry wine. High-quality red wine is packed in massive individually shaped bottles in dark shades of green or brown. When serving wine, it is better to be guided by the principle: the richer, fatter, heavier the dish, the lighter the wine served.

Gastronomic pairings of red wine

There are countless gourmets in the world who experience boundless love for good dry red wine. In Italy, France, Georgia, wine is a traditional national drink, an essential attribute of lunches and dinners of all segments of the population.

Examples of combinations of dry red wine with food:

• Tuscan dry wine is perfect for cheese, lasagna, spaghetti.
• Semi-sweet Georgian "Kindzmarauli", Latin American "Kaiken Terroir Series" will make friends with barbecue, fried meat: lamb, beef.
• The sweet taste of baked vegetables will emphasize the French "Le Cornu"
• The taste of the dessert will be enhanced by Burgundy Beaujolais Nouveau

The best red dry wines

Château Fonceche is a French wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. bright aroma ripe fruits and meadow flowers. Alcohol is 10 vol.

Supply temperature to meat dishes about 18 degrees. Glasses with a ruby-colored drink will become the main decoration of the table.

Chianti is an old Italian dry wine. Strictly red grape varieties are used in its production. Great with Italian food.

Bararesco is another popular dry red wine from Italy. Grapes grown in the highlands give this drink a delicate tart taste and a complex aroma of spices, fruits and flowers.

Saperavi is a Georgian variety of dry red wine made from grapes of the same name.

The strength of the drink is not more than 11 vol. The wine is distinguished by maroon color and velvety taste of Mukuzani - Georgian wine from grape variety Saperavi, languishing for three years in oak containers. Recognized by its beautiful red color, taste with the aroma of berries and oak bark.

It goes well with hot meat and vegetable delicacies.

The best Russian red wines of 2016 are:

• "Phantom" "Cabernet Sauvignon" winery Vedernikov, JSC Millerovsky winery;
• Lefkadia "Reserve" LLC "Lefkadia", Krasnodar region;
• Saperevi. Chateau Taman. Reserve JSC Kuban-Vino, Krasnodar Territory and others

Semi-sweet red wines are classified as table wines, with a strength of 9-14%, with a sufficient sugar content in the finished product.

Red semi-sweet wine, which one to choose?

The best red semi-sweet wines are produced by Georgia. Recipes tested for centuries, ideal weather conditions for the ripening of sweet grape varieties contribute to the creation of divine drinks: Khvanchkara, Alazani Valley, Kindzmarauli, Akhasheni.

Khvanchkara is the most famous semi-sweet wine. The raw material is the berries of the Mujuretuli and Aleksandrouli varieties, grown in the vineyards of the Racha area.

A feature of the dark red drink is a great taste with floral and fruity notes.

Alazani Valley is a semi-sweet wine of red grapes grown in Western and Eastern Georgia.

Great addition to Georgian varieties cheese and sweets. Chilling the wine enhances it taste nuances. It has a pleasant taste and delicate bouquet.

Akhasheni - semi-sweet drink from famous variety Saperavi grapes growing in mountainous Kakheti. The velvety black cherry color is combined with a moderately tart taste.

Kindzmarauli is a famous semi-sweet red made from Saperavi grapes. Bordeaux color, dark pomegranate, pleasant taste and wonderful bouquet.

Summing up, we can say that when choosing wine, preference should be given to dry red wine made on the basis of red grapes. dark varieties. This type of drink occupies a significant niche in the assortment of vintage and single wines. Moderate regular consumption of dry red wine will help improve health, maintain vitality at the proper level, and cheer up. The main thing in achieving health and therapeutic effect regular consumption in small doses. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol addiction. As the French say, wine cures everything except alcoholism.

This is something from the realm of fantasy, isn't it? But every buyer wants to find it. To be good and on the wallet.

Well, let's try to figure it out: is it a myth or reality, good inexpensive wine

To start with, one piece of advice: if you need wine for a party, then it is better to choose light, neutral wines, do not chase unusualness or a rich bouquet. The simpler the better. If you are in any doubt, you can focus on the wine that is served in restaurants by the glass. There are usually just such wines. Well, you know that in the store similar wines will cost an order of magnitude cheaper.

There are wines that rarely fail.

Dry whites

soave

Soave (Soave) is not a grape variety, not the name of a wine, but the name of the region in which this wine is produced.

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio - perhaps the most popular variety grapes that produce excellent white wines. Wines are usually light, fresh, drinkable, which is probably why many people love them so much.

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is an international grape variety that has taken root almost everywhere, and the wines from it are, if I may say so, understandable. Not complex, slightly heavier than Pinot Grigio, but just as drinkable. The best wines from Chardonnay are in the countries of the New World - South Africa, Chile, USA, New Zealand and so on.

Be careful with Russian wines. If we talk about white wines, then often they are too acidic in our country: either the fault of the winemakers, or the locality “fails” like that. No, we produce a lot decent drinks, but here it is difficult to focus on the variety or place of production: you need to try. But the price, just, will be more than affordable.

Good semi-sweet/semi-dry whites

Here, in fact, it is very difficult. Recently, for example, Riesling has shown itself very well in semi-dry Riesling wines, but it is not so easy to find it at an affordable price. But Tokay is a wonderful Hungarian wine, not so rare on our shelves. And the price is quite pleasant, and the taste. So we advise, first of all, to look for Tokay.

Often there are good and semi-dry Spanish, but it's easy to miss here. So everything is learned by trial and error.

Good and inexpensive dry red wines

Merlot

Merlot is good in all countries. Yes, even in Russia. This, again, is an international variety, so finding it and picking up wine at an affordable price will not be difficult.

Shiraz

Shiraz or Syrah - this variety is also grown in many countries. In many, it shows good results, quite decently manifests itself in dry wines, but if you have such an opportunity, then take the Australian shiraz. This, after all, is more precisely their variety, their special pride.

Malbec

It's not that common anymore. Malbec is an Argentine variety. And advice on such wines: it is better to take young ones, no more than two years old: then the Argentine Malbec tends to quickly weather after uncorking the bottle and loses all its power and aroma over time, acquiring not the most pleasant tones.

Semi-sweet reds

If we could, then here we would dissuade you. In our opinion, all semi-sweet wines, especially red ones, seem to be identical. Equally disgusting. Too sweet kills all aromatic and taste qualities.

But if you are already adamant and drink only semi-sweet reds, then pay attention to the wines of South Africa - they will be a little, but more original. And no one has yet complained about semi-sweet Georgian wines.

You can always buy good inexpensive wine at the WineStreet store.