Wine: a guide to starting out

I haven’t always loved wine, but I have always loved the idea of wine.

I don’t think that wine needs to be intimidating, but it usually is at the start anyway. The problem is that most of us don’t know what we like at first — and there are so many options.

I started my love affair with wine by visiting local wineries. Oh, I love wineries. The great thing about them is that you can sample before you buy. Many offer free samples, and I’d shimmy up to the bar to try every kind. If you give me free samples, you can be sure I’m buying at least half a case! Some wineries are silly enough to charge $5 a glass and then I usually only buy a bottle or two. I’m not going to buy what I haven’t had a chance to taste. The other great thing about wineries is that you can ask questions, take tours and learn about the wine process.

The first winery I visited was Winehaven Winery in Chisago City (http://winehaven.com) and they remain one of my favorites. I had looked all over for honey wine, and then found someone making it in my own backyard. There is only one word for honey wine (aka mead): yum. You simply have to try it. They also make a delicious raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb (contrary to popular thought, it’s not too tart), strawberry-rhubarb, and cranberry. Oh, I love their fruit wines. They make others, but I REALLY LOVE THEIR FRUIT WINES.

The tasting room at Alexis Bailey in Hastings, Minn.

Many wineries are now making a production about their wine tastings — something I’m all for. Just this last weekend I visited Salem Glen Winery in Rochester, sat in their cedar-lined room, gazed out at a scenic country scene, sampled wines and listened to live jazz. It. Was. Awesome. The girls I was with aren’t wine lovers really, but everyone found something they liked. At Alexis Bailey Winery in Hastings you can bring the kids (or the lover), spread out a blanket, have a picnic with your bottle of wine, run around the grounds, listen to music, and enjoy the sculpture. I had one of the best evenings of my life at Munson Bridge Winery in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin, sipping wine as I watched the sun set and the moon rise over a little pond.

For a few years, a group of us took a Wine Tour each fall and hit up wineries in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Oh, it was fun. If you’re interested in that, I recommend checking out the Great River Wine Trail and picking 4-5 wineries to visit over a weekend. www.greatriverroadwinetrail.org. Or, head into Wisconsin; learn more at http://www.wiswine.com/wineries.

I’m also a member of a wine club — doesn’t that sound pretentious? What it means is that I attend as many of the wine tastings held by the Cambridge Liquor Store as I can. They hold three a years (two in the fall and one in the spring) and charge only $20. Get on the mailing list by calling 763-689-2468 or email bobbi.mix@ci.cambridge.mn.us. These events are fantastic! The liquor store brings in 20-30 distributors who set up tables and pour you samples of wine. That’s where I figured out the wines I like and what I don’t. I tend to prefer wines from Australia and South America versus those from Napa Valley and France. I don’t like dry wines at all, but prefer sweet ones instead. Most liquor stores do a smaller version of wine tastings one night a weekend and set up a table or two in their stores. Take advantage of wine tastings!

There’s a great event coming up you might want to attend: The Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience (www.foodwineshow.com). It’s not cheap, but the wine is awesome and the food delicious! You’ll get lots of experience with wines there.

START WITH WHITES

Alice White Lexia is a great pick for a sweet white wine.

Start your wine journey with sweet whites like Moscato (can come bubbly!) and Riesling.

Good Choices:

- Any moscato. (They’re always sweet and delicious. The Moscato d’asti are bubbly, not as much as champange but enough to be fun.)

- Spatlese from St. Gabriel

- Alice White Lexia (Australian wine made from muscat grapes. They also have a great Red Lexia.)

- Country White from Alexis Bailey in Hastings, Minn.

- White Merlot from Gallo, Ernest & Julio in California (White merlot is completely different than the regular red merlot.)

- Riesling from Funf

- Riesling from Starling Castle (Buy it for the bottle. There’s a beautiful castle inside. Plus although the wine comes from Germany, it’s distributed by a local company in Princeton.)

- Riesling from Relax (Yes, I love riesling. What gave it away?)

GRADUATE TO REDS

The mead at Wine Haven is one of my favorite wines of all time. You can beat honey wine!

Red wine tends to be more of an acquired taste. Give yourself time to figure out what sorts of reds you like, and then stick with that variety for awhile. You’ll find lots of variation there; experiment with various wineries and parts of the world. Personally, I love wines from South American and Australia over wines from Napa Valley or France. But that’s just me, and I certainly don’t expect you to follow my path. I also tend to hate the usual varieties you find at restaurants in Minnesota, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Give me a hearty Syrah instead.

Good Choices:

- Claret from Rashi. (If you’ve never tried a red wine before, try this one. It only has 10% alcohol and is almost like grape juice; don’t leave it in your car in the winter or it’ll freeze! I have a friend who hates wine, and she loves this Claret.)

- Merlot, Two Rivers Chateau from Grand Junction, Colo. (You know how I just said I don’t usually like Merlots? This one is fantastic!)

- Sweet Red from Blaufrankisch in Hungary. (It’s a beginner’s red. When a wine lables itself just “red” that means it’s some kind of blend, and they tend to be sweeter than others.)

- GoGo Red, Cannon River Winery in Canon Falls, Minn.

- Pinot Noir from Rosemount Estates in south eastern Australia

- The Wine-ing Farmer from Fieldstone Vineyards in Morgan, Minn.