Read Between The Wines

It's extremely entertaining to see the waiter, oh-soverypromptly take the drinks menu to the man onthe table. It is also very entertaining to see theman baffle over which to wine to order, and inself-defeat he passes on the wine section to you. IfI had a penny for every time this happened in reallife, I'd be sipping a glass of wine as I write this veryarticle.

Wine is nothing but drinking coloured grapes in afermented state. There are 3 types of wines. Red,white and pink. Red wine is a type of wine madefrom dark-colored grapes. The flesh of the grape onthe inside can be fair but the outer skin is dark,giving wine it's redness. Similarly, white wine is madeof gapes with fair skin and fair flesh. Thus whencrushes, it appears to be white/yellow-ish of sorts.The last type is pink or Rosè, where the winemakershave conciously decided to crush some red grapeskin with fair fleshed grapes to give it a pink-ishshade. These shades of pink can vary from dark pinkto light pink, even to a purple-ish ombré.

Top 5 red wines you should know about:

1) CABERNET SAUVIGNON

If you have the time and energy to decant,decantinate this full-bodied red wine.

By exposing the wine to oxygen in a crystaldecanter, it breathes and accelerates the wine’saromas and flavours. The perfect occasion todrink this bold red wine would be a sit-downfamily gathering, perhaps a date, a dinner partyor a poker night at home. It can vary inpercentage of alcohol but it is usually higher.

DID YOU KNOW?

'Cab' and 'Sauv' are two nicknames for'Cabernet' and 'Sauvignon', save yourself byusing these if you are not sure how topronounce the actual name!

2) MERLOT

Merlot is a dry, medium-to-full-bodied wine withmoderate acidity, and a moderate to highalcohol percentage. The best Merlot taste hasflavours ranging from graphite, herbs andblackberries, to black cherries, plums, and cocoa,often layered with notes of clove, vanilla, andcedar when aged in Oakwood.

DID YOU KNOW?

Merlot is pronounced as 'Mer-lo

3) SHIRAZ / SYRAH

This wine is full-bodied opaque wine, rubypurplein hue, and offers concentrated jammyaromas. Tastes like flavours of blueberry andblackberry, along with big, ripe tannins. This isalso interestingly very high in calorie count andalcohol content.

4) PINOT NOIR

A more sweet(er) wine than the usual, Pinot Noirtastes like a combination of cherry, raspberry,hibiscus, mushroom and vanilla. It has an aboveaverage alcohol content, say around 12-15%.Pinot Noir is known as the 'agreeable' wine. Allwine drinkers seem to agree that Pinot Noir is areal crowd pleaser.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pinot Noir is pronounced as 'Pee-no-noah'

5) ZINFADEL

Zinfadel is a heavy, full-bodied red wine with thehighest alcohol content. Zinfadel is a type ofgrape which can be used to make both, red andpink wine. It tastes of fruits like gooseberry,blackcurrant, grapefruit, strawberry and melon.Perfect for a casual yet celebratory occasion.

Top 3 white wines you should know about

1) REISLING

If you are relatively new to wines and would like tostart simple, opt for a Reisling. Also keep in mindthat this is one of the sweetest wines and is normallyconsumed after dinner, as a dessert wine. Rieslinghas undertones of apple, melon, apricot, mineral,and spiced flavours.

2) SAUVIGNON BLANC

Nicknamed, 'Sauv-Blanc', pronounced 'Sov-Blo'.Originated from the region of Bordaux in France andtravelled all the way to New Zealand, this wine isvery famous within Parisian nightlife and fashionshows. Sauvignon Blanc, also known as Sancerre, is adry wine that has a great aroma and tastes of herbs,grasses and a nice crisp pucker. It is not aged inwood as the winemakers preferring to exhibit thebright and fruity characteristics of the grape.

3) CHARDONNAY

This is the light(er) wine you'll order with spicy food,preferably chilled. Originating in Burgundy, FranceChardonnay is now one of the most widely platedgrape varieties in the world. If you are not a fan ofthe woody under-taste in wines, opt for an un-Oaked Chardonnay, else go for an OakedChardonnay that is aged upto 2 years plus inOakwood.

DID YOU KNOW?

The red pigment in red wines is obtained fromthe same colouring compound which is presentin red vegetables like cabbage, etc, know as -'Anthocyanins'

Rosé

Let me cue you in - Pink wines, Rosè, and Blushwines are the same thing. They are are acombination of both, red and white. Quiteliterally a combination in the personality of thewine too! Rosè is a medium-bodied lighter winemeant to be enjoyed during summers. Speakingof summers, Rosè is a wine that bases off somuch of it's heritage to the glory of SouthernFrance and the Provence. It tastes a bit like sweetCherries, Watermelon, Strawberries, Rose petals,Lime zest, Red pepper, etc. Contains about 12%of alcohol, which is a good average.

PRO TIP:

If the view and company is right, you arelikely to spend hours at a rooftop bar and you'llend up in a wine marathon before you realise. Inthat case, the more economic option would beto order by the bottle rather than ordering bythe glass!