Wine for Newbies is a one-man-show run by Andre Costa. I was born in Brazil and in 2001 I moved to New York City, where I still live.
I do not have a wine background, but I am working on creating one and Wine for Newbies was one of my first steps in reaching that goal. I decided to start Wine for Newbies as a tool to enrich my own knowledge about wine and, so far, it's working. It is a slow process, but a very rewarding one. I do intend to work with wine in the future as a main career, but I have not yet figured out which path I will take, as it seems the options are many. My next step is to take a serious wine class and add another layer to my knowledge.
Feel free to drop me a note. I am always looking for new like-minded friends, business partners, guest writers, etc.
True or False:
— Wine Smarts Game
A white Bordeaux is typically made from Viognier grapes.
Answer: False.
By French law, wine labeled as white Bordeaux can be made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, or Muscatelle. While some other grapes are permitted, Viognier is not.
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Loading ...According to an article published on Food and Wine (October 2007), wine is also good for your health, besides being the most delicious beverage in the world (the “most delicious” part is my observation, not Food and Wine’s)!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Although this is not the first quiz I run on Wine for Newbies, this is the first time (of many more to come) that you will be rewarded for playing along.
Here is how this is going to work:
I will list 5 questions and you will have to find the answers by browsing the site! That’s it! Of course I will help you a little in finding the answers, but you will need to do most of the legwork!
Continue reading this post…
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...I hope to be able to start providing some tasting notes on a more regular basis. The tasting notes will be coming from wines I tried myself or wines recommended and tasted by friends or other sources.
Please do add your own comments if you have tried the wine before.
Verdelho is a white wine native of the island of Madeira. It is known to be food friendly, has tropical fruit aromas accompanying a strong taste of passion fruits.
This is a straightforward wine that is instantly enjoyable with an intensely floral and fruity nose of luscious tropical fruit aromas. On the palate, this wine combines passion fruit, pineapple, and zesty citrus notes with a lingering, vibrant, cool finish. Verdelhos are very food friendly complementing everything from salads and roasted vegetables to grilled chicken and strong seafood and fish dishes. Drink now.
Release Notes: Verdelho is a native of the island of Madeira where it is used to make fortified wines. However, Australian producers have found that this grape is capable of producing appealing wines that are a great alternative to the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Peel’s Verdelho vines range from 10 to 20 years old and produce powerful and flavorful wines that are refreshing on their own and pair well with a variety of foods.
Winery: Peel Estate is one of Western Australia’s most prestigious wineries. Founded by the genial Will Nairn in 1974, it was the region’s first winery in modern times. Located just south of Perth in the Peel region (named after the winery), the vineyards are less than two miels from the Indian Ocean. The mild winters and relatively cool summers make it well-suited for high-quality wine production. Peel Estate grows a variety of red and white grapes, but is known for producing one of Australia’s best Verdelhos.
Pairings: This wine pairs well with seafood, grilled fish, salmon, fresh cheese, oysters, lobster, tuna, chicken, turkey, salads, roasted vegetables.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Yay! I am happy to introduce video to this humble wine blog! Welcome to the 21st century! Thank you! Thank you!
I believe it is quite self-explanatory that this blog, Wine for Newbies, has a goal to talk to you about wine from a very basic, easy to read and understand, perspective. So, I was quite happy when I stumbled upon Kathleen Lisson’s videos on YouTube and she kindly agreed to let me use the ones I think fit into what I am trying to convey to you all out there.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Last week I introduced a game called Wine Smarts, which provides a way to learn about wine by playing a game. It is a fun way to kick your knowledge up a notch.
So, without much ado, here are the answers to last week’s questions:
- Vocabulary
Q: True or False - A corked wine is a high quality wine.
A: False! Corked wines have a defect caused by a mold that can appear in corks. You have no way of predicting this before opening a bottle. However, when you pour a glass and it smells like old, wet newspaper, it’s probably corked. Next time you discover one, hold on to the glass and try it side by side with a good bottle - you’ll really learn to recognize the difference.
- Region
Q: Napa Valley is best know for its:
(A) Cabernet Sauvignon
(B) Gamay
(C) Pinot Noir
(D) Chardonnay
A: Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley, north of San Francisco, is home to some of California’s most famous (and expensive) Cabernet Sauvignons.
- Grape
Q: True or False - Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape.
A: True. Shiraz is the name of a grape variety often used in South Africa and Australia, while Syrah is the term favored in France and the U.S. for this same grape.
- Wild Card
Q: How large is a magnum?
(A) Not big enough!
(B) 1 liter
(C) 2 standard bottles
(D) 3 standard bottles
A: 2 Standard bottles. A magnum is the equivalent of two standard 750ml bottles or 1.5 liters.
If you liked the information given and want to buy this game, purchase it from Amazon.com (which offers the best deal on the game I could find).
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Guest post written by Kathleen Lisson. Make sure to visit Kathleen’s blog!
Step One: Train Yourself to Taste Wine
Gary Vaynerchuk is making the rounds of late night TV with bowls full of dirt and tobacco, but you really don’t have to go that far to discover the aromas and flavors in the your favorite wine’s tasting notes. If you’re in the Albany, NY area, attend my wine palate training class at the Honest Weight Coop.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...This is the second part of our guest post written by Marnie Old. Visit Marnie’s website www.marnieold.com for more of her delightful writing!
Differences in climate, and hence ripeness, account for so much of the style variation found between wine styles, that we can make some useful, if sweeping, generalizations. For example, white wines and sparkling wines thrive in colder climates, while red wines and fortified wines are best from warmer climates.
COOL CLIMATE STYLE
Cool climate fruit tends toward an ‘under-ripe’ flavor profile. Since grapes barely achieve ripeness, good weather is needed to make good wine. Cool climate characteristics, like low alcohol, high acidity and subtle flavor may sound less than appetizing, but can be strengths in the right context. Cool climate wines are food-oriented. Medium bodied, understated wines are outstanding food partners, though they may seem thin or sour alone. Many cool climate wines are an acquired taste. Yet, these same wines are often beautifully balanced by food.
Since Europe’s classic wine regions are in cool climates, near the northern, most European regions fit this profile. In the ‘New World’, we have only recently explored cool climates for winemaking, but the results are promising, as seen in Oregon and New Zealand.
WARM CLIMATE STYLE
Warm climate fruit tends toward an ‘over-ripe’ flavor profile. Since there is ample sunshine and warmth, achieving ripeness is not a challenge, but it can be a struggle to prevent fruit from rushing into extreme over-ripeness.
Warm climate characteristics, like high alcohol, moderate acidity and bold, jammy fruit flavor are generally seductive on first impression. However, they can be weaknesses in the wrong context. Warm climate wines are easy-drinking. Intense full-bodied wines can be opulent alone, juicy, ripe and lip-smacking from the first sip. However, many New World wines seem to lose freshness when served with food. Full bodied, overstated wines have less flexibility in food pairing, requiring bolder flavors and richer sauces to stand up to their full-throttle style.
Warm regions in Europe were better known for bulk wines than quality wines, prior to the 20th century. However, the wine districts of the New World were historically planted in warmer drier regions. Their modern success story has sparked growing interest in Europe’s warm climate regions, like Southern Italy, Spain and Southern France.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...This is a two-part guest post written by Marnie Old. Visit Marnie’s website www.marnieold.com for more of her delightful writing!
Wine professionals can predict much about how a wine will taste, just by knowing where it’s from. And, so can you. It’s not rocket science – more like Sesame Street. Absorbing a few simple ideas can have you feeling like an expert in no time flat.
The secret is that a wine’s region of origin, where the grapes were grown, is just as important as grape variety in governing flavor. While many factors play a role, climate is the big one. Any vineyard’s climate determines how quickly and how thoroughly the grapes will ripen. Understanding ripeness is like the key to the wine kingdom – what happens as fruit ripens and how to use it to accurately ‘guesstimate’ wine style.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...You probably know what the first best way is, right?! By tasting it, of course! I know I am quoting myself (over and over again), but although it does help to read about wine, and what other people are writing about it, the only way you will really learn how to grasp all the nuances wine has to offer is by tasting.
Now, the second best way (and very, very much fun as well) is by playing! Games are a great way to help you learn a new skill, be it a new language, photography, driving a car or, wine appreciation.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...I received a comment saying Chablis is not a grape, but a region in France! Of course it is! The only problem is that for the life of me I cannot find where I wrote that Chablis is a grape! The commentator did not say where, neither I can locate the reference.
In any case, let’s dot the is and cross the ts. Chablis is not a grape! For the sake of understanding, let’s talk about the region of Chablis a little.
