Inexpensive red sweet wine. Tasty and healthy semi-sweet wine

For the modern consumer of restrictions in choice alcoholic beverages no, it all depends on his wallet thickness and taste preferences.

But many inexperienced buyers are concerned about how to choose a quality dry red wine, because on the shelves you can find drinks with different characteristics. In this article, we will look at simple ways to determine the quality of alcohol and tell you what you need to pay attention to in the first place.

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, semi-dessert, 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 takes place already 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 budget option. Such bottles are not aged for a long time and usually go on sale the 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 manufacturing 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.

It should be noted that many gourmets and wine connoisseurs prefer to drink dry red, as only it can have a large bouquet of both taste and smell, which is revealed gradually. In addition, aged wine is most often dry or sweet. But different semi-wine is more popular in the territory of the former Soviet Union.

In addition, such drinks may contain various preservatives in much large quantities than sweet and dry. This is due to the fact dry wine practically without sugar, and sweet has its own natural preservative - sugar. It is quite normal for semi-wine (especially semi-sweet) to contain chemicals.

How to choose red wine in a store: general important criteria

If you want to know how to choose a dry red wine in a store (or any other), you should definitely pay attention to additional nuances that can be found by carefully considering the desired bottle.

Information on the label

Look carefully at what is written on the label. Usually, if the product is foreign, then it must additionally contain basic information in the language of the country in which it is sold. If this is not the case, then it is recommended to ask the seller or consultant. What is the most important thing you can find on the label?

Who produced this bottle of wine. There are many well-known and proven wine companies for which reputation is important.
What region was the wine made in? If the drink is of high quality, then the grapes and wine are produced in the same place.
You should also pay attention to the year of harvest. If you did not find this information, then the product is most likely not made from grapes, but from a concentrate. For any red wines, it is important whether the year of manufacture was successful or not, since the taste of the finished product and its ability to be stored depend on this.

On the label you can find the inscription “Reserva” (meaning a supply of especially successful wines) or “Roble” (the drink was stored in special barrels and the harvest was also especially successful). These two words speak about the quality of the drink.

The label should contain the percentage of alcohol of the drink, because this is how you can choose red sweet wine or dry (it will be different for each type).
Quality wine is characterized by the presence of national quality control on the label. There are different abbreviations for different countries.
You should pay attention not only to the manufacturer, but also to the importer or distributor. Verified firms do not supply to the market of another country low quality drinks, so if, along with expensive bottles, you found the same importer on cheap ones, then there is a high probability of a low-quality product.

Quality wine must be sold only in glass container, since it is this material that allows you to save all the properties of the drink even after ten to twenty years. Therefore, a wine company that wants to maintain its reputation will not use other materials and save on packaging. A drink in cardboard and plastic material can only be suitable for culinary experiments (and even then not always).

The volume of a bottle of high-quality wine is 0.75 liters. The bottom of the container is always with a large recess. Cheap wine is poured into bottles of 0.7 liters, the bottom of which is slightly indented or even flat. Also, you should not buy drinks in fancy containers, as this indicates that the manufacturer pays more attention to the external than to the internal content.

The most suitable option for a good red wine is Bordeaux, Burgundy or Alsatian flute-shaped bottles. The color of the glass should be green or dark brown to ensure that as little light as possible enters.

cork material

This also needs to be paid attention, since large and decades-old manufacturers do not use modern plastic stoppers. On their bottles, you can only find high-quality wooden corks. If the cork is leaking or dried out, then the drink has definitely lost some of its properties, if not all.

Also, when opening the bottle, the cork should be smelled. If she emits musty bad smell, then such a drink is not suitable for drinking, it is better to pour it out.

Price characteristic

The price for one bottle of wine is also important. If it is too low, then you should not expect quality from such a wine. Most likely there is quite a lot of concentrate and flavor enhancer in it, or the drink is made from low-quality raw materials.

If you want to buy an aged wine, then it will be an order of magnitude higher than a single one. If suddenly you found such a bottle at a reasonable price, then most likely the wine is on the verge of souring or has already turned sour. Inexpensive wines are good young.

Thus, the higher the cost of a bottle of drink, the better it is. This is especially important to know if you need to choose the right red semi-sweet wine. In more expensive copies, it is likely that there will be much less various additives.

Place of purchase of alcoholic beverages

Of course, now any supermarket abounds various drinks in different price categories, but it is still better to buy really high-quality wine in specialized stores.

It is there that there is a very small level of fake, because this is the reputation of the institution. In such shops, all employees are qualified specialists who will prompt you if necessary.

How to choose the right red wine: pay attention to the country of origin

Among the features in the choice of red wine, it should be noted that each country producing a high-quality alcoholic drink has its own nuances that it is desirable to know and take into account when choosing. Let's consider in more detail.

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 volume of this alcoholic beverage is produced here, 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 of the 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.

Other wine producing countries

Speaking of new wineries, Californian wines are gaining popularity. According to their production and unification methods, they are similar to Italian wines, but the taste of some differs from others, since the climate of the countries is still different.

How to choose good Crimean wine

Although Ukrainian and Russian wines are not considered high quality products, nevertheless, the drinks of the Crimean peninsula are significantly different from all the others. What is the reason for this?

Feature of the Crimean conditions for growing grapes

The geographical zone of the Crimea contributes to the cultivation of different varieties of grapes, which become the basis for very tasty alcoholic beverages.

Some of the grape varieties are quite rare and can only be found in this area. In the steppe zones, berries ripen much faster, so the harvest is more plentiful.

The most famous Crimean brands

You should not buy untested alcoholic drinks from under the floor (homemade), since they are most often made for traveling and vacationing people, therefore they are of rather poor quality.

There are proven Crimean wine producers who produce good alcohol:

Inkerman;.
Koktebel;
Golden beam;
Magarach;
Massandra;
Sunny Valley;
New World.

The listed producers make a lot of strong, sweet and dessert wines. But there are several excellent brands from which you can choose a good red dry wine. For example, at Massandra the most famous is Alushta. Ruby Magarach is also popular and very good in taste.

How to choose delicious red wine in Crimea

To protect yourself from fakes, when buying Crimean wine, you need to know the following:

Alcoholic drinks should be purchased in specialized stores, where it is almost impossible to find a fake.
You also need to pay attention to the shape and volume of the bottle. For example, expensive Massandra wines (blended and vintage) are bottled in containers with a volume of 0.5 liters, and cheaper single ones - 0.7 liters. Collection wines are bottled in 0.7-liter containers and can be found in specialized stores.
It should be remembered that in August there is simply no young wine yet.
When choosing a wine, it is advisable to know the logo or symbols of the brand that you are going to buy. For example, Massandra has a bunch of grapes. The name and date of the spill must also be required.
Long-aged alcohol cannot have a perfect label. If so, then you most likely have a fake.

Of course, one should also take into account General characteristics when choosing alcohol, which are presented at the beginning of the article. This information is very important when choosing a red semi-sweet wine, since it is in such semi-wine that many chemical additives are most often added.

Now you know how to choose the best quality dry red wine of different brands. Remember that if you want to enjoy a truly exquisite taste, then you should not save on a drink so that you don’t have to regret it in the end.

The symmetrical answer is simple: a good wine is one that will give pleasure. Only he is dishonest. We love it for its capacity, but it is exhaustively useless.

“No need to complicate. Is this good or bad wine?

Why do you want to complicate things? Why is it that the longer you study wine, the more difficult it is to talk about it briefly?

Compare: “Doctor, I feel bad. Is it possible without difficulty? Just give good pill»

There are no difficulties if the question is asked by a well-known person, whose addictions are known, and it is clear what he is looking for. Or it is obvious that the tastes coincide - you can simply advise your favorite.

Are there really no easy answers? Eat:

For those who want "good wine" without going into details: find wine lovers whose tastes match yours and drink the same as they do.

A professional, on the other hand, must skillfully reveal the topic of “good wine” for a stranger - like an oyster. And this is a rare case when the answer with a question to a question is the most correct one. Because the right recommendation will depend on the answer to the following question:

What do you want from wine?

And for each option there will be a different answer to the question “which wine is better?”

good inexpensive

“So that everyone likes it” is the most capacious criterion for the question “which wine is better?” on the shelves in the supermarket.

If you need to choose an inexpensive wine for a party and try to please everyone, then you should choose neutral, easy-drinking wines that do not require special attention. Landmark - wines "by the glass" in the wine lists of good cafes (not restaurants), there are wines of just this category. This is your cheat sheet in case of friendly holidays. See what they write there and look for the same in stores.

Inexpensive good whites (dry):

Soave (Italy). This is not a variety, this is the territory of production. On the labels in large it is she - "Soave".
Pinot grigio (Italy). This is a variety. Look for it on the label - "Pinot grigio"
Chardonnay (also a variety) from Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Russia. Chardonnay aged in oak barrels will be softer, "fatter" and seem a little sweeter, aged in steel - livelier and sourer.
Information on how chardonnay has been aged can almost always be found on the counter label on the back of the bottle. The main label will simply say "Chardonnay"
A very good chardonnay in steel is made, for example, by the Russian Lefkadia. True, the price tag is depressing.
"Green wine" (Vinho verde), Portugal. Very light white wine with refreshing acidity, slightly sparkling. Total 9-11° alc. Ideal summer option. It is surprisingly rare in the menu of establishments, but it is not difficult to find it in specialized wine retailers.

What to look for: a plain white dry wine should not be straw-colored unless it has been aged in oak. Unfortunately, in this price segment, white wines (especially Russian ones) are often over-oxidized, and because of the opaque bottle, it is not possible to assess the condition of the wine by its color. If the bottle is transparent, it is better to choose something that is lighter, paler or greener. And younger.

Good semi-sweet whites:

Hungary - the birthplace of the Tokays - offers quite pleasant semi-dry and semi-sweet wines from local varieties Furmint and Harshlevel. When well chilled, these wines retain their original aromatics and are easy to drink.

After a while, semi-dry Spanish ones turn out to be quite good. But it's easy to miss here. Therefore, you caught a successful bottle - take a box.

Inexpensive good reds (dry):

Merlot (almost any country, including Russia). This is a variety. On foreign labels the inscription "Merlot". The wine from this variety is not tart, with a calm aroma.
Shiraz (also any ... but Australian is better :) This is a variety. The label will say either "Shiraz" or "Syrah". The aroma is bright, the taste is rich.
Malbec (this variety) from Argentina. Find the "Argentina" shelf in the store, and on it are labels with the inscription Malbec. Quite soft on the palate, but at the same time bright in aroma wine with a berry and slightly spicy bouquet.
If you want a very tart, powerful wine, then your choice is Chile, a Cabernet Sauvignon variety. But be prepared for the fact that for many it will seem rude. The head also loads quite quickly when it comes to inexpensive samples (up to 700 rubles).

Acceptable semi-sweet reds:

Why dismissively "acceptable"? Because I'm a snob.
"Half measures" cease to be of interest to almost everyone who moves in the knowledge of the wine world, and does not remain a devoted fan of what he drank in the 3rd year of the institute.

But I myself once loved semi-sweet when I was little. Therefore, it is not right to condemn people who like it. Moreover, there are many more such people than me. And they are stronger.

Montenegrin Black (Montenegro)
Domaines Arnaud (France)
Robertson Winery (South Africa) this is already sweet, not semi-

They are all under $600. in retail and among many others stand out for the better.

What to look for here: where it was made! The hit of a recent tasting is Chateau Grenadier of the Klin bottling. The entire label is in French and in the French manner. And on the counter label - the solution to the mystery of the price tag of 350 rubles.

“Comrade, remember!”: cheaper than 400 rubles/bottle. is a risk. Always.

The best folk sparkling:

Prosecco (Prosecco) Well, who does not know him. Bulk Italian a sparkling wine from the local variety Glera. Basically, these are dry wines, less often semi-some kind. There are no pink and red proseccos, sweet ones are very rare.
Russian alternatives to prosecco: dry sparkling wines Aristov (for some reason in English), - a very worthy budget line from Kuban Vino; Phanagoria Charmat brut PGI is a dry sparkling wine made from our own grapes grown in the Kuban. (note PGI - Protected Geographical Indication)
Asti (Asti) Sweet Italian super hit from the Muscat variety. Comments are superfluous.
Lambrusco (Lambrusco) - fragrant sparkling from Italy of all degrees of sweetness. "Fun and tasty" (c) Also possible. Just be careful. Especially if it's not your first. In the evening it smiles sweetly, but in the morning it puts pressure on the mind and tries to put it out on the street.
Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain. Mostly dry. Still democratic, but already with character. Be careful with it: accustomed to the taste of Prosecco, Cava may seem bitter (yes, Cava is a masculine wine in Spanish. Because wine).

Can you drink wine in boxes?

Can. But only dry and mostly not Russian (if we talk about the value of wine as an independent drink, and not raw material for mulled wine).

Of the recent pleasant discoveries - dry white "Viorica Muscat" from the Southern Wine Company (Ochakovo group), - a very bright example of high-quality table wine from the variety of the same name (bought in Magnit in the Krasnodar Territory for 360 rubles / 2 liters).

Otherwise, Montenegrin and Italian dry wines in carton are a good choice for thoughtless bottling at noisy parties. Of the whites, I will note the Italian Trebbiano, since it is easier to miss with white. Trebbiano is a simple, light variety that is hard to find fault with and just as hard to mess up.

(The question "what kind of wine is bad?" is partially answered below, in)

Good wine as a gift

A good wine as a gift is a textbook exemplary wine that is known to most connoisseurs. And "the best wine as a gift" is already clearly for the sake of the taste of the one to whom it is given.

You can gift a visit to a wine tasting

Every wine-lover's love for wine goes through different stages: periods of passion for powerful reds are replaced by romances with fragile whites, intricate stories with ports and sherries, and inevitable moments of revelation with natural sweets. Try to find out what stage the donee is in - and buy him a star in this segment.

What to choose when you need to decide quickly?

If you need to choose a wine as a gift, but access to information about preferences is very limited, then give dry red wine.

If it is possible to find out the attitude to other categories, then you are more likely to please and be more original than the general mass of givers.

White dry

Riesling trocken (Riesling trocken) Germany - strict in the aroma of wine with bright acidity. Riesling is a grape variety. Troken means dry.
Chablis Premier Cru France is a classic "mineral" Chardonnay.
Puligny-Montrachet France is a classic soft chardonnay aged in oak.
Lafoa ("Lafoa") Italy - a bright aroma of sauvignon with grassy notes.
Sancerre (France) - calm sauvignon with notes of "hewn flint".

Red dry

Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe (Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe) France - classic Bordeaux, "right bank".
Margot cru bourgeois (Margaux Cru Bourgeois) France - classic Bordeaux, "left bank".
Chateauneuf-du-Pape France - spicy expression with animal aromas.
Barolo Cannubi Italy is a classic of aged Italian wine, preferably at least 7 years old. Barolo - the name of the wine, or rather the appellation, i.e. this is the Italian DOC. Kannubi is the name of the vineyard. Manufacturers may vary.
Chianti Rufina Italy - just good Chianti :)
Tannat (this is a variety) from Uruguay. Jokes aside. If you find. "Tannat" on the label. But not cheaper than 1200r.
In a separate line: the new Russian brand "Phantom" (a vineyard in the Rostov region). The variant "70\30" is very interesting, in which 70% is a purely Russian variety Krasnostop and 30% is Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright, well-balanced, really interesting wine. Of the risks - a high price in the absence of a proven ability to longevity. But the opposite has not yet been proven ...

Sparkling

Champagne Champagne, France!
Franciacorta, Italy.

Sweet whites

Sauternes France.
Eiswein (Eiswein) Austria - the so-called. "ice wine".
Vin Santo Italy.
Recioto di Soave (Italy).
Trockenbeerenauslese (Trockenbeerenauslese) Germany - if your birthday boy can read this right off the bat, then you've hit the mark: people who know this wine are in awe of it.

Sweet reds

Recioto della Valpolicella (Recioto) Italy.

Fortified dry

Sherry (Jeres, Sherry) of course, Spanish.
Madeira (Madeira) of course, Portuguese - in my opinion, the best choice among fortified, in terms of a gift up to 5000r.

Fortified sweet

Pedro Ximenez Sweet Sherry is the legendary sherry from English novels.
Port wines (e.g. brands such as Quinta do Noval, Taylor's).
Marsala Italy (white).

There is no special system in this collection, these are offhand examples - a cheat sheet for a fire case. With accents so that you are quickly understood in a wine boutique)

A competent kavist (a consultant in a boutique) will offer a line from the category you need based on the amount for the purchase - without it, adequate advice is impossible.

Therefore, do not hesitate to voice the budget and ask consultants. I emphasize that it makes sense to ask wine boutique consultants, and not the watchmen of the wine departments of department stores.

Wine with food

Wine meets food with three facets: taste, aroma, alcohol.

At the same time, alcohol is what distinguishes the wine as an ingredient. More on that below. For the rest, you can compare wine with sauce - and you will understand that everything is not so difficult. After all, there are only 4 basic tastes, and we have rich experience in combining them.

A simple parallel: black tea + lemon + sugar = a combination of tart, sour and sweet. Someone does not like lemon, someone will not put sugar: the point is that we are able to intuitively choose flavors that complement each other and guess what will be delicious and what will not.

For example: Sour + sweet - YES,
Bitter + sweet - YES.
Sour + bitter - NO ,
Bitter+bitter - Hardly*

* you can take combinations of sour wine and sour food, bitter wine and bitter food, but in these cases, the wine should be less sour / bitter in taste than the snack. But in the case of sweet-sweet - on the contrary: sugary wines go well with ice cream (classic - sherry Pedro Jimenez with vanilla ice cream). Here are some tricks :)

Of course, it is easier to choose food after a personal acquaintance with wine, and not according to the description. But the descriptions of wines, as a rule, contain the main accents of their taste.

Some common examples:

Wines that are bitter: dry white wines from Gewürztraminer, Torrontes, Verdejo varieties; dry white wines from southern Italy and Spain.
Wines with pronounced acidity: dry German Rieslings, champagne, young sauvignons.
Brackish wines: dry sherries, some Greek white wines.
Sweet: Sauternes, rechoto, ice wine, port, sweet sherry.

Here you can not complicate. Wine has a taste, everything else has a taste - and these tastes should be combined in the way we like. “Good wine” with food is the one that tastes good to you.

In the example, tea is taken as a parallel to the "fifth taste" of red wines - astringency (i.e. "astringent taste", called "tannin" in wine).

When choosing combinations with wine, use parallels with non-hot food:

Will this dish go well with tart wine?
- imagine it with cooled strong black tea.
Will it work with acidic wine?
What happens if you drop lemon into this dish?
Would this work with bitter wine?
What happens if you eat it with an olive?
Etc.

Wine and food should not argue about tastes. They should complement each other, like everything else on the plate.

At the same time, the proportionality of the “weight category” of wine and food is more important than rules like “white goes with fish”, because they follow from here.

“Weight category” is the force with which a dish / wine attacks our receptors. If you take a sip and immediately your mouth is full of impressions, you have bright wine in your glass. A dish should be chosen comparable, at least in terms of the power of perception (unless, of course, we are talking about gastronomy, and not an appetizer at a tasting, the purpose of which is to slow down intoxication without distracting from wine).

Wine and food shouldn't argue about who's cooler.

It's about the intensity of flavor and aroma, regardless of their profile. If the merits of one completely drown out the merits of the other, make friends with them separately.

Significant parameters that determine the intensity of the taste of wine:

Adjustments for alcohol

Ethanol is a universal sensation catalyst. In the broadest sense, including gastronomic.

Hence the rule:

Do not drink wine with food until finished, if you are not sure about the combination.

This is one of the most simple tips which I can give. If you pour imperfectly matched wine into a full mouth, alcohol will come out to the fore and pull out all the shortcomings of the combination with it. Take a sip between mouthfuls of servings. If the balance is close to ideal, this rule can be neglected. In other cases, you will be surprised how much compatibility will improve;)

A few more useful NOTs:

– NO nuts for wine (especially walnuts)
- NO vinegar to wine (this is about salads and marinades)
- NO canned wine
– NO coffee before wine

Total, what in the end.

In the end - for any need experience. Moreover, yours, not experts. No matter how many lines gourmets and critics write about the combinations of wine and food, all these are just parting words and examples on a long journey of personal experiments.

Even the basics of this science become obsolete over time. For several decades, the food industry has been changing, winemaking technologies have been developing. As a result, many combinations stop working. In addition, there are those that are generally controversial, but due to marketing efforts or due to a combination of circumstances, gain popularity (for example, foie gras and Sauternes ...)

Like the rule - use it. If you don't like it, find something else. Personal taste is the final criterion.

A glass of good wine solo

There are wines with which you want to be alone. These are wines with complex aromas that can open in the glass for an hour. And yes - these are most often expensive and very expensive wines. Perhaps you can name examples yourself.

Bottle to "surprise"

Here, of course, you need to focus on the tastes of those you are going to surprise, and not on the taste of wine.

Counting on immediate delight, you need to choose bright and self-explanatory solutions.

So, you can surprise with the year of harvest, the size of the bottle (from common 1.5 liter Magnums to 6 liter Methuselahs and absolutely incredible 15 liter Nebuchadnezzar), its design (Italian wine "Diadema" with Swarovski crystals, lockable on the key a bottle of El Candado sherry and many examples of "expensive and rich" from champagne houses).

In general, here the gloss and promotion of manufacturers will tell you what to admire.

Wine as an investment

In short, here you can not do without consultants and ratings. This is if you are going to buy wine in order to sell it.

If a bottle accidentally “fell” on you, which, as you happily found out on the Internet, costs 40 thousand rubles of money, do not rush to take out a loan for it. To sell a bottle of wine of this level, you must show its provenance, i.e. history of life (storage) or to have a reputation as a serious collector - as is the case with an expensive work of art. Without this, you will have to go for serious discounts.

Of course, if you yourself buy wine with a good pedigree, then be prepared to provide it with further appropriate living conditions: either at home or somewhere for money. And keep in mind that investment wines are bought, as a rule, in boxes;) Also, keep in mind that the sale of wine by private individuals in the Russian Federation is illegal.

Wine "misunderstanding"

Misunderstandings are of various kinds. Some are connected with the desire to earn money and threaten with losses, others - with the desire to save money and threaten with hospitalization.

I believe that among the readers of this material, the majority are reasonable people, regardless of wealth. The question of "how to make money" was raised above in, and it can only be expanded in a separate material. The question “how not to get poisoned” is much simpler: if in the first case the high price is a risk, then in the second it is almost a panacea.

And yet I can’t ignore phantasmagoria like draft wines from “barrels” in domestic resorts, Asti DOСG comes from the Moscow region and Chateau Grenadier of the Klin bottling. And if the last example is just a touching mimicry, suitable for mulled wine, then the first two examples are an outright fake, possibly dangerous to health.

By the way, about the legendary powder wine

Actually, in order not to get into the next disturbing chronicles, pay attention to the origin of the wine and its composition. No matter how wonderful the mention of the composition is here, but sometimes the nature of dubious drinks is not hidden by the manufacturer and is smallly indicated on the counter-label, in the shadow of a bright label verified by marketers and lawyers - misleading, but beyond jurisdiction.

For example, Asti DOCG is an inscription that obliges a lot in Italy, but, apparently, it “rolls” normally in our bodies. Esperanto Vin's Chateau Grenadier never claims to be French, but tries its best to look good while honestly admitting where it was made.

It is completely dark - with resort wines "from the tap" - there you will have to get to the information by swamps and with battles. In those cases... don't.

Wine for mulled wine

In my opinion, “good wine for mulled wine” is a wine that is not interesting in itself, but at the same time of high quality from the point of view of at least Russian GOSTs. To use a really good wine for mulled wine is to abuse it, saying that its bouquet is so “about nothing” that we lose nothing by killing it with heat and spices.

Wine in boxes is just the category of wines that are ideal for mulled wine. And in this niche, Russian manufacturers occupy their well-deserved place. Just do not take semi-sweet and sweet wines, as well as the Isabella variety.

Most dry merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay "tetrapacks" (for white mulled wines) are a great base for a decent mulled wine, especially if you add a few ready mixes in sachets and fresh fruits and real spices. Of course dry

When laying a festive table for guests, you 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";
saturated with 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.

Production table wine completely excludes 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 sourness, pleasant, mild taste goes well with fish dishes, cold appetizers, fruits 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 of 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 the shelf life of 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.

Famous representatives of strong wines: Madeira, port wine, sherry. Pairs well with hot first courses.

A large group consists 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. It has a light, pleasant taste; when poured, it 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, The delicate taste of 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 is a heated debate about which wine is healthier: white or red? Wine, in fact, is complex organic matter formed as a result of fermentation grape juice. This ancient drink In addition to water, it includes great amount chemicals and elements: ethyl alcohol, 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 decreases, toxins are removed from the body, blood vessels are cleansed, and the risk of developing diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis is reduced. Recently, opinions have been expressed that red and white wine are practically 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 of the respiratory system and cardiac pathology, relieving depression.

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 rectified alcohol, 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 the shelves of shopping centers in Russia there are a lot of wines 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 low-quality drinks come across among its products. 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.

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

When choosing imported dry red wine, one should be guided by the principle that the hotter the climate in the country of origin, the tastier 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.

A collection of traditional Georgian red wines will be a wonderful decoration for 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, a pleasant addition Russian market quality Abkhazian wines.

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. The most popular brands are Lykhna, 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 design of labels. rule of three colors. 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. Nowadays, some winemakers are replacing corks with metal screw caps, simplifying the way bottles are opened.

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 the 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 for 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.

Serving temperature for meat dishes is 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 Saperavi grape variety, 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 Territory;
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 varieties of grapes 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.

A great addition to Georgian cheeses and sweet dishes. Cooling wine enhances its flavor nuances. It has a pleasant taste and delicate bouquet.

Akhasheni is a semi-sweet drink made from the famous saperavi grape variety grown in the mountainous Kakheti region. 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 dark red grape 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 a healing and therapeutic effect is regular consumption in small doses. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol dependence. As the French say, wine cures everything except alcoholism.

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, the brand chef sommelier of the restaurant holding Maison Dellos Sergey Aksenovskiy and wine expert Anton Obrezchikov talk 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, we don’t bother about the right temperature and the right 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, stumble upon good prices in a boutique, but this is rather an exception. In the West, by the way, chain supermarkets have long been puzzled by the issue of educating customers through their own wine 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 to the 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 see an inexpensive wine on the shelf with some kind of dilapidated year - even the year before last - this most likely indicates what the wine from the old purchase is (which, again, may allow the store to make a lower price for it). But it could be stored incorrectly. Stores do not always have right conditions storage (temperature, humidity, lack of bright light and foreign smells 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 at an affordable 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 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. It's extreme 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 list of 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 is correct delivery? 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 unsuccessful expensive wine. 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 circumstances, with the right people and in the right place, you can drink it with great pleasure, for example, at a spontaneous picnic with some local food.

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 took yesterday in "Auchan" for 400 rubles, is cooler than this one portuguese port wine for 4 thousand 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

There is a lot of controversy about the benefits and harms of alcoholic beverages. But even the most zealous opponents of alcohol will not refuse a glass of good wine. Wine - means truth, revelation, also called the moisture of life. To know the depth of the drink, to enjoy drinking, you need to know how to choose a good wine.

Which wine is better to choose

The diverse classification of the drink can be divided into: taste, aroma, the presence of alcohol. According to the alcohol content, they distinguish:

Fortified (sherry, port, Cahors) - have a high rate of 16% to 21%.
Sparkling (champagne) - they contain up to 14% alcohol, contain carbon dioxide.
Canteens, quiet non-sparkling (Bordeaux, Cabernet, Chardonnay) - the alcohol component is also up to 14%.
Flavored (vermouth) - up to 20%.

By color, wines are divided into:

Reds, their palette is extensive, from rich garnet to terracotta brown (aged varieties), from ruby to purple (young).
Pink, softer colors from pastel, light ruby to the whole spectrum of pink.
White varieties, have straw, greenish tones (young dry varieties), amber (fortified, dessert).

Almost all brands change their shade over time, fortified and dessert wines acquire amber colors, dry ones darken. When eating food, they determine which wines are best suited for what by its color and content. Canteens are best used as a flavoring addition to the table, and desserts for the final dishes. Restaurateurs recommend taking into account that the more refined the drink, the easier dish, and vice versa.

Read also: good Abkhazian wine

Examples of successful menu combinations:

Sparkling, effervescent wines can practically be drunk with any food, if it is not borscht or herring with onions. Drink chilled (up to 8°C) in narrow glasses.
Red varieties are served with meat dishes, fried and spicy, with any kind of cheese, various fruits, go well with pasta, pizza, etc. Recently, restaurants have been offering popular flavor variations for fish products: salmon, trout, sushi. Optimal for them room temperature(18°C), served in wide glasses.
Dry white brands "love" the first dishes (soups, stews, mashed potatoes), all kinds of salads with mayonnaise, but without vinegar. Low-fat sausages and veal, poultry, of course, fish are classics of the genre. Drink chilled (up to 12°C).
Pink - considered universal, served with hot dishes, seafood, desserts (temperature up to 18 ° C). For them and dry use dishes on a high leg, with narrow walls.
Sweet (dessert) varieties - they are heavier, stronger, they drink them with pastries or jelly (up to 16 ° C) from small charms on a low leg.

Read also:

How to choose a good wine in a store by label - 10 rules

It is not necessary to be a sommelier in order to learn how to buy a decent drink, and not a burda, after which there is a terrible aftertaste, and in the morning at least - dizziness, at most - a disorder of the body.

Ten rules for choosing good wine in the store will help you avoid this:

Clearly separate sweet and dry varieties. For the production of popular semi-sweet drinks, wine materials of the lowest quality are used. They add a lot of preservatives, chemical components. Abroad, this kind does not exist at all.
Information about the manufacturer. The main thing is the presence of the name, information about the manufacturer, if they are not, it is better to immediately return the bottle to the shelf. On the front side of the right drinks, you can always read the brand name in large print.
The region of production also serves as a visiting card. The absence of such, speaks of low-quality products.
Grape sort. Only very expensive wines that you can't buy in a regular outlet are made from one grape variety. First-class drinks of inexpensive and medium cost are produced by blending, i.e. mixing several varieties of berries. If the label indicates 100% of one name, there is no doubt that it is a fake.
Harvest time. The labeling of quality alcohol must indicate the year of grape harvest. You will not find such information on a diluted concentrate, a chemical analogue.
Expiry date and place. The barrel is considered an ideal storage place, they store only high-quality stamps. Divided by age:

vintage, made from good-quality berries, with languor for 3-7 years, from 6 years is already considered a collection species;
ordinary go on sale with exposure from 4 months to 1 year.

Description of the merits, originality that add a positive image to the brand.
Product cost. Wine cannot be attributed to the rule that you can pay not for quality, but for the brand. An inexpensive drink cannot be natural and tasty, too much work has been invested in it.
Package. Cardboard packaging is a "friend" of a cheap chemical concentrate. If you pour into it noble drink, he will certainly lose his dignity. After all, only glass bottles or wood barrels are able to preserve the richness of taste.
Original containers, such as ceramic or decorative, have a negative effect on the storage of wine, or hide a fake.

Manufacturer country

Russia

Grape vines in Russia are grown in the Krasnodar, Stavropol Territories, regions of the Caucasus, Crimea, Volgograd, Saratov Regions. But most of the products in stores are made from imported materials, they are in demand. Of course, competition in the world market is high, but now reasonable prospects are predicted for Russian winemaking. They make drinks from classic varieties of berries, they are distinguished by a natural, flowery taste.

Read also:

The following brands hold the palm:

"Isabella", "Aligote";
"Pino black";
"Cabernet Sauvignon".

Known manufacturers:

"Caucasus";
"Russian vine";
"Fanagoria";
Rostov plant, Tsimlyansky plant (among sparkling), etc.

Ukraine

The climate of Ukraine allows the development of this industry in almost most of the territory, but still the vine bears fruit where there are mild winters and long hot summers. These are Southern Bessarabia, Transcarpathia, Southern regions. The best brands, taste and aromatic qualities, which are quite at a decent level:

"Shabo";
Agrofirm "Belozersky";
"French Boulevard" (specializes in sparkling types).

Soil and climatic factors make it possible to obtain berries with balanced acidity and sweetness. But still, imports prevail in the Ukrainian market.

Georgia

There are about 4 thousand varieties of grapes in the world, over 500 grow in Georgia. At Soviet times it supplied 80% of all vintage wines of the republics. Now the demand for them is not decreasing, the drink is impeccable. Perhaps this is due to the special Kakhetian technology of wine production.

Huge conical jugs, kvevri, are buried in the ground, then the berries are kept at a temperature of 14 ° C, the juice is squeezed out with their feet. There is also mechanical dressing, mass production, but as a result of this method, full, extractive characteristics with mild astringency are obtained. The distinctive features of Georgian brands include a long and pleasant aftertaste, harmony of flavors. The best varieties:

"Khvanchkara";
"Rkatsiteli", etc.

Moldova

Refinement, lightness of taste are attributed to Moldovan alcohol. Drinks from the Kodrovoi, Central regions of the republic are saturated with shades of wild flowers, they can be traced aromas of violets. In this country, they prefer to make wine not only with the fermentation of grape berries, but also with apple juice.

Collection bottles may contain a kind of acid, in order to reduce its level, you need to open the container in advance and let the wine “breathe”. Not inferior in characteristics to foreign products, it has a lower cost. Among the popular:

"Moldavian";
Aligote "Oneshty";
"Dnieper white";
"Romanesti";
Cabernet "Chumay";
"Bouquet of Moldova" (flavored vermouth, similar to Italian).

France

The French, like the Moldavians, have been growing vines since ancient times and drinking alcohol from an early age. In this country, the quality of products is controlled according to the regional principle; accordingly, grape varieties are not indicated on the labels of French drinks. On its territory there is the largest vineyard in the world of a high-class variety called Bordeaux. 80% are red wines.

The insanely expensive, limited-edition Bordeaux Petrus is one of the noblest red drinks. It comes from the Polerole region. The southeast side is famous for the white dry "Entre de Mer", with a rich aroma of a fruity bouquet, in perfect harmony with seafood. In the regions of Medoc, Soner, Rights produce the legendary premium cru brands:

"Chateau Latour";
"Chateau Lafitte-Rothschild";
"Mouton-Rothschild";
"O-Brion";
"Chateau Margot".

Italy

Gourmets will agree that the definition of "good" does not apply to French and Italian wines. They are ideal, even those that have an average or democratic cost. Distinctive feature is a balance of taste, color, aroma, aftertaste.

The climatic conditions of the Apennine Peninsula contribute to the development of culture. Under the Italian sun, warm rain, the berries are filled with full-fledged juice, as a result of which fermentation results in a divine drink. Although it is not so easy for Italians to break into the world market because of competition with their neighbors. Production has a step classification:

elite;
DOC category (by region, sugar and alcohol capacity);
IGT (worse taste);
table, from prefabricated varieties.

The division of alcohol into red Rosso and white Bianco came to us from there. And all these names have long been associated with something especially pleasant, solemn:

"Lambrusco";
"Dolcetto";
"Malvasia Nera";
"Amarone";
"Lagrain" and many others.