Getting non-Wineaux in to Wine

You love wine. Of course, you do. But, your spouse, significant other, life partner, or your best friends don't like wine. That means they fail to have proper taste, but they can be fixed, at least they can be if they are willing to try.

But, how exactly can you do that? In order to that, you need to introduce them to wine. And, when you introduce them, it's more likely than not that you want to introduce them with what some people might call easy-drinking wines. So, medium bodied, not too acidic, not too tannic, probably a little bit of sweetness to the taste even if it really doesn't come from anything other than the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Most of those things that I mentioned tend to be turn-offs for novice wine drinkers. Most don't like tannins, they don't like really dry wines or really crisp wines. They like fruit, particularly sweet fruit and a nice soft feeling in the mouth. And, while most have not thought about, they probably do not like their wine at room temperature.

Where does that leave us? The good news is that to satisfy all those criteria, you, as their wine master, do not need to buy expensive wine. In expensive wine, frankly, you are often paying for the tannins and the acidity and the dryness. Educated palates, or some might say snobby palates, tend to like those things.

Bearing all this in mind, let's choose some good starter wines. Remember, we want medium body, little if any bite from tannins or acid, fruit not earth and fruit forward is better than not, soft in the mouth, and inexpensive. And, while you know this about white wines, even if it's a red wine, refer to yesterday's tip  to serve your red wine at about 6 to 10 degrees F/3-6C below room temperature.

On the red side, I am going to direct you, among grapes that you can find easily to Tempranillo , Malbec, and Merlot. Merlot in the $7 to $14 range, particularly from the western US, as well as from Chile and Argentina, is usually going to fit all of those characteristics. Because they are not tannic, they will drink just fine when young and they feel soft in the mouth.

Malbec is similar and again, the ones from South America often reign supreme. But, look at the back label. If there are notes on there about being grown at high elevation, stay away. I will like those wines better and you probably should too, but the novice wine drinker might find them too big and bold.

And, then there is Tempranillo. The home of this grape is Spain, specifically in its real home in either Rioja or Ribera del Duero. Do not try any wine labeled Gran Riserva with your novice friend. Those wines will tend to be more earthy and leathery and less fruity. They are typically less appealing to the newbie palate. And, go with Riserva carefully. But, if you find one that is labeled Crianza, and the good news is they will usually be less expensive, they might be the easiest to drink.

On the white side, I am going to break the group into two categories -- those who love sweet and those who don't. Among the sweet wine drinkers, even if the bottles in question happen to have no residual sugar, I am going to send you to Riesling or to Moscato. Both are fruity and have fruity sweetness to them. And, if you can find Alsatian Riesling that is not Pradikatwein (those are more expensive), you are going to stay well under $10 for a bottle. But, the lemony freshness and surprisingly the petrol and lanolin tend to be quite pleasing to the new wine drinker. For Moscato, of course, it is the fresh fruit coming through that appeals.

And, for those who really don't like sweets, surprisingly from me, get some California Chardonnay that is not from Napa. Why not from Napa? Why pay for Napa when you are trying to interest a non-wine drinker in wine? Just find a nearly $10 bottle without catchy labeling from somewhere near Napa and you should be good to go.