As I was working on an article for this week’s Perspective, a request came in from a client who is an experienced taster but new to the world of wine. Their question basically boiled down to this: The world of wine is vast. With so many options, how do I figure out what kind of wine I like to drink? While this question is trivial given enough time (you should drink as well, often, and varied as you can, try to retain an open mind, and possibly mix in some blind tasting to keep yourself honest), it becomes more and more challenging when one imposes tighter time restrictions.
How many bottles does it really take to know what you like?
You can cover the vast majority of wine tastes in 36 bottles. Three mixed 12-packs will give you 80% of what you need to know about your own preferences, and you can fill in the corners over the next few decades of wine drinking at your leisure. How did I arrive at this magical number? Quite simple: I made it up. But keep your hats on and hear me out.
This is not a beginner’s guide to wine. If you want one of those, there are countless on offer. I started my journey with Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World. Many other professionals I know began with Wine for Dummies or Karen MacNeil’s Wine Bible. There are hipper, more modern options too, like Aldo Sohm’s Wine Simple. This is a beginner’s guide to one’s own taste. It may sound controversial, but it shouldn’t: taste cannot be developed by reading. It must begin with a full glass.
The 36 bottles have also been chosen with budget in mind. Here you will not find the Grand Crus of Burgundy or the First Growths of Bordeaux. Those wines can be breathtaking, but you don’t need to spend upwards of $500 per bottle to discover you like elegant Pinot Noir or structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Once you find out what you like, by all means spend away (I know a great website). Neither will you find extreme bargains on this list, though each wine is a relative bargain within its category. You can spend $50 on a middling producer of Chianti with a penchant for the overuse of new oak and learn nothing about whether you like Sangiovese, despite having ticked the words Gran Selezione off your list. These bottles represent what I consider the minimum effective dose to discover your own palate.
Case 1: The White Wines
A Dry Riesling: Though my love for the great producers of Wachau knows no end, a GG Riesling from Germany is the one for this job. It needs some age (between five and ten years) and to be from a vintage that wasn’t too hot (no 2018, for example).
Our recommendation: Bassermann-Jordan, Forster Freundstuck Riesling GG, Pfalz
A Less Dry Riesling: We said to keep an open mind, and we meant it. Off-dry Riesling is one of the wine world’s greatest pleasures. This one needs to be more noticeably sweet than most Kabinetts these days (which have been tasting drier and drier). Spatlese from a classic Nahe producer is just the thing.
Our recommendation: Donnhoff, Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe
A Steely Sauvignon Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc is grown the world over, and we’ll grab two styles for this case. The first must be serious, steely, acidic, and age-worthy. For our money, that means one of the greats of Sancerre, from a cool vintage like 2021.
Our recommendation: Pascal Cotat, Sancerre, Grande Cote
An Aromatic Sauvignon Blanc: I might draw some ire for this one, but you need to know whether Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is the style for you. It could be! Though many sommeliers would recoil in horror, their disdain is not always well-founded. I once participated in an around-the-world Sauvignon Blanc blind tasting where the very wine below (quite a large-scale endeavor, and not a bit hip) scored top marks. The participating sommeliers were aghast.
Our recommendation: Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
A Chenin Blanc: An under-appreciated grape with a taste all its own, we’re going with a clean, linear style that shows off Chenin’s versatility and age-ability. Savennières has a reputation for more oxidative styles, but the modern era provides a wider range of styles, and this one is an acid-driven freak.
Our recommendation: Thibaud Boudignon, Savennieres, Clos de Fremine
A White Burgundy: Chardonnay is perhaps the most important white wine grape in the world, and styles range widely. While experienced oenophiles may cry foul that I have forgone a Chablis, the Chenin above covers that base and more from a taste profile standpoint, so we’re going with something from the Côte de Beaune. Grab one with a bit of age (around five years) and from a great vintage like 2020.
Our recommendation: Domaine Bitouzet Prieur, Puligny-Montrachet, Les Levrons
A California Chardonnay: Gone are the days of the Butter Bomb, but honest Chardonnay that shows off the sunny climate of California is still a must-have for our discovery case. Yes, you could spring for Kongsgaard, but you’ll get the idea with this classic from further south. We also need a dry wine with a bit more age in our case, and a lovely case of 2014 is available at the time of this writing. Two birds, one stone.
Our recommendation: Mount Eden Vineyards, Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains
A Semi-Aromatic White: Floral characteristics are divisive among white wine drinkers, so we’ll explore two different levels. The first is a more subtle florality from the northeast of Italy. Soave is primarily made with the Garganega grape, and this producer is a staple.
Our recommendation: Pieropan, Soave, Classico
A VERY Aromatic White: Maybe you’re a Muscat-hound or a Gewurz-guzzler, who knows? Don’t just grab any Gewurztraminer. The best invariably come from Alsace, and Weinbach is one of the all-time greats. Try this one on its own, and with some highly-spiced food like Indian or Thai.
Our recommendation: Domaine Weinbach, Cuvee Laurence Gewurztraminer
A Phenolic White: Don’t worry about what phenols are, you just need to taste some. Albariño, Gruner Veltliner, and Pinot Gris/Grigio are the usual suspects, and we may be crucified for leaving out one of the wine world’s most-recognized names, but we’re going Gruner on this one. Pay attention to the texture of this wine on the palate.
Our recommendation: Franz Xaver Pichler, Loibner Gruner Veltliner, Wachau
A Luscious White: Sure, luscious isn’t exactly a technical term, but there is a whole world of white wines that shouldn’t be described any other way. While explorers of means might jump straight to Jean-Louis Chave’s iconic Hermitage Blanc, we’re starting more reasonably with an excellent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc.
Our recommendation: Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Blanc
An Older White: Cellar age is talked about ad nauseam for the great red wines of the world, but it is just as important and far less appreciated for whites. In terms of still white wines that are released having already been aged at the winery, there is no greater example than the one below.
Our recommendation: Bodegas Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Reserva Blanco
Ready your stems, take notes (or don’t), share with friends and discuss. Try these wines on their own and with food, and most importantly, enjoy them! Taste is built best in community, and a bit of friendly argumentation about whether Gewurztraminer is the gift of the gods or as off-putting as your grandma’s soap (the one that could be smelled from outside the bathroom door) is an essential experience on your journey towards wine appreciation!