TAMPA, FL -- All aspiring wine aficionados have to start somewhere. It always begins with that very first first sip.
A quick can of the aisles at a decent-sized retail outlet can overwhelm the senses. Even seasoned wine fanciers may find themselves a bit challenged.
What to do?
There are plenty of books and magazines on picking the right wine.
If that’s too much time and bother, and you want to dive right in, read on.
We went to one Bay area wine expert and asked him to cut to the chase.
“Wine should be a life-enhancer and not a life-changer,” says Michael Stima with Tampa's Total Wine & More. The outlet is one of the biggest in Florida with thousands of selections ranging from bargain basement cheap wines to those in the stratospheric four figure range.
A surprising number of Stima’s customers have never even tried wine. Topping the list of questions he gets: “What does it taste like?” Which is sort of like being asked what chocolate tastes like from someone who’s never had any.
His stock answer, “Try a wine tasting event.”
Don’t feel like waiting around for the next wine tasting?
Stima asks customers a few basic questions. “The first thing I would ask you is: are you looking for a wine that you can sit back and relax with as a beverage? Would you like something you would enjoy with food? What are your favorite foods? And that would help us narrow it down.”
Still uncertain?
Stima suggests something light, either red or white.
He says a light, crisp white wine can be especially enjoyable, given that the warm weather is still with us.
“I would say ask for an unoaked Chardonnay. It’s very, very popular and somewhat easy to find.” Stima produces a bottle of Anakena Chardonnay ($7.99) from Chile, of all places, saying it's an excellent starter wine.
Want take home a red as well?
Stima suggests a bottle of Pinot Noir. He recommends D’Autrefois, a French Pinot Noir ($9.99).
For the beginner, Stima suggests experimenting in this order:
White:
1. Chardonnay (unoaked – can be somewhat complex with a certain amount of depth to it – large variety to choose from)
2. Pinot Grigio (food friendly)
3. Reisling (somewhat sweet)
Red:
1. Pinot Noir (tends to be lighter, easier drinking)
2. Merlot (bolder and may be somewhat fruitier and heavier)
Stima says he does not suggest a Cabernet or a Zinfandel for those just starting out, saying they may be a little too big and bold. “I would not recommend starting out with those. Maybe if it was the wintertime, yes,” he said.
