me & red wine
it was not love in the first tasting
I was never a huge drinker, so I always take a one-half glass, and for me, it was enough but there was something on the red wines that it was too blarg for me, I just couldn´t pass the first sip.
I t was a harshness, dryness in the mouth…and some wines…just too much!
I was always taking a bit and leaving almost everything in the glass, I had a very low tolerance to it and was not that open-minded to learn more or develop my taste.
With the years going by, I got more interested in wine, tasted more, and studied about it. Today I know that what is hard for me to swallow is the tannins. Tannins are naturally occurring polyphenol, with a characteristic of being very astringent and bitter, and are more common in red wines than whites because of the contact with the grapes´skin.
This characteristic of the red wine made me drink more whites and rosés, but now with the studies, I´m learning that some grapes can be moderate or low in tannins like Pinot Noir, Grenache, and Malbec.
Studying red wines (and wines in general) made me more open-minded, even more curious, and willing to give a new chance to this red family. Of course, this was only beneficial for me: I´m learning a new portfolio of taste and smell that only the red wines can provide me!
If you don´t have a high tolerance for tannins, I still suggest you to not give up in the red family of wines! Try some moderate-low tannins grapes, try different wine regions, try wines from countries that are not so high profile too! The flavors of the red are very interesting in the palate and to develop this taste portfolio you need to try, also, you will only find out you don´t like it if you try, so give it a go!
A thing that I do is also take notes on the wine (in an app or notebook, I use the Vivino app), this way it is easier to find a wine that will be the best fit for your taste profile!
Just don´t give up entirely on the reds! It can be worth it :)
