This section of www.robertfranciswine.ie is aimed at the wine newbie – you enjoy a glass of red or white but are stuck buying the same wines over and over. You are not quite sure what you like about the wine that you are drinking, or why you even like it ? So through this part of the website, I am hoping the postings on wine in general, wine producing countries to specific regions and varietals you will achieve a wider palate, and appreciation for different wines.

It is important to note at this stage that you may not like all wine styles initially but your palate will grow and develop with time, wines that I enjoy now are not necessarily the wines that I enjoyed when I got into wine first.

If you to try stick to the slogan of “Expand and Explore” you can continue to push the limits of your wine knowledge. Through trying new varietals and different wine regions you can continue to increase your wine knowledge. But remember to trust your own palate!

As I mentioned above we will start by discussing wine in general, then move in a level to discussing wine producing countries and different varietals. Through an understanding of the countries and the different characteristics a savvy wine buyer can make some enlightened purchases.

1. Get to know your local wine merchant, discuss with them what you are currently drinking and some new wine regions/varietals that you would like to try.

2. Taste as much different wine as you possibly can, don’t stay in your current comfort zone it is only through tastings that your palate will develop and it will also help you zone in wine characteristics that you really enjoy.

3. Keep notes on the wines that you try – this will help you remember the wines that you have tried and also see how your palate is developing – a wine that you considered great a year ago might now appear a little primitive and one dimensional.

4. Be open minded – don’t immediately rule out any varietals or styles of wine based on previous fashions or trends. For example, don’t immediately associate Riesling with Blue Nun or Liebfraumilch that were popular in the 70’s. Rieslings is a fantastic varietal making totally different wines across the global from the tight, grapy, low level alcohol wines in Germany to a more citrus, minerally style of wine in Australia.

5. Absorb as much information as you can on the whole area of wine – this will help you stay up to date with changes in wine trends, upcoming stars, recent award winners.

6. Read wine websites, there are numerous excellent choices on line from Dr Jamie Goode at www.wineanorak.com to the excellent Tom Cannavan at www.winepages.com. If you feel a little intimidated just read the sites initially, and wait until you feel more comfortable to start posting.

7. Visit some wine producing areas, if possible. In an age where Irish people are traveling more then they ever have done in their history grab the opportunity to visit some wine producing regions. This will give you a real feel for what the industry is about and first hand viewing of some of the skills required to produce wine.

8. Don’t stock your cellar full of your current favourite wine – your palate and tastes will change over time.

9. Trust your palate – the tastes and smells that you feel are in a wine are how the wine appears to you. Enjoy finding out about the wine that you are drinking, and the different characteristics it holds.

10. Match your wines to the occasions – not every occasion calls for big blockbuster wines. Often the situation will call for an easy drinking, well made glass of wine. It is being able to strike the right balance between easy drinking, and serious wines that is part of the fun and the challenge.

 

Various wine critics use various points systems to score wine. They range from mathematically based methods such as the 20 point systems adopted by UK wine critic Jancis Robinson and famous wine retailers Berry Bros. & Rudd to the less formal scale advocated by Hugh Johnson which rates wine according to how much of it you would like drink – the spectrum running from ‘one sip’ to ‘the entire vineyard’ !

I have decided to follow the 100 point system of Robert Parker [www.erobertparker.com], the famous wine Critic from America.

There are arguments for and against all of the rating systems. Some dispute the accuracy of the 100 points system, while others maintain that it is very difficult to differentiate scores on the small scale systems such as the 20 points/5 stars system.

Mindful of its failings, I feel the 100 point system allows me give you with most objective score and communicate the quality of the wines I’m tasting so that you can make the most informed decision about your purchases.

The following is a rough breakdown of the how the 100 points are allocated:-

50 Points – All wine considered receives a score of at least 50 points

5 Points – For the colour and appearance of the wine.

15 points – For Aroma and Bouquet.

20 Points – For Flavour and Finish

10 Points – For the overall quality or potential of the wine.

It is important to note though that just because a wine only scores 86 points this does not mean that this is a bad wine – quite the contrary. Wines scoring over 80 points are above average to very good [89 points]. I will generally breakdown wines into the following brackets:-

96 – 100 points represents an Extraordinary Wine

90 – 95 points represents an outstanding wine

80 – 89 Points represents barely above average

70 – 79 Points represents an average wine

60 – 69 Points represents a below average wine.

50 – 59 Points represents an unacceptable wine.

By contrast, and so as to ensure the greatest objectivity across www.robertfranciswine.ie, “The Cru” will use a small scale point system when reviewing their wines [5 Star scoring system]. Through this measure I am hoping to ensure that you benefit from the best of both scoring systems.