Juicy Tannins Wine 101: Introduction

ZD Wines' Vineyards, Napa Valley - March 2011

The silky tannins of a plump Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.  The fragrant, white rose bouquet of a Corton-Charlemagne Chardonnay.  The grapefruit acid notes of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  And the leather qualities of an aged St. Estephe Bordeaux.

What?

I was sitting at Bar Divani's wine social the other evening, and as we were discussing the qualities of the first glass, someone asked the definition of 'tannins.'  I suddenly realized that I had missed out on an opportunity for the blog.  I write Juicy Tannins to a broad audience: those who are experienced in the world of wine, those who order the occasional bottle at a restaurant, and those who waning off Boone's Farm and Arbor Mist to take the next step in 'true' wine appreciation.  It occurred to me on that day, that while I enjoy pairing adjectives and descriptors to each wine I sample, some of my readers may not know the character differences between a Cabernet and a Merlot at first glance, let alone how the wine makes it from the vineyards to their glasses.  So I have decided to start a few Wine 101 educational posts detailing the basics of wine... components, descriptors, regions, aging, and more.

I want this to be both fun and educational, and would love comments/questions about the content and ideas for future posts.  Please let me know what you want to know about!