{"id":5614,"date":"2020-06-05T14:23:43","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T13:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/?p=5614"},"modified":"2020-06-05T15:41:33","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T14:41:33","slug":"how-to-choose-wine-when-you-know-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/how-to-choose-wine-when-you-know-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you choose a good wine when you know nothing about it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">That's the question you ask yourself when you come across a large wall of bottles or an Internet page and know very little about this sweet beverage?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">How do you recognize a good wine?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p lang=\"fr-FR\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">It all depends on what you want to do with it!\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">We're going to help you decipher a bottle, to give you a few pointers that may help you. <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Choosing the right bottle will vary according to your needs. Here are some important criteria to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><b>The Appellation :<\/b><\/span><span lang=\"fr-FR\"> This is the region where the wine is produced, according to precise specifications.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><b>Bottled at the estate:<\/b><\/span><span lang=\"fr-FR\"> as the name implies, this means that the bottle has been bottled at the estate. It may also be noted \"bottled at the ch\u00e2teau or estate\" or \"bottled by ...\" if the winemaker has no bottling line.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><b>Alcohol content :<\/b><\/span><span lang=\"fr-FR\"> This indicates the degree of alcohol present in the bottle. In general, the higher the alcohol content, the more powerful the wine.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><b>Estate, Chateau, Farmhouse :<\/b><\/span><span lang=\"fr-FR\"> means that it is a property. A brand cannot use the words Domaine or Ch\u00e2teau in front of its name. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><b>Le Mill\u00e9sime :<\/b><\/span><span lang=\"fr-FR\"> indicates the year in which the grapes were harvested. This is an important indication, as each year is different and produces wines of better or poorer quality. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li lang=\"fr-FR\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Storage capacity<\/strong> As a general rule, a wine is \"ready to drink\" after 5 years, and is considered \"mature\" after 10 years. Of course, it all depends on the winemaking techniques used, the vintage, the maturity of the grapes and so on.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><strong>Other information is mandatory<\/strong> on a label, such as \"contains sulfites\", the logo for pregnant women... to which are added those of the specifications.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 lang=\"fr-FR\" style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>Which wine to choose for a gift?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">You'll find our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/content\/cadeau-vin-millesime\">offer a fine wine<\/a> on our website. First of all, it's best to know the region of preference of the person you're giving it to. <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Once you've identified this region, ask yourself: <strong>will she drink it now or in a few years?<\/strong> ?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"> If it's now, take a <strong>bottle of mature wine<\/strong> that has already aged for 6-8 years, this will guarantee the wine's drinkability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/grands-bordeaux-a-maturite\">&gt; Discover our Bordeaux \u00e0 Maturit\u00e9<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">If you think <strong>the bottle will be cellared<\/strong>Take a bottle as young as possible, and in particular a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/vins-de-garde\">long-keeping wine<\/a> ! As a general rule, ageing wines spend one to two years in barrel before being bottled. So, in 2020, you'll find bottles of 2017, and at the end of 2020, 2018, which will be destined for long ageing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/vins-de-garde\">&gt; Wines to keep in stock<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">These deductions are valid for red wines, as for dry white wines, it is preferable to automatically take a recent vintage. Older dry white wines are niche products that you need to know about before venturing into them: for example, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/premiers-et-grands-crus-de-bourgogne\">premier and grand crus de Bourgogne<\/a> are wines made for aging, and will be more difficult to drink young, with a few exceptions. Sweet white wines, on the other hand, are made for ageing, with their sweetness giving them an extraordinary capacity for ageing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">If you ask yourself these two questions, you've already gone a long way towards choosing the right bottle.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 lang=\"fr-FR\" style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><b>For an aperitif or a meal<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">For white wines, automatically go for a recent vintage. For an aperitif, we need youth and freshness. Wines from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/loire\">Loire<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/bourgogne\">Burgundy<\/a> are perfect for this! <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">For a meal, it all depends on the dish you're going to serve. I invite you to do some research on the blog for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/accord-mets-vins\/\">know the best food and wine pairings<\/a> possible. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">For red wines, it is also preferable to start with a young wine to retain all its fruitiness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\"><strong>You have three options<\/strong> : <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A classic Bordeaux: fruity and round with a little character.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">A Bourgogne or Loire for a light, fruity red. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span lang=\"fr-FR\">A C\u00f4tes-du-Rh\u00f4ne that is just as fruity, but warmer and spicier.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\">Find all our great wines on Comptoir des Mill\u00e9simes, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/la-selection-du-caviste\">La S\u00e9lection du Caviste<\/a> in which our cellar master advises you on a wide range of marvels!<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"JUSTIFY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/la-selection-du-caviste\">&gt; Discover the \"S\u00e9lection du caviste<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"JUSTIFY\">","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>That's the question you ask yourself when you come across a big wall of bottles or an internet page and you don't know much about this sweet beverage? How do you recognize a good wine? It all depends on what you want to do with it! We'll help you decipher...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":5618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,13,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quels-vins-deguster","category-le-saviez-vous","category-les-guides-de-degustation"],"gutentor_comment":5,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comment-choisir-un-bon-vin.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5614"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5620,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5614\/revisions\/5620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}