Typical mistakes when choosing wine. The best semi-sweet wines

For the modern consumer, there are no restrictions in the choice of alcoholic beverages; everything depends only on the thickness of his wallet and taste preferences.

But many inexperienced buyers are concerned about how to choose high-quality dry red wine, because on the shelves you can find drinks with different characteristics. In this article we will look at simple ways to determine the quality of alcohol and tell you what you need to pay attention to first.

Red wine: characteristics

Typically, red wine is classified according to several criteria: the ratio of sugar and alcohol, as well as the method of making the drink. In the first case, wine can be divided into:

• Dining rooms. They come in dry, semi-dry and semi-sweet varieties.
• Fastened. There are strong, sweet, semi-dessert, dessert, liqueur.
• Flavored.
• Sparkling. This includes wines such as brut and champagne.

According to the method of making wine, the classification is slightly different:

• Varietal. Such wines are made only from selected grapes of a certain variety.
• Sepazhnye. Drinks in this category are blended from several grape varieties.
• Blended. Mixing takes place of ready-made wine, and not grapes, as in the previous case.

Wines also differ in the aging of the finished product:

• Single wines are very common in the trade and are a budget option. Such bottles do not age for a long time and usually go on sale the following year after the grape harvest.
• Vintage wines are characterized by longer aging (at least eighteen months). In addition, each drink in this category has its own production technology, which, in fact, is what distinguishes each vintage wine.
• Collection wines are a derivative of vintage wines that have been aged in bottle for at least three years. For connoisseurs, the correct age for a collectible drink is about ten to fifteen years.

It should be noted that many gourmets and wine connoisseurs prefer to drink dry red, since only it can have a large bouquet of both taste and smell, which reveals itself gradually. In addition, aged wine is most often dry or sweet. But different semi-wines are more popular in the territory of the former Soviet Union.

In addition, such drinks may contain various preservatives in much larger quantities than sweet and dry ones. This is due to the fact that dry wine is practically sugar-free, while sweet wine has its own natural preservative – sugar. It is quite normal for semi-wines (especially semi-sweet ones) to contain chemicals.

How to choose red wine in a store: general important criteria

If you want to know how to choose dry red wine in a store (or any other), you need to pay attention to additional nuances that can be found by carefully examining the desired bottle.

Label information

Look carefully at what is written on the label. Usually, if the product is foreign, then it must additionally contain basic information in the language of the country in which it is sold. If this is not the case, then it is recommended to ask the seller or consultant. What is the most important thing you can find on the label?

• Who produced this bottle of wine. There are many well-known and trusted wine companies for which reputation is important.
• In what region was the wine made? If the drink is of high quality, then the grapes and wine are produced in the same place.
• You should also pay attention to the year of harvest. If you did not find this information, then the product is most likely made not from grapes, but from a concentrate. For any red wine, it is important whether the year of production was successful or not, since the taste of the finished product and its ability to be stored depend on this.

On the label you can find the inscription “Reserva” (meaning a reserve of especially successful wines) or “Roble” (the drink was stored in special barrels and the harvest was also particularly successful). These two words speak about the quality of the drink.

• The label should contain the alcohol percentage of the drink, because this is how you can choose a sweet red wine or a dry one (it will be different for each type).
• High-quality wine is characterized by the presence of national quality control on the label. Different countries have their own abbreviation.
• You should pay attention not only to the manufacturer, but also to the importer or distributor. Trusted companies do not supply low-quality drinks to the market of another country, so if, along with expensive bottles, you find the same importer also selling cheap ones, then there is a high probability of a low-quality product.

High-quality wine will definitely be sold only in glass containers, since it is this material that allows you to preserve all the properties of the drink even after ten to twenty years. Therefore, a wine company that wants to maintain its reputation will not use other materials and save on packaging. A drink in cardboard and plastic material may only be suitable for culinary experiments (and even then not always).

The volume of a bottle of quality wine is 0.75 liters. The bottom of the container always has a large depression. Cheap wine is bottled in 0.7 liter bottles, the bottom of which is either slightly recessed or even flat. Also, you should not purchase drinks in fancy containers, as this indicates that the manufacturer pays more attention to the external than the internal content.

The most suitable option for good red wine is Bordeaux, Burgundy or Alsatian flute-shaped bottles. The color of the glass should be green or dark brown, which ensures the penetration of as little light as possible.

Cork material

This also needs to be paid attention to, since large manufacturers that have been proven for decades do not use modern plastic stoppers. On their bottles you can only find high-quality wooden stoppers. If the cork is leaking or has dried out, then the drink has definitely lost some, if not all, of its properties.

You should also smell the cork when opening the bottle. If it emits a musty, unpleasant odor, then the drink is not suitable for drinking; it is better to throw it away.

Price characteristics

The price for one bottle of wine is also important. If it is too low, then you should not expect quality from such a wine. Most likely it contains quite a lot of concentrate and flavor enhancer, or the drink is made from low-quality raw materials.

If you want to purchase aged wine, it will be an order of magnitude higher than single wine. If you suddenly find such a bottle at an affordable price, then most likely the wine is on the verge of souring or has already turned sour. Inexpensive wines are good young.

Thus, the higher the cost of a bottle of drink, the better it is. This is especially important to know if you need to choose the right semi-sweet red wine. In more expensive copies, there is a possibility that there will be much fewer various additives.

Place of purchase of alcoholic beverage

Of course, now any supermarket is replete with various drinks in different price categories, but it is still better to purchase really high-quality wine in specialized stores.

It is there that the level of counterfeiting is very low, because this is the reputation of the establishment. In such shops, all employees are qualified specialists who will advise you if necessary.

How to choose the right red wine: pay attention to the country of origin

Among the features in choosing red wine, it should be noted that each country producing a high-quality alcoholic drink has its own nuances that it is advisable to know and take into account when choosing. Let's take a closer look.

France is the first place in world winemaking

Indeed, this country has long and firmly occupied a leading position in wine production. Every year, about a quarter of the world's volume of this alcoholic drink is produced here, which is exported in large quantities. But such volumes do not at all indicate the quality of each bottle, especially for those countries whose residents have little knowledge of quality wine. So, let's figure out how to choose the right dry red wine from France so as not to make a mistake.

Label on French wines

• The best quality wines have rather modest labels.
• High-end drinks are labeled with the words appellation (wine community) or chateau (castle) with the name.
• The best French-made wines have the word “control” or Grand Cru classification.

Types of French alcoholic drinks

The most famous are Bordeaux (they are much more expensive and are considered more prestigious) and Burgundy.

The best Bordeaux wines

• Chateau Latour;
• Chateau Lafite Rotschild;
• Chateau Haut Brion;
• Chateau Mouton Rotschild;
• Chateau Margaux.

The best wines of Burgundy

• Ramonet;
• Leroy.

Wines of Italy

This country produces slightly less wine than France. The most common type of this drink is Chianti. If you choose the right producer, then such a dry red wine may well become a regular on your table, captivating you with its extraordinary taste.

Chianti Classico is considered the best brand. On the label of this wine you can find the high quality mark D.O.C.G., which is a guarantee of authenticity. Also on real Chianti you can find the emblem of a black rooster.

Chianti is drunk young, but if you age it for about 27 months, the taste will become much better. This drink has the additional name Riserva and its price is three to four times higher than the classic one.

It should be noted that the serving of these two types of wines is different. If young wine is served chilled to a temperature of 16-18 degrees in medium glasses, then Riserva is drunk at room temperature in large pot-bellied glasses.

Other wine producing countries

When it comes to new wineries, California wines are gaining fame. In their production method and unification, they are similar to Italian wines, but the taste of some differs from others, since the climate of the countries is still different.

How to choose good Crimean wine

Although Ukrainian and Russian wines are not considered high quality products, nevertheless, the drinks of the Crimean Peninsula are significantly different from all others. What is the reason for this?

Features of the Crimean conditions for growing grapes

The geographical zone of Crimea contributes to the cultivation of different grape varieties, which become the basis for very tasty alcoholic drinks.

Some of the grape varieties are quite rare and can only be found in this area. In steppe zones, berries ripen much faster, so the harvest is more abundant.

The most famous Crimean stamps

You should not buy untested alcoholic drinks from the counter (homemade), since they are most often made for traveling and vacationing people, and therefore are of rather poor quality.

There are trusted Crimean wine producers who make good alcohol:

• Inkerman;.
• Koktebel;
• Golden Beam;
• Magarach;
• Massandra;
• Sun Valley;
• New World.

The listed producers make a lot of strong, sweet and dessert wines. But there are several excellent brands from which you can choose a good dry red wine. For example, the most famous one in Massandra is Alushta. Ruby Magarach is also popular and very good in taste.

How to choose delicious red wine in Crimea

To protect yourself from counterfeiting, when buying Crimean wine you need to know the following:

• You should purchase alcoholic beverages in specialized stores, where it is almost impossible to find counterfeits.
• You also need to pay attention to the shape and volume of the bottle. For example, expensive Massandra wines (blends and vintages) are bottled in 0.5 liter containers, while cheaper single wines are bottled in 0.7 liter containers. Collection wines are bottled in 0.7 liter containers and can be found in specialized stores.
• It should be remembered that in the month of August there is simply no new wine yet.
• When choosing wine, it is advisable to know the logo or symbols of the brand that you are going to buy. For example, in Massandra it is a bunch of grapes. The name and date of the spill must also be included.
• Long-aged alcohol may not have a perfect label. If so, then this is most likely a fake.

Of course, you should also take into account the general characteristics when choosing alcohol, which are presented at the beginning of the article. This information is very important when choosing a red semi-sweet wine, since it is in such semi-wines that many chemical additives are most often added.

Now you know how to choose the best quality dry red wine from different brands. Remember that if you want to enjoy a truly exquisite taste, then you should not skimp on the drink so that you don’t have to regret it in the end.

High-quality wine is an indispensable attribute of any festive (and not only) feast. This unique drink is unlikely to compete with any other competitor. An absolutely universal product is appropriate both at a gala banquet at the highest level and on a first date.

One condition: a glass of wine will delight you with its taste only if the product is authentic.

How can you sort through the huge assortment presented on the shelves of our stores and not make a mistake in your choice? This rating is based on the popularity of the product among our compatriots. Like the best nominee in your opinion and influence his place in the ranking.

So, let's start the “tasting”.

The famous Georgian wine Kindzmarauli is among the TOP leaders. It seems that the name of the drink dates back to ancient times, but this product was born not so long ago. In the 40s of the last century, based on ancient traditions, Georgian winemakers gave the world Kindzmarauli: a red semi-sweet wine with a strength of up to 12%.

The uniqueness of this product lies in the use of a special grape variety (Saperavi) for its production. Moreover, the vineyards in which Saperavi ripens are located only in a small region of Georgia - the Alazani Valley. Considering the relatively small territory with the most favorable natural conditions for the growth of wine fruits, the high price of natural grapes becomes quite understandable.

I would like to especially note the method of preparation: the crushed berries, along with seeds and ridges, are placed in a large clay jug with a volume of about one and a half thousand liters, carefully sealed and buried in the ground to the full height. Thus, a stable temperature is maintained inside the vessel, not exceeding +15 degrees. The wine slowly ripens naturally for at least two years - only in this case will you get a real red semi-sweet Kindzmarauli.

Main characteristics of this product:

• Rich ruby ​​color;
• Pronounced fruit notes (in particular, pomegranate, cherry, apricot);
• Naturally sweet taste without added sugar;
• Pleasant astringency, rich aroma.

Kindzmarauli goes great with meat (especially cooked over an open fire), desserts and classic wine plates (cheese, nuts).

If you want to enjoy original Georgian wine, you will have to pay about 500 rubles for a 0.75 liter bottle.

Crimean wines have been among the leaders in this segment of the world market for many years. This is a fact. The products of the Crimean winery "Massandra" invariably enjoy special love and popularity among true connoisseurs of this noble drink.

The variety of wines produced at this enterprise can be listed endlessly: table, dry, fortified, dessert and others. The products of Crimean winemakers have repeatedly won awards at major international exhibitions and tastings.

After production of a batch, part is sent for sale, part remains for collection, and the minimum volume is moved to storage for a period of several years.

Massandra is famous for producing wines exclusively from its own grapes. The unique natural features of the climate provide the berries with that unique taste and aroma that allows you to identify Crimean wine with your eyes closed.

Massandra products are completely natural: no harmful additives or sugar are used in production. When consumed wisely, Crimean wines are safe for human health.

Muscat, Sherry, Madeira, Riesling - more than fifty varieties are available to domestic consumers at the most affordable prices.

Another contender from Georgia is nominated for the title of best: “Alazani Valley”. Unfortunately, during the collapse of the economy and the dominance of counterfeit wine and vodka products, it was this noble drink that came under attack. Excellent Georgian wine was compromised: third-rate cheap alcohol, which cost literally a penny, was accompanied by just such a label.

Despite the fact that “Alazani Valley” is still considered a budget option, its quality fully meets all the requirements for a quality drink.

The grapes that go into making this product grow in abundance in the valley of the same name in Georgia. As a rule, varieties such as Saperavi and Rkatsiteli are used.

The production technology is similar to the method of preparing Kindzmarauli, however, most modern winemakers catalyze the process, reducing the aging time to several months, and do not focus on a special grape variety. This significantly affects the cost of the product in favor of the buyer, without actually affecting the quality.

There are two varieties of “Alazani Valley”:

• White is made from Rkatsiteli grapes and is classified as semi-sweet and dessert drinks. This wine will be appropriate as an aperitif (buffet), and will also work well in tandem with fish, vegetables and desserts.
• Red semi-sweet has a richer, velvety taste with berry notes. Perfect with meats, cheeses and fruit desserts.

Inexpensive and high-quality Georgian wine of this brand can be purchased at a price of 200 rubles per bottle of standard size.

The list of leaders continues with one of the most popular wines in the world - the famous red Cabernet Sauvignon. This noble drink owes its name to the grape variety of the same name, whose plantations occupy vast areas around the world (about 750 thousand hectares).

The “king of grapes,” the Cabernet Sauvignon variety, is, as scientists from the United States recently found out, a hybrid obtained by crossing certain varieties of berries. According to reviews from leading winegrowers, this variety has a number of undeniable advantages: it tolerates frost and drought well, has high yields, is unpretentious, and resistant to diseases.

I would like to note that a small amount of red Cabernet Sauvignon after a working day has a beneficial effect on the human body. The main thing is not to overdo it.

It is worth mentioning separately about the aroma of this drink: despite the fact that, in general, fruit notes predominate in it, the taste depends directly on the geography of the vine and the producer. Color ranges from purple to deep garnet.

There are quite a few methods for making Cabernet Sauvignon; each winemaker has his own secret of production. Traditionally, the wine is aged in oak barrels, resulting in excellent dry, high quality wine. .

The asking price is from 300 rubles per bottle.

Includes TOP leader wine with a special strawberry flavor “Isabella”. The grape variety of the same name from which this product is produced is ideal for making juice and wine drink.

Winemakers love Isabella grapes for their high yields and resistance to adverse conditions and diseases. By the way, it is this feature that has made this variety a favorite for growing in a private backyard. No hassle, but a rich harvest will allow you to prepare excellent natural wine for future use.

"Isabella" can be white, red or pink. The color depends on the fermentation period of the raw material. The longer the process takes, the darker and more saturated the color of the drink will be.

Considering that the Isabella berries themselves are quite sour, sugar is often added to wine, which makes it sweeter and more pleasant to taste. After a sip of the drink, a pleasant aftertaste remains with characteristic notes of strawberries, which are the hallmark of Isabella.

This product is ideal for friendly gatherings, especially in nature with grilled meat. Excellent in combination with traditional wine snacks - cheese and fruit

The price of one bottle starts from 160 rubles.

The list of the best wines of 2019 continues with the product of Krasnodar winemakers - Chateau Taman champagne. Anticipating an a priori skeptical attitude towards “champagne not from France,” we note that the manufacturing technology and the production process itself are supervised by leading French winemakers (in particular, Jerome Baret).

There are several varieties of excellent champagne on the domestic market:

• Brut;
• Semi-dry;
• Semi-sweet.

More recently, the winery’s specialists have developed a new recipe for “Chateau Taman”: dry wine is made from Chardonnay, Pinot and Traminer grape varieties.

To prepare any type of champagne, only selected berries are used. The juice from them is obtained by natural gravity, without pressing the grapes, resulting in the formation of pure raw materials without impurities of skins and seeds. This stage is decisive in the formation of the unique taste of champagne.

The further manufacturing process is a classic double fermentation technology, resulting in the formation of high-quality sparkling “Chateau Taman”: light, aromatic, with snow-white foam and many tiny bubbles.

Here's what makes champagne from sunny Krasnodar attractive:

• Soft floral-fruity aroma;
• Pleasant aftertaste;
• Optimal alcohol content (11%);
• A harmonious combination with any light snack.

Russians can rightfully be proud that today we can boast of excellent champagne of our own production.

The cost of a standard 0.75 liter bottle of Chateau Taman is about 200 rubles.

The list of leaders rightfully includes the Italian sparkling Lambrusco. Often, consumers mistake this alcoholic drink for champagne: the shape of the bottle and the presence of bubbles are confusing.

However, this prejudice is erroneous: the natural “fizzyness” is formed thanks to a special process for making the drink, which has nothing to do with the method of producing champagne. The light sparkling wine from Italian winemakers has gained immense popularity not only in its homeland, but throughout the world.

Lambrusco production technology originates from the distant past. The algorithm of actions has remained virtually unchanged, if you do not take into account the automation of the main stages. It is very important to harvest the grapes on time - the berries should be slightly unripe. They are delicately squeezed and the resulting juice is virtually pure, from which elite Lambrusco varieties are made. Second-press juice is ideal for producing sparkling wine.

The juice is placed in large metal tanks, where the fermentation process occurs, and the composition of the wine is formed by mixing several types of juice. The sparkling wine is then transferred to sealed tanks and finally bottled into glass bottles.

Features of Lambrusco:

• Natural sparkling;
• Low alcohol content (up to 8%);
• Variety of types of sparkling wine;
• Rich color, light fruity taste;
• Affordable price.

Pairs perfectly with any type of snack: the choice depends on the variety chosen.

The cost of a 0.75 liter bottle starts at 250 rubles.

Good wine is not just an alcoholic drink that can be found at any feast. A vintage bottle as a gift is an excellent opportunity to please the recipient and demonstrate good taste. Such a gift will definitely not gather dust in the closet.

Wine is a win-win attribute of any feast: an official event, a bachelorette party or a dinner party. Let's help each other make the right choice! Like your favorite and influence its place in the list of the best. Vote for a reliable rating of good wines of 2019!

Sometimes you buy wine in an elegant bottle for a reasonable price, but it is hard, tasteless, and not aromatic. To prevent the drink from spoiling the holiday, we asked ourselves how to choose alcohol without incurring large expenses. Stores offer a wide range to suit every taste and budget, but skeptics insist that inexpensive wine is definitely not real. Is this true? We learned from the experts.

Many wines presented in regular supermarkets are in the price category of 200–500 rubles. Some of them are not even in bottles, but in cardboard boxes, which, according to some consumers, indicates low quality. In fact, experts explain that this is not entirely true.

Tatiana Selivanova

– Inexpensive wine, including wine in a box, meets the “drinkable” requirement. It is often made from grapes collected from all over the country or the European Union,” says Tatyana Selivanova, head of the Wine State school of wine courses. – In any case, like any other product, wine also has certain quality and safety requirements that the manufacturer must follow.

Is it true that cheap wine is made from powder?

– I’ll tell you a secret: powder wine does not exist. In some regions of the world, grape juice is cheaper than fresh water. And first depriving it of the liquid component and then returning the moisture back is a rather pointless exercise,” said the sommelier.

What is wine material?

Wine material is essentially what wine is made from. This is the juice obtained by pressing berries. As a rule, no one writes on the label that the wine is made from wine materials. This is obvious information. If this is indicated, then most likely the wine is made from beam purchased in another country. By bulk, as a rule, we mean cheap wine material supplied in barrels.

For reference:

Wine material is most often either finished wine or grape juice, which are supplied abroad, including to Russia, in special containers and bottled (bottled) on site. But producing wine from juice is not profitable, says Evgeny Shamov. Most often, local producers finish the finished wine: they saturate it with carbon dioxide or mix it with other wines.

The remaining parameters by which you can distinguish a high-quality wine from a low-quality one are also more likely to be rumors. Let's deal with them too.

What should the bottle be like?

There is an opinion that the bottle must be opaque, then ultraviolet radiation will not penetrate through it, due to which the wine will begin to deteriorate and lose its properties.

– To prevent wine from spoiling, there are storage conditions. If you keep an opaque bottle on the windowsill, then no amount of dark glass will help,” explains Shamov. – How many roses have you seen in opaque bottles?

And Tatyana Selivanova sums up that the advantage of transparent bottles is that you can examine the drink and evaluate it not by what the bottle looks like, but by how it itself looks. For example, please note that white wine should not have copper, brick, or brownish tones.

Some advisers from the Internet recommend testing the wine at home in every possible way, sprinkling it with salt or diluting it with glycerin, observing the trajectory of the diverging bubbles...

– Alas, at home there can be no talk of any “quality check” of wine. All those videos that have recently appeared on the Internet are nothing more than profanation. It is necessary to understand that wine, like any other drink, can only be checked using special equipment,” said another Prize-winner of the XVII Russian Sommelier Competition Ruslan Devetyarov.

What should the plug be like?

The plug can be cork, screw, silicone - at the manufacturer's choice. The traffic jam doesn't owe anyone anything.

“Even alternative closure methods, such as glass or a screw (screw cap, that is, just a screw cap), do not indicate that the wine is of poor quality, and are not signs that this is a wine for short-term storage that will soon fizzle out,” he added Evgeny Shamov.

Should you choose fresher or older?

– It is better to choose a wine that costs up to 500 rubles that is fresher; look at the vintage date (harvest year) – it should be no earlier than 2-3 years. And so, most farms offer both wines for consumption young and for aging, but there is no formula that would allow this to be determined without knowing the producer, says Shamov. – But if it is very important for you to find out what type of wine you like, you will have to look for information on the winemaker’s website.

Ideal Geography

As such it does not exist. Each region is famous for something of its own. There is another stereotype floating around the Internet that since grapes are a heat-loving crop, the further south the producer is, the better.

– The vines grow at a latitude of 30–50 degrees and feel great in both Italy and France. And even in England,” says Tatyana Selivanova.

Ruslan Devetyarov

– If we are talking about an amount of up to 500 rubles, then my advice is to “go” to the countries of the New World, such as Chile, Argentina, South Africa... In order to somehow withstand competition with such mastodons as France and Italy, they are forced “keep” low prices for your wines, while you can find decent things among them. I would also recommend Portugal, it hasn’t been “tried” yet, hence the very pleasant price tag for the wines,” supports Ruslan Devetyarov.

The sommelier does not consider it a good idea to characterize the taste of wine depending on the country: each country produces a huge range of wines - from dry to sweet. The only thing you can pay attention to is that wines made in countries with hot climates are more powerful and alcoholic: they drink easily and get drunk quickly.

What should the label be?

Another statement from the Internet says that on wine brought from abroad, a Russian-language label must be pasted on top of the original one. If the label of an imported wine is originally in Russian, this means that the wine was delivered in barrels and bottled in Russia.

Evgeniy Shamov clarifies that a winery that cares about its reputation supplies already bottled wine abroad, so in the end you should trust not the labels, but the manufacturer. If it is very important for you that the quality of the wine is at the same level, and the price is not very high, then you will have to do, so to speak, “homework” and study the websites of the producers of the wine that is sold in the supermarket near your home and that you have your eye on. It is desirable that it be a large and well-known manufacturer with access to the world market.

– Nobody brings wine in barrels to Russia. Many Russian producers purchase wine materials from other, usually hot, countries - Spain, South Africa, Chile. It is imported into Russia legally, and then wine is made from it, which is then produced under the brand of a domestic producer. This practice is considered quite normal not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Naturally, such wines are the cheapest, and I would not recommend drinking them - although they are made according to all standards, you are unlikely to enjoy them. However, if the producer is foreign, then his wine comes to Russia already bottled. But whether there is a back label on it or not does not mean anything. There are rules according to which all important information about wine must be available to the consumer. And if it’s all placed on the main label, then it’s not necessary to create a back label,” said Ruslan Devetyarov.

If you want to find at least some hint of a quality mark on the label, the sommelier advises you to pay attention to some foreign abbreviations. In some countries, production zones are distinguished, within which they have their own laws that dictate which varieties are allowed to produce high-quality wines, in what containers and for how long they should be aged, in what bottles they should be bottled, etc.

For reference:

In France, such zones have the abbreviation AOC, in Italy - DOC, DOCG, Chianti, etc. This will be the first sign that this is a wine that, at a minimum, was produced using proven technology. However, this does not mean that it will be great; it all depends on the manufacturer.

Let us remind you that Roskachestvo studied champagne wines. Details -

Popular imported wines have risen in price due to the jump in exchange rates. "Business Petersburg" asked large producers and importers how to choose wine now and whether it is possible to buy a quality product for no more than 500 rubles per bottle.

The above-mentioned 500 rubles is a conditional amount chosen by the editors as an indicator of consumer opportunities. The indicated figure cannot be considered an ironclad protection against an unsuccessful purchase, experts warn. “Of course, when purchasing expensive products, there is a much greater chance of getting something really interesting, but only the buyer’s own knowledge about wine can be a real guarantee of quality,” says Dmitry Zhurkin, import director of the Ladoga group and founder of the Wine Masters sommelier school.

“The price can only serve as a signal; the function of a guarantor of wine quality is performed only by the international classification of wines,” agrees Kirill Kalmyk, Marketing Director. So, on the front side of a bottle of Spanish wines you need to look for the abbreviation DO, for French wines AOC and AOK are used, as well as the designation of the castle and grape variety, for Chilean wines this role is played by belonging to the region of wine production (the best wines are those produced in the central area). But for Russian wines such designations are not provided.

“You can definitely buy good wine for 500 rubles!” - says Anna Mekhovykh, training manager for assortment of LLC "". She advises going to supermarkets or liquor stores to buy inexpensive and decent wine, rather than to boutiques. “Thanks to large volumes and investments from suppliers, chain stores, through discounts and seasonal sales on imported alcohol, provide consumers with a better price and choice,” explains Anna Mekhovkhov.

What can you buy

As it turned out, 500 rubles is an amount that allows you not only to buy good wine, but also to choose more. True, the choice is not that wide.

Most familiar or familiar brands now cost more than 600 rubles, so importers and distributors are adapting to new realities, offering new brands from poorly represented regions, says Anna Mekhovkhov. For example, there are many proposals from the Spanish regions, as a rule, these are young, open and clear wines with a fruity component, there are also wines from Portugal and the countries of the New World (Central Valley of Chile, southwestern Australia, South Africa and Argentina), except Moreover, these are Russian wines from reliable producers who receive awards at prestigious Russian and international competitions and occupy good positions in the ranking of Russian wines.

Mikhail Nikolaev, managing partner of the family enterprise Nikolaev and Sons (Russian wine producer), also advises paying attention to wines from the New World and Russian producers. In his opinion, European wines are greatly overpriced: “Many people are used to thinking that if they are going to buy wine, they need to choose Spain, France and Italy, but in fact, in our stores a wine costs 500-700 rubles, which in Spain is sold for 1 .5 euros, so I would not talk about the high quality of such a product."

In terms of price-quality ratio, in the category up to 500 rubles there are young wines from the New World: Argentina, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Georgia or simple table wines from Europe often fall into this category, Dmitry Zhurkin gives a similar opinion. As an interesting fact, he notes that since such products do not have the potential for long-term aging and must be drunk in the next 1-3 years, they are sealed with a screw cap. “This fact sometimes unnecessarily frightens the buyer - given the short shelf life, the wine does not require closing with a special cork stopper,” he says.

As for Russian wines, a buyer can expect to buy for 500 rubles only wines bottled in Russia, but produced from imported wine materials, says Kirill Kalmyk. As a representative of the company - a leader in the production of champagne, he could not help but note the sparkling wines made in Russia.

Import substitution failed

Judging by the statistics, market participants have had to worry in recent years - wine sales in St. Petersburg, after a couple of years of growth, are now declining. recorded a slight surge in sales at the beginning of last year, but in the first half of 2016, 1,584.5 thousand dal of wine were sold in St. Petersburg, which is 4.6% less than sales for the same period in 2015.

Wine sales volume in St. Petersburg, 1st half of the year, thousand decalitres

The debate about the benefits and harms of alcoholic beverages continues. But even the most ardent opponents of alcohol will not refuse a glass of good wine. Wine means truth, revelation, and is also called the moisture of life. To know the depth of the drink and enjoy drinking it, you need to know how to choose a good wine.

Which wine is better to choose

The diverse classification of the drink can be divided into: taste, aroma, presence of alcohol. Based on alcohol content, they are classified into:

1. Fortified (sherry, port, Cahors) - have a high rate of 16% to 21%.
2. Sparkling wine (champagne) – they contain up to 14% alcohol and contain carbon dioxide.
3. Table, still, non-sparkling wines (Bordeaux, Cabernet, Chardonnay) – alcohol content is also up to 14%.
4. Flavored (vermouth) – up to 20%.

Based on color, wines are divided into:

• Red, their palette is extensive, from rich garnet to terracotta brown (aged varieties), from ruby ​​to purple (young varieties).
• Pinks, softer colors from pastels, light rubies to the whole pink spectrum.
• White varieties have straw, greenish tones (young dry varieties), amber (fortified, dessert).

Almost all brands change their shade over time; fortified and dessert wines acquire amber colors, while dry wines darken. When eating food, they determine which wines are best suited for what by its color and content. Dinner dishes are best used as a flavorful addition to the table, and dessert dishes are best used as final dishes. Restaurateurs recommend taking into account that the more refined the drink, the simpler the dish, and vice versa.

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Examples of successful menu combinations:

• Sparkling, effervescent wines can be drunk with almost any food, if it is not borscht or herring with onions. Serve chilled (up to 8°C) in narrow glasses.
• Red varieties are served with meat dishes, fried and spicy, with any type of cheese, various fruits, and go well with pasta, pizza, etc. Recently, restaurants have been offering popular flavor variations for fish products: salmon, trout, sushi. The optimal temperature for them is room temperature (18°C) and served in wide glasses.
• Dry white brands “love” the first dishes (soups, stews, purees), all kinds of salads with mayonnaise, but without vinegar. Low-fat sausages and veal, poultry, and, of course, fish – classics of the genre. Drink chilled (up to 12°C).
• Pink - considered universal, served with hot dishes, seafood, desserts (temperature up to 18 °C). For them and dry dishes, utensils with a high stem and narrow walls are used.
• Sweet (dessert) varieties - they are heavier, stronger, drink them with pastries or jelly (up to 16 ° C) from small charms on a low stem.

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How to choose good wine in a store based on the label - 10 rules

You don’t have to be a sommelier to learn how to buy a decent drink, and not a drink that leaves a terrible aftertaste and, at a minimum, dizziness in the morning, and at a maximum, body disorder.

Ten rules for choosing good wine in a store will help you avoid this:

1. Clearly separate sweet and dry varieties. To produce popular semi-sweet drinks, wine materials of the lowest quality are used. They add a lot of preservatives and chemical components. Abroad this type does not exist at all.
2. Manufacturer information. The main thing is to have the name and information about the manufacturer; if this is not available, it is better to immediately return the bottle to the shelf. On the front side of the right drinks you can always read the brand name in large print.
3. The region of production also serves as a calling card. The absence of this indicates the low quality of the product.
4. Grape variety. Only very expensive wines that you cannot buy at a regular retail outlet are made from one grape variety. First-class drinks of inexpensive and medium cost are produced by blending, i.e. mixing several varieties of berries. If the label shows 100% of one name, there is no doubt that it is a fake.
5. Harvest time. The labeling of high-quality alcohol must indicate the year of the grape harvest. You will not find such information on a diluted concentrate, a chemical analogue.
6. Duration and place of aging. The barrel is considered an ideal storage place; only high-quality brands are stored in them. Divided by age:

• vintage, made from high-quality berries, languishes for 3-7 years, from 6 years is considered a collectible species;
• ordinary ones go on sale with aging from 4 months to 1 year.

1. Description of the advantages and originality that add a positive image to the brand.
2. Product cost. The rule that cannot be attributed to wine is that you can pay not for quality, but for the brand. An inexpensive drink cannot be natural and tasty; too much work is put into it.
3. Package. Cardboard packaging is the “friend” of cheap chemical concentrate. If you pour a noble drink into it, it will certainly lose its virtues. After all, only a glass bottle or a wood barrel can preserve the richness of taste.
4. Original containers, for example, ceramic or decorative, have a negative effect on wine storage or hide the fake.

Country of manufacture

Russia

Grapevines in Russia are grown in the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, regions of the Caucasus, Crimea, Volgograd, and Saratov regions. But most of the products in stores are made from imported materials; they are in demand. Of course, competition on the world market is high, but now reasonable prospects are predicted for Russian winemaking. The drinks are made from classic varieties of berries and are distinguished by their natural, floral taste.

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The following brands hold the palm:

• "Isabella", "Aligote";
• "Pino black";
• "Cabernet Sauvignon."

Known manufacturers:

• "Caucasus";
• "Russian Vine";
• "Phanagoria";
• Rostov plant, Tsimlyansky plant (among sparkling wines), etc.

Ukraine

The climate of Ukraine allows the development of this industry in almost most of the territory, but still the vine bears fruit where there are mild winters and long hot summers. These are Southern Bessarabia, Transcarpathia, Southern regions. The best brands, taste and aroma qualities, which are quite at a decent level:

• "Shabo";
• Agrofirm "Belozersky";
• "French Boulevard" (specializes in sparkling varieties).

Soil and climatic factors make it possible to obtain berries with balanced levels of acidity and sweetness. But still, imports dominate the Ukrainian market.

Georgia

There are about 4 thousand grape varieties in the world, over 500 grow in Georgia. During Soviet times, it supplied 80% of all fine wines of the republics. Now the demand for them is not decreasing, the drink is impeccable. Perhaps this is due to the special Kakheti wine production technology.

Huge cone-shaped jugs, qvevri, are buried in the ground, then the berries are kept at a temperature of 14°C, and the juice is squeezed out with feet. There is also mechanical processing and mass production, but as a result of this method, full, extractive characteristics with a soft astringency are obtained. The distinctive features of Georgian brands include a long and pleasant aftertaste and harmony of aromas. The best varieties:

• "Khvanchkara";
• "Rkatsiteli" etc.

Moldova

Moldovan alcohol is credited with sophistication and lightness of taste. Drinks from the Kodrovoy and Central regions of the republic are saturated with shades of wildflowers, and violet aromas can be traced in them. In this country, they prefer to make wine not only by fermenting grape berries, but also apple juice.

Collectible bottles may contain a kind of acid; to reduce its level, you need to open the container in advance and let the wine “breathe.” Not inferior in characteristics to foreign products, it has a lower cost. Among the popular ones:

• "Moldavian";
• Aligote "Onesti";
• "Dneprovskoe white";
• "Romanesti"
• Cabernet “Chumai”;
• “Bouquet of Moldova” (flavored vermouth, similar to Italian).

France

The French, like the Moldovans, have been growing vines since ancient times and drinking alcohol from an early age. In this country, the quality of manufactured products is controlled on a regional basis; accordingly, grape varieties are not indicated on the labels of French drinks. On its territory there is the largest vineyard in the world of a high-quality variety called Bordeaux. 80% are red wines.

The insanely expensive, limited-release Bordeau "Petrus" is considered one of the noble red drinks. It comes from the Polerole region. The south-eastern side is famous for its white dry “Entre de Mer”, with a rich aroma of a fruity bouquet, in perfect harmony with seafood. The regions of Médoc, Saunères, and Prav produce the legendary premium cru brands:

• "Chateau Latour";
• "Chateau Lafite-Rothschild";
• "Mouton-Rothschild";
• "O-Brion";
• "Chateau Margaux"

Italy

Gourmets will agree that the definition of “good” does not apply to French and Italian wines. They are ideal, even those that have an average or affordable price. A distinctive feature is the balance of taste, color, aroma, and aftertaste.

The climatic conditions of the Apennine Peninsula contribute to the development of culture. Under the Italian sun and warm rain, the berries are filled with full-fledged juice, as a result of fermentation of which a divine drink is obtained. Although it is not so easy for Italians to break into the world market due to competition with their neighbors. Production has a stepwise classification:

1. elite;
2. DOC category (by region, sugar and alcohol capacity);
3. IGT (inferior taste);
4. dining rooms, from prefabricated varieties.

The division of alcohol into red Rosso and white Bianco came to us from there. And all these names have long been associated with something especially pleasant and solemn:

• "Lambrusco";
• "Dolcetto";
• "Malvasia Nera";
• "Amarone";
• "Lagrein" and many others.