5 Wines Worth Checking Out

Over the past two months I have been taking a beginning-to-intermediate level sommelier class, WSET Level 2. I’ve been an enthusiastic amateur for years now, but this was my first time taking a professional course on the subject. One of the great things about the class was getting exposed to so many more kinds of wine and actively exploring the wide world of wines. But its very easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer variety and choice.

Here are five specific kinds of wine that I wholeheartedly recommend to people. You should be able to find most of these at a grocery store – and definitely at a BevMo or Total Wine – but they are a bit removed from the standard 4 or 5 wines that you see everywhere these days (I’m looking at you Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot). I enjoy all of them and I hope you do to! (Responsibly of course).

Alsatian Riesling – A Sleeper Hit

Until recently, and by that I mean 2 months ago when my class started, I mostly drank lightly sweet Rieslings from the United States. I like semi-sweet and sweet wines just like everything else and those Rieslings are great. I also knew I liked Alsatian white wines for a few years now. I just never put the two together until recently and I’m very glad I did.

For the record, Alsatian Rieslings, like any Riesling, can be dry, sweet, or anything in between. Rieslings are very aromatic as a general rule, and that can help balance out the high acid, especially when you get floral scents, which can give the impression of sweetness without actually having any. The other good thing is that they usually avoid the petrol smell that many German Rieslings have. It’s an intentional smell, not a flaw – but I’m not a fan of it. At this point, it’s my favorite region for Rieslings. 

Chablis - the Chardonnay for people who don’t like Chardonnay 

When I was first introduced to Chardonnay, it was a big, oaky, buttery California Chardonnay. I did not like, nor did I like subsequent ones that I tried. Naturally I came to the logical conclusion that I just didn’t like it, period. But the thing about Chardonnay is that it is extremely versatile – it’s grown pretty much everywhere and produced in a lot of different ways. Chardonnay can be big, oaky, and buttery; some combination thereof; or none of the above.

Enter Chablis. Chablis is a French wine region which produces only 100% Chardonnay. It’s also almost the polar opposite of a California Chardonnay – limited and often no oak flavors, no butter, but often a mineral flavor instead. It’s basically all quality wine due to being a controlled wine region in France, with a lot of flavor, and still a dry white wine. If you like Sauvignon Blanc and want to give Chardonnay another chance, I suggest checking out Chablis.

Chenin Blanc – The Duality of a Grape

I was introduced to Chenin Blanc via South African wines. It’s one of the most widely planted varietals in the country, and I’ve found them good but not always to my taste. And that was all I thought about it, until I learned the Vouvray from Trader Joe’s I frequently got was also a Chenin Blanc. Vouvray is just a region in France which produces white wine made of Chenin Blanc. I’ve had to re-evaluate the wine as a result.

Basically – there are two different Chenin Blancs. One, the South African kind, is a medium to full bodied white wine, which is often aged in oak. It can have a lot of similar characteristics to a Chardonnay, actually, although its not the same. The French version, however, is more aromatic, and off-dry, or at least have a hint of sweetness to it – more like a Riesling. It can also be done as a sparkling wine. Chenin Blanc has its own unique characteristics, of course, but also this specific duality that makes it really fun. I suggest checking both versions out and seeing the differences for yourself.

Malbec – A Crowd-Pleasing Red

I’ve been singing Malbec’s praises for years and have liked it since I first tried it back in 2009. What really solidified my love of Malbec though was a trip to Mendoza, Argentina, several years back where I went wine tasting and tried so many excellent Malbecs. I’ve tried French Malbecs admittedly, and don’t like them as much as the ones from Argentina. But as a general rule I’m a big fan.

If you need a solid red wine, especially in a group setting where you don’t know everyone’s palate, go with a Malbec. Malbec will give you more body, and intensity than a standard Merlot, but is less likely to have the overwhelming bigness that you can get from a Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be complex, but no one is every really pretentious about it, the way wine people (like myself) can get about other varietals. It’s great with foods, particularly intense ones, but doesn’t overwhelm anything. And it’s a really affordable. What more do you need?

California Zinfandel – Great Red from the Greatest State

This is one varietal that California does better than anywhere else. Period. Zinfandel is the 4th most grown grape in California and man do they do a good job with it. I’ve had the Italian version (known as Primitivo) several times and it is also good, but not as good. I tend to like specific wines from specific areas, and this is my favorite type of wine from my home state.

California Zins are big wine, with ripe fruit (some would say jammy) and high alcohol for a wine. Particularly when you have old Vine Zinfandels – which have even more concentrated flavors due to smaller yields. Zins are good with food, but also great just on its own. It’s particularly good as a post-meal drink because it can have spice or vanilla flavors which gives it almost dessert-like qualities, even though it’s not sweet. If you need a starting point – look for one grown in Lodi – even CCR wouldn’t mind getting stuck there if they were enjoying the wine.