[lumi]

It was my first alcoholic beverage I've tried. Some white chardonnay from Australia, I think made in oak barrels. The taste was too strong for me; it tasted like burning.

Is that normal for a first time or that sort of wine?

[Sage]

Squarejawhero needs to get in on this, as he appreciates wine more than perhaps anyone else here.
Shiraz (from Australia) wines have garnered a fairly good reputation in the past few years, but without knowing the brand and/or vineyard, I can't begin to guess if your experience is common or not.
I have yet to try a white wine of any sort that didn't make me gag, so perhaps like me you simply don't like that type of wine. A nice smooth burgundy might have been a better way to start partaking of spirits.
Strong liquors such as bourbon, gin, rum, scotch, and vodka produce a burning sensation in the throats of the uninitiated upon first taste, but no wine should have an alcohol content as strong as that. Brandy is simply wine that has been run through a still, and people who like brandy look forward to the burning sensation it causes.

ScottMate

[lumi]

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

Shiraz (from Australia) wines have garnered a fairly good reputation in the past few years, but without knowing the brand and/or vineyard, I can't begin to guess if your experience is common or not.

It's this. My dad says that it's a dry wine.

Strong liquors such as bourbon, gin, rum, scotch, and vodka produce a burning sensation in the throats of the uninitiated upon first taste, but no wine should have an alcohol content as strong as that.

I'm not really sure if had the same burning sensation as those. I could feel it go down my pipe moreso than I could with, say, orange juice. It only lasted a second or two, and wasn't too strong a feeling.

[pinkgothic]

Welcome to the reason I avoid alcohol entirely. Plus I can't stand the taste. Ah well.

*scuttles back out of thread before someone notices her*

[Aj_]

Some cheap wine can be like vinegar, I'm not exaggerating, it's like drinking vinegar. My preference in white wines is hock, german wines, sweeter, lower alcohol content, but there is quality there, and it's cheaper. I don't much like most white wines, I prefer red, from spain, like rioja.

You did sip it, right?

[lumi]

Originally Posted by Aj_

You did sip it, right?

Yep.

[Aj_]

A little research found me the alcohol in it, 13.5%, not the lowest you can get. You can get used to it pretty quickly, just don't get too used to it.

[Sage]

At last Aj_ and I agree on something! Redder is better!
I have heard good things about the German white wines, but I haven't had the opportunity to try any of them.

ScottMate

[lumi]

I tried a little bit of red wine, something that's a mix of different types. Had pretty much the same experience with that. Maybe sweet wines would be better for me.

[fov]

If you think wine tastes like burning, try vodka.

Just kidding. It is a little bit of an acquired taste, though. Still, it should just taste like... I don't know, like grapes.

[Melanie68]

I'm actually the opposite. I prefer whites. Many reds, especially California reds, sit very heavily on my tongue. They use Zinfandel, pinot noir, merlot and Carbernet Sauvignon grapes which produce a lot of tannins (esp. Cab grapes but the tannins mellow out with age). I had some Barbera wine that was just wonderful - it didn't have the heavy taste for me. I did have some great Pinot noir that someone brought to a party that was heavenly (it was a $50 bottle of wine!). I have also come to love Argentinian reds. They are a little mellower than the French red grapes (cabs, zin, pinots, merlot) - I really like Malbec red wine.

As for whites - I love most of them. Chardonnays are drier. If you want something a little sweeter, you can try Gewürztraminer or a Reisling. A good dessert wine like a Muscat is also very tasty!!

I have a feeling since you've never had alcohol, it was the alcohol and not the grape variety that caused the reaction.

EDIT: Also, I tend to like table reds (mix of different red grapes) - the mixing seems to mellow out the taste.

The taste of a chardonnay tends to differ - the one's in oak tend to be buttery whereas those in metal "barrels" tend to be much lighter and fruitier.

I'll shut up now

[Aj_]

I used to drink vodka, couldn't drink the cheap stuff, so I've turned to whisky.

If you like the taste but not the burning, I imagine sweet wine isn't for you. Just try a less strong wine, if you prefer white, then I'd recommend piesporter, red tends to be stronger than white and dryer. I didn't like whisky or vodka at first, and had to water it down with coke or lemonade.

[Sage]

Originally Posted by Spider Crusoe

I tried a little bit of red wine, something that's a mix of different types. Had pretty much the same experience with that. Maybe sweet wines would be better for me.

I prefer the sweeter wines as well.
Much more than wine I prefer hard liquor, rum in particular. Don't bother trying any of the Bacardi varieties because they all have the same nasty kerosene aftertaste (Blech!). Mount Gay is my brand of choice, and when mixed with Coca-Cola 50/50 over ice it's as smooth and sweet as apple juice...at least to my palate.
Bourbon also has a sweet-ish quality, but it's main flavor is unique and not to everyone's liking.
Gin is grain alcohol flavored with juniper berries, and it has a distinctly pine-y, evergreen flavor. I can't abide it, but many people consider a gin & tonic on a hot summer day to be a little glass of Heaven.
Scotch is made from peat moss (!), and certainly has it's devotees, but it's an acquired taste and not for the neophyte drinker.
Vodka was once made from potatoes, but now it's mostly grain alcohol with no flavor added (unless it's flavored vodka). The better a vodka is, the less flavor it has, so it makes an excellent base for mixed drinks and is good with almost any fruit juice.
Tequila is made from the agave cactus (or Century Plant), and has a strong flavor that can be either sweet-ish, bitter, or a combination of these and several other flavors. It's strong flavor tends to overwhelm anything but equally strong citrus mixers (like in a Margarita), so it's normally drank straight in shots.

ScottMate

[Jeysie]

ScottMate: People actually *like* the burning sensation of Brandy? Ick.

I remember when I was a kid, anytime I had a bad, persistent cough my mom's answer was to dose me with milk and brandy. I absolutely dreaded it, and I used to joke that the reason it worked was because it burned off all the cells in my throat.

Anyhoo. Only kind of liquor I really care for is the wimpy stuff like wine coolers and daiquiris, because you can't actually taste the alcohol much in them. Can't stand the taste of alcohol, really.

Peace & Luv, Liz

[pinkgothic]

Originally Posted by Aj_

Some cheap wine can be like vinegar,

The problem with that statement is that I prefer vinegar over wine. Mmm, vinegar... I <3 vinegar. With nearly anything and everything, even pure, like a drink, every once in a while.

Though, I'm kind of vaguely aware I'm an oddity in this regard

[Aj_]

I like vinegar too, putting lots on salad and such, balsamic vinegar that is. You have to be pretty hardcore to drink the stuff though. Grouped with a crown of thorns, beatings, hung on a cross by spikes through the wrists, drinking vinegar was actually a form of torture. I hear you can drink battery acid too.

[pinkgothic]

Originally Posted by Aj_

[A couple of things in combination with] drinking vinegar was actually a form of torture.

Haha! I think that explains a lot about my mindset, then... I've always been called exceptionally masochistic.

People in restaurants already cringe when I tell them that I would please like a means to dip my chips into vinegar. And they make really funny faces should they catch me telling my boyfriend that this vinegar nuance just doesn't cut it... hehe... so cute.

Damn, now I'm hungry. *meanders off to eat*

[squarejawhero]

If oaked Australian Chardonnay is your first ever wine, I really feel sorry for you. Don't let it put you off. Over-oaked Chardonnay is nasty, greasy stuff... and it sounds like perhaps the one you had was probably too young or quite cheap. No doubt it had that horrible, greasy soapy aftertaste most oaked Chardonnay comes with.

Go out, buy yourself a slightly-more-expensive-than-usual New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc... unoaked, naturally. Make sure your mouth is clean. Now, SB can be pretty sharp, but if you get a good one you should get all sorts of flavours on the palate - fresh green peas and gooseberries usually. It'll be quite crisp, so be prepared, but you definitely shouldn't get a burning sensation if the wine's good... but then, you aren't quite adapted to alcohol. Make sure you check the alcohol content too - if it's quite high (13% + if I remember rightly) it WILL taste strong.

Also try some french muscadet, which is more gentle. Watch out for the sweet stuff though. Also, the peachy Voignier is a great wine and would probably be more suited to you as a starter.

If you're going for reds, avoid the big oaked Shiraz's to start - unless it's my fave, by Peter Lehmann. Oak tends to be quite good in reds, and the Oz's do some good ones. I'd rather go for a Barbera from Italy, myself, but there's also some brilliant Rioja. Go for the reservas or a more costly straight one for a good experience in the full-flavoured and saucy taste you get with them. Portoguese red wine is also quite good, if a little "grainy" for me, but if you're on a budget and want something full-flavoured they're good to aim for.

Hope that helps. And thanks for namingchecking me, Scott! I feel all important now *ego swells*, although I'm not exactly a wine master at all. I haven't had a bottle in ages as red recently goes to my head in a bad way. Shame as I love it.

[squarejawhero]

Forgot - Melanie sounds like she knows a lot about wine - agreed on Malbecs. Argentinian Pinot Noir is spectacularly good and cheap too!

Originally Posted by Thrift Store Scott

At last Aj_ and I agree on something! Redder is better!
I have heard good things about the German white wines, but I haven't had the opportunity to try any of them.

ScottMate

From what I've tried, German whites are nice, but not an area I know about. Gewurztraminer is the main grape and it's very refreshing and quite "thin", if I remember correctly.

Suprised no-one brought up sweet wine. I love botrytis whites! So thick and syrupy - perfect with ice-cream and long winter nights!

[tabacco]

Wine == on meats and in sauces, in beverage form.

(My opinion)