Wine!

[Buy Me a Burrito]

I'm preparing to travel to Spain in three weeks. I'm doing the typical stuff right now, like reserving rooms, scoping out sites, planning travel routes and reading Rick Steves like a motherfucker. But last night a friend asked if I was going to drink while I was there. I didn't think about it, and he launched into a long thing about drinking wine and how it was part of the culture. Also that the the stuff I drink could be scarce or expensive in Spain.

 

I'm not a wine drinker. I think I tasted a shitty red wine once in my life and hated it, and that was about 20 years ago. I don't even like beet at all. When I drink I will have whiskey or bourbon. So I'm sort of ignorant about wine. 

 

So I'm looking for advice on how to make myself okay with wine before I look like an asshole in a restaurant. 

[LooseCannon]

How do you feel about brandy and sherry?

[Buy Me a Burrito]

They are good dancers, but not worth the $25.

Also, I don't like drinking either one of them.

[Liam]

Your taste buds change over time, so it might be that you will now like wine, or less likely to find it offensive.

 

With red wine, try some lighter/fruitier reds - less likely to offend. Guess it'd just be a case of trying some out before you go - acclimatising to the taste.

 

I prefer fuller reds myself, but I'm a fan of red wine.

 

The quality of the stuff you get in Spain should be miles better than a US based one if I'm being honest, so it should at least have that going for it. With that in mind though, US stuff would be better than it was twenty years ago, so delving back into that might be worthwhile in preparation.

 

Not sure if they do it in US, but you can buy glass-sized bottles of wine in the UK, rather than bigger bottles. Better for someone who might not be into it in terms of cost.

[Buy Me a Burrito]

I'm actually thinking that while I'm there I am just going to go with the flow. I know that a lot of places have local wines and stuff fresh out of a barrel. I'm just going to try not to think about it and drink it. 

[Liam]

I'd suggest 12% rather than the stronger 13/14% varieties, due to the lighter taste.

 

They probably also do a decent range of white Spanish wines. I'm not a big fan of white wine, but in a hot country, a chilled white wine might be the way to go, especially as chilled wine will numb the sharper/bitter/fuller notes of the wine and make it more palatable for a non-wine drinker.

[Buy Me a Burrito]

I'm thinking the white wines, as well as starting with fruitier stuff like Sangria. 

[LooseCannon]

How do you feel about gin and tonic?

[Raziel]

Rule of thumb in places that have a big wine industry (Italy, Spain, France) is at resturants, just go with the house wine.  in most places, it blows away the more expensive stuff, and is generally made to appeal to most palates (Whites are not too dry and not to sweet, red's are full but not overpowering).  

 

Spain also has Sangria, like you said.  Its more on the fruity side, but in Spain, will probably be out of this world.  I'd suggest Red, only because it goes with the fruits used in Sangria better.  

There *is* a Spanish Whiskey, DYC.  If you got a Liquor store where you are that has a good import selection, take a look for it.  Its cheaper than the American stuff here, since it's still owned by Beam.  It'll also be the only whiskey in Spain that you won't need to pay import prices for, which yeah, will absolutly suck.

 

If you got time before the trip and some weekend time, hit some wineries near you (I know NC's got a bunch) and do some tastings to see what you have a taste for.

[Craig H]

Kinda what Raziel said. To add to that, if you want a specific wine or a good progression, certainly start with white wines. I'd suggest Rieslings and Pinot Grigios. You don't need to go expensive on either. If you have a Trader Joes nearby, you can't really go wrong picking up some bottles of $3 Buck Chuck, formerly $2 Buck Chuck. It's a Charles Shaw wine that's $3 a bottle in just about every variety. If you don't have a Trader Joes nearby, most stores should sell Barefoot Win, which is perfectly fine. That's like $5 a bottle. 

 

If you find that you like either of those, I think the next step it moving up to a Pinot Noir, which is a red wine that isn't as leaded/heavy as something like a Cabernet or even a Merlot.

 

The important thing to keep in mind is that you don't need to go full-on wine snob. You just want something that tastes good and you want to get used to it. Don't let anyone else convince you that you need to go super expensive to enjoy anything. Again, like Raziel said, stick with a house wine when it comes to it. If you want to get used to wine before that, go with cheaper table wine brands like Barefoot. 

[Gordi the former AEW fan]

If you're going to Spain, DEFINITELY try Cava. Cava is Spanish sparkling wine. It's easy to drink and very reasonably priced. The most famous producer is Freixnet (pronounced like "fresh-net"). Their Cordon Negro comes in a black bottle and has a nice earthy flavour, with more than a hint of mushrooms.

 

What area of Spain are you planning to visit? Raziel403 is absolutely right about going with the house wines. Certain areas of Spain have famous local wines. You might get a pleasant surprise if you ask about them. Asking about local sakes often opens social doors for me in Japan.