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I hope this is not too off-topic.

We are doing a wine tasting soon, where everyone presents a wine (assume all red, dry). As there will be a wide variety of types, I think the order is quite important (e.g. not having light wines directly after very heavy ones). What might be the best way to define an order from the information given on a typical bottle of mid-range wine?

mcandril
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1 Answers1

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Light first, see e.g. this list for ordering them by varietals, if you have old world wine you need to decode areas to probable varietals :-)

So for reds that would make a list like this.

  1. Pinot Noir
  2. Sangiovese
  3. Tempranillo
  4. Grenache
  5. Zinfandel
  6. Merlot
  7. Shiraz / Syrah
  8. Cabernet Sauvignon
Stefan
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  • Just to add, if you have a blended wine, you may have to rely on tasting notes from the vintner to get an idea of where it should fit in the spectrum. But as mentioned by Stefan, you can try and weigh that against a guide like the one linked. Have fun with it, you're not a certified sommelier so no one expects perfection :) – Matthew Jan 11 '13 at 01:57
  • Note that individual wines are often heavier or lighter according to the style of the vintner. So use some judgement. If nothing else, wines which are very dark in color tend to be "heavy". – FuzzyChef Jan 11 '13 at 06:33