The best white wines for beginners are silky or soft on the palate, with balanced acidity and fruity flavors. Vinho Verde is a light white wine from Portugal made with local grape varieties such as Alvarinho, Loureiro and Arinto. It is fruity, crunchy and refreshing, with notes of peaches, green fruit, citrus and melon. Vinho Verde may also have a slight effervescence when the bottle is opened for the first time, which still does more shreddable.
Not to mention that the alcohol level of Vinho Verde is usually quite low, making it perfectly easy to drink without having to accompany it with food. Pinot Grigio is a dry white wine from Italy that is perfect for beginning wine drinkers. It is light, with notes of lemon, lime and, sometimes, some stone fruits (i.e. apricots, peaches, etc.).You can easily drink this wine alone and it's not going to ruin you either.
I would say that this is the best version of Sauvignon Blanc for beginners because it's mild and not as spicy, citrusy, or herbal as other expressions of this grape. With Sancerre, you'll find balanced flavors of green fruits, flowers and minerality. Vermentino is a light to medium bodied white wine produced mainly on the Italian island from Sardinia. I like to call Vermentino the “wine of the island”, not only because the grape grows well in sun-drenched island terrain (it's also grown in Sicily and Corsica), but it can also have vibrant flavors of tropical fruits such as pineapple.
Basically, if I were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring me one white wine, I would choose Vermentino. Vermentino is also known for its fruity green flavors, such as green apple or pear, and may also have a slight nutty undertone. There are different expressions of the grape that can age in oak or stainless steel, but I usually find this fruity wine to be soft and harmless. Garnacha Blanca is a medium-bodied to intense Spanish white wine that is now cultivated in many wine regions, including France and the United States. It has floral and fruity flavors such as honeysuckle, melon, pear, peach and citrus.
I think white Grenache has a smooth texture with balanced acidity, making it an easy wine to drink. Prosecco is a sparkling wine from Northern Italy and, in my opinion, the best sparkling wine for beginners. Prosecco is usually fruitier and lighter than other sparkling wines such as champagne or champagne, making it refreshing and easy to drink. Made with a grape called Glera, this sparkling wine is produced using the tank method, a style of production that maintains the fruity flavors of the wine, such as green apple, pear and citrus.
Prosecco is not aged in oak, making it the closest thing to sparkling fruit juice, as it can vary in its sweetness levels. If you like a drier (not sweet) style of wine, look for “Brut” on the wine label, and if you want a sweeter Prosecco, “Extra Dry” or “Dry” are the terms key that you should search for. In addition, Prosecco is often one of the most affordable sparkling wine styles, making it the perfect wine to start your wine journey. Wine made with gamay is easy to drink without food, is low in tannins, and red fruit flavors make it the perfect wine for beginners.
Not only will the wine taste better in that experience, but every time you try that wine again, it will hopefully evoke those good memories. And don't get me wrong, I still enjoy these wines a lot, since I'm a more “advanced” drinker, but they're great wines to try if you're just starting out. In my opinion, these are the easiest wines to drink and enjoy when you start learning about wine and drinking it. Exploring the same varietal wines from different regions can help you understand how all of these factors influence the wine in your glass.
Obviously, traveling to a wine region is fantastic, but now that real-life events are becoming virtual, there are tons of wine experiences you can attend without even leaving your home. If you want to learn more about how to taste wines like a professional and get to know your palate on a deeper level, book a face-to-face or virtual wine tasting with me. If until now you've only liked white wines, Lambrusco is an excellent starter red to start getting used to the structure and more intense tannins offered by red wines. The best wines in South America used to represent value, but their price has doubled in recent years.
I hope this list of the best wines for beginners will help you feel inspired to start or continue your educational wine journey. If you're in a restaurant or wine store, ask the staff about the origin of the wine, which grapes were used, winemaking techniques, and so on. If you liked this post and would like to learn more about wine, you might like this post about what dry wine is and the best dry wines to try.
