Hopeless in VA?

A good friend and I are sitting here discussing the fact that she just doesn't like wine. She has tried various kinds, and can't find anything that doesn't make her cringe or wince. She doesn't like the taste in her mouth. To use her description, it all just has an "earthy aftertaste" that she doesn't like.

She's pretty much a tea-toadler, but will occasionally drink some nasty concoction such as a tequilla sunrise, nuts & berries, or a Tom Collins. Beer is a definite no-go for her. Note: she is very overwhelmed by strong flavors - salt, pepper, citrus, etc. are too strong for her. She has referred to herself as a "super-taster" before.

So she prompted me to post this and ask if there was anyone out there who could suggest something that might convert her. She says she's sick of going to restaurants and ordering Coke with her meal.

She has been exposed to whites, reds, dessert, etc. Her brother in law works for a wine distributor in DC and has made every attempt to expose her to something that she might like, but to no avail.

Should she just give up?

At the risk of being verbally abused by everyone else here, wine coolers might be a way to go. Or perhaps mixing the wine, as in a mamosa (orange juice and champagne) or half white wine and half 7-Up. Then again, there are people who just don't like wine. My father hated any kind of wine, and was strictly a beer drinker, never any hard liquor. He owned a bar for 15 years.

Lots of folks who claim not to like wine find that they enjoy Concord and Catawba based wines...many local wineries across the east and midwest produce them...e.g. Oliver Winery, St. James etc...they are grapey, a bit sweet and go down like Welch's grape juice.

[James Roscoe]

Of course, it's the "earthy" aftertaste many of us like. Although I have no idea what your friend means by "earthy". What tastes does she like? Does she drink white zin? Has she tried Riesling, especially from Germany. I would stick to QBA's and Kabinnets. A good french Chenin Blanc might also be to her taste. Try any Vouvray. They should not have the aftertaste she is talking about. Good luck!

From your short description she sounds like lots of folks we got in the winery when I worked the tasting room. See if this sounds right. Not only is beer out of the question but she also will not drink coffee or tea If she does drink coffee or tea I would bet a large sum of money that it is only if they are loaded up with milk and/or sugar. If this is true she will likely never drink red wines. Too much tannin. She just does not like any bitter flavors which she is calling earthy.

Also looks like everything she does like has some sweetness to it. Most likely to mask her dislikes. Dry whites are likely out of the picture also, not due to tannin but due to the general acidity levels since you mention that citrus is also a problem.

At the winery I worked, we had only one wine that these types of people may like and then only about 50% of the time. It was a semi-sweet white that was predominately muscat. It had something like 2%-4% residual (its been quite a while since I worked there) and was very floral and peachy in both the nose and mouth. No bitterness at all and little acidity. Not sure what fits this description in today's wine market but if I had to guess something that resembles the above is the only thing she may like.

Lastly, I find it odd that someone who has refered to themselves as a "super-taster" would drink coke. Would assume that this also would be too much and that water would be the default. This also seems to support the above that it is a dislike of some food components and not an overall issue with strong flavors. As already mentioned she seems to be using sweetness to cover up other problems, bitterness and acidity.

[David M. Bueker]

German Riesling again. My wife was very anti-wine until I got her hooked on the stuff. Now she has branched out, and will even sip a few very carefully chosen reds (read: old and expensive).

[James Roscoe]

German Riesling again. My wife was very anti-wine until I got her hooked on the stuff. Now she has branched out, and will even sip a few very carefully chosen reds (read: old and expensive).

David, German Rieslings are always my go-to wines for these kind of people. I thought maybe some Loire whites might work too if they are not too dry. I always make sure they are qba or kabs. I have yet to fail in getting them to love the rieslings. I have at least one success in getting a person to really expand their tastes. The others just love German rieslings, which is not a bad place to be.

I've found that If I explain why a wine tastes like it does -how it was produced, the history of an estate or region, people tend to give it a chance (you could also tell her how Coca-cola is produced. She'll probably never touch the stuff again). They feel a connection to the wine on a level that even their olfactory senses can't help but embrace. Education is the key -and keep popping corks.


Good luck.
Bill

Wow, thanks to everyone for your suggestions. She does like a certain pinot grigio mixed w/ 7-up if I recall correctly. And yes, she does have a sweet tooth, although she finds most of the sweet wines "too" sweet. Anyway, I'll have fun trying to determine if any of the above suggestions will work for her...if they don't, I assume I'll end up drinking most of the bottle myself

Try something soft, mildly sweet and a bit fizzy as an aperitif or for/with dessert. I have something like a Moscato d'Asti in mind. They are very flavorful, have low alcohol (typically 5-6%), and are very gentle on the palate. It's pretty much like a soft drink, made with all natural ingredients.

Good luck -- Clark

May I suggest she try a glass of Conundrum. It is a California white blend, a little on the sweet side and the only wine my sister, who sounds like your friend, likes. http://www.conundrumwine.com

I've found that If I explain why a wine tastes like it does -how it was produced, the history of an estate or region, people tend to give it a chance (you could also tell her how Coca-cola is produced. She'll probably never touch the stuff again). They feel a connection to the wine on a level that even their olfactory senses can't help but embrace. Education is the key -and keep popping corks.


Good luck.
Bill

Interesting, Bill. I've had that happen as well.

Of course, I've also had eyes glaze over and people get that politely bored to hell look come over them about midway through my elocutions. With the embarrassing and deadly silence that follows my comments (realizing that that could be from my eloquence and detailed grasp of subject which they are fascinated with, natch, but not really beleiving that).

Or the "...yeah, okay, right, thanks, now as I was saying..." response.

Only occasionally do I get the "Why do you think I care, you blithering obsessed fool?" response

[Jenise]

I have a friend here in the neighborhood that sounds like your friend, K, and Brian's deductions are spot-on. No tannins, no acid. If David's suggestion of riesling doesn't produce results, I'll recommend my friend's favorite wine: Beringer White Merlot. Pretty pink color, very off dry, and dismally low acid--tastes sweet and flat to a dry wine drinker. In fact, it's the worst blush wine I've ever tasted, but Beoma loves it and your friend might too.

I've found that If I explain why a wine tastes like it does -how it was produced, the history of an estate or region, people tend to give it a chance (you could also tell her how Coca-cola is produced. She'll probably never touch the stuff again). They feel a connection to the wine on a level that even their olfactory senses can't help but embrace. Education is the key -and keep popping corks.


Good luck.
Bill

Interesting, Bill. I've had that happen as well.

Of course, I've also had eyes glaze over and people get that politely bored to hell look come over them about midway through my elocutions. With the embarrassing and deadly silence that follows my comments (realizing that that could be from my eloquence and detailed grasp of subject which they are fascinated with, natch, but not really beleiving that).

Or the "...yeah, okay, right, thanks, now as I was saying..." response.

Only occasionally do I get the "Why do you think I care, you blithering obsessed fool?" response

You're sooo right. It's always a crapshoot -gotta love this race of ours. The occasional 'Thank you' makes it all worthwhile.


Prost!
Bill

May I suggest she try a glass of Conundrum. It is a California white blend, a little on the sweet side and the only wine my sister, who sounds like your friend, likes. http://www.conundrumwine.com

I do like Conundrum...a friend had me pick up a bottle for Thanksgiving a few years ago, and I've been a fan since.

I have the solution to your problems. Get a bottle of Moet & Chandon White Star. It's an extra-dry champagne (that is, ever-so-slightly sweet). It has zero hipness quotient, but it is pleasant and without rough edges of any sort.

If that doesn't work, she can at least switch from Coke to San Pellegrino. Or something.

Dave:

Sorry to seem so disagreeable, but I think you're confusing what you're tasting with what you expect the other person to be tasting. And that's simply often not the case.

Moet et Chandon White Star....to you...might be soft and innocuous and slightly sweet, with no rough edges. But I can assure you that one of the problems with Champagne and sparkling wines in general is the high acid nature combined with the "scrubbing bubbles" of sparkling wine. Sure, White Star seeks to moderate that effect with sugar, the time honored way, but to non-wine folks, it still often comes across as sharp, acidic and even such things as "biting", "scratchy", "tart" and that catchall "sour".

And that would especially be the case if this woman was in the "super-taster" camp, or was even particularly sensitive to or perceptive of high acidity. Which I suspect she is.

It's a common thing ---hey, I do it all the time; we all do--- to say "This is what it's going to taste like to you" when what you're really saying is "This is what it tastes like to me." But I'm willing to bet that Moet White Star is not what this woman is going to dote on.

Lots of folks who claim not to like wine find that they enjoy Concord and Catawba based wines...many local wineries across the east and midwest produce them...e.g. Oliver Winery, St. James etc...they are grapey, a bit sweet and go down like Welch's grape juice.

This is off topic but where is this Oliver Winery you mentioned. I was driving in Southern Indiana the other day and came across a winery named Oliver's that held daily tastings. It seemed to be a very small winery but alas I had no time to stop and inquire or to taste. I was just wondering.

This is off topic but where is this Oliver Winery you mentioned. I was driving in Southern Indiana the other day and came across a winery named Oliver's that held daily tastings. It seemed to be a very small winery but alas I had no time to stop and inquire or to taste. I was just wondering.

Not sure if this was the Oliver winery that was referenced by Robert but if you get another chance do stop. This winery has been around for a while and use to be one of the best in the state. I left Indiana back in 1995 but back then Oliver was making some good wine from both grapes and fruit. At that time the best wines were from grapes from out of state. Most important, the people there are great. It seemed strange at the time but I worled for a different winery but use to buy juice from Oliver. They were never too busy to talk to someone with a real interest and help if they could.

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Is the Oliver's winery you mentioned located about 6 miles north of Bloomington IN? This is where I saw a sign for an Oliver's winery. It looked to be a very small place.

Here's some info about Oliver...

http://www.kysela.com/usa/oliver.htm

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Is the Oliver's winery you mentioned located about 6 miles north of Bloomington IN?

That is the one.