How to Select the Perfect Wine 葡萄酒选购指南

史黛西·斯林卡德

The three “P”s of selecting wines are Price， Preference， Pairing. Keep these in mind when visiting your local wine merchant and throw the odds in your favor for picking a winning wine every time.

Price

The price you are willing to pay （or not pay） for a bottle of wine is a key determining factor in selecting a wine that is right for you. Gone are the days when you could only buy a “good” bottle of wine for over $30. In todays market， there are plenty of great wines available for around $15， some for considerably less. So rest assured that you wont have to drop a bundle of money to experiment with various wines. A decent wine merchant will be able to give you plenty of suggestions in your stated price range.

Preference

Ahh， preferences. We all have them， and they often change at a moments notice， but let them be swayed by what you will be drinking them with or who you will be sharing them with. For example， if you are hosting a happy hour get together， your preferences might lean towards “safe” reds and whites. For people that may not be accustomed to heavier-bodied， heartier wines， give them a break—buy a softer Merlot or Pinot Noir （sometimes referred to as “Starter Reds”）. For a white， who doesnt enjoy a refreshing Gewurztraminer？

If you are seeking to experiment with a new varietal， then talking to your local wine merchant about wines， styles， and labels1， that you have enjoyed in the past and asking for specific recommendations should provide sufficient direction for another great find.

If you are new to wines and are looking for a few suggestions：

Try a Riesling， Gewurztraminer， or a Muscat dessert wine if sweeter wines suit your fancy.

If you prefer a dry white wine then look for a Pinot Blanc， Chardonnay， Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc.

As for reds， starting with a Gamay， Pinot Noir， for lighter tannins2 and more forward fruit3 or Merlot and Zinfandel for a fuller-bodied wine with dense dark fruit4.

If you are looking to turn up the complexity meter， then go with a great California Cabernet Sauvignon， Syrah （or Shiraz if its from Australia）.

Pairing

If you are looking for a wine specifically to pair with dinner tonight， then take into account what the key ingredients will be. Will it be white or red meat？ Will you be using fresh or dried herbs， and what types？ Will the dish be spicy or fruit-filled？ These questions can play a key role in deciding which wines will pair well with specific entrees.

In general， white wines accent lighter flavored meals well， while red wines often complement heartier meals a bit better. Keep in mind that pairing foods and wines is 99% personal preference and 1% science.                                            ■

挑選葡萄酒的“3P原则”：价格（Price）、偏好（Pre-ference）及搭配（Pairing）。拜访本地葡萄酒商时，请务必牢记“3P原则”，以便每次都能胜算在握，挑选到理想的葡萄酒。

价格

挑选适合自己的葡萄酒，你愿意（或不愿意）支付的价格为关键决定因素。曾经，你需花费30美元以上才能买到一瓶“优质”葡萄酒，那种时代已一去不复返。如今，葡萄酒市场中，大批质量上乘的葡萄酒售价仅约为15美元，有些甚至大大低于15美元。因此，请放心，你不必一掷千金也能品鉴到不同类型的葡萄酒。称职的葡萄酒商能在你指定的价格范围内推荐各式各样的葡萄酒。

偏好

偏好也是一个决定因素。人人皆有偏好，而偏好常常会随时改变，不过最好根据所配菜肴或共饮之人来调整偏好。举例而言，如你打算举办一场聚会，可能倾向于选择“稳妥的”红葡萄酒和白葡萄酒。有些人可能不太习惯喝酒体较饱满、味道较浓烈的葡萄酒，别太勉强——可为其提供更加柔和的梅洛葡萄酒或黑皮诺葡萄酒（又称“入门者红酒”）。至于白葡萄酒，有谁不喜欢喝让人提神的琼瑶浆呢？

若打算品尝一种新的葡萄酒，请将你以前喜欢喝的葡萄酒名称、类型和酒标告知本地葡萄酒商，让其推荐具体的酒款。如此，你肯定能获得充足线索，发现一款很棒的葡萄酒。

如你刚开始接触葡萄酒，并希望获得一些建议：

若喜欢味道较甜的葡萄酒，可尝试雷司令、琼瑶浆或麝香甜酒。

若更喜欢干白葡萄酒，可尝试白皮诺、夏敦埃、灰皮诺或长相思。

至于红葡萄酒，可尝试佳美、黑皮诺，体验较淡的单宁味和较突出的水果香气，也可尝试梅洛和仙粉黛，体验更为饱满的酒体和浓郁的黑果味。

如想体验口味复杂的葡萄酒，可尝试加州赤霞珠或西拉（如产自澳洲，则名为设拉子）。

搭配

如你想选一款葡萄酒搭配今日晚餐，请务必考虑晚餐的关键食材。要吃红肉还是白肉？要用新鲜香料还是干香料，以及哪些类型的香料？菜品香料味重还是富含水果？挑选葡萄酒搭配特定主菜时，上述问题都至关重要。

一般而言，白葡萄酒适合搭配口味较清淡的餐食，而红葡萄酒往往更适合搭配丰盛的餐食。请务必牢记，食物与葡萄酒的搭配，99%取决于个人偏好，1%取决于科学知识。 □

1 label葡萄酒标，相当于酒的“身份证”，也是在选购葡萄酒时的重要依据。酒标上标示了有关一瓶酒的重要信息，包括葡萄品种、名称、收成年份、等级、产区、酒厂名等。  2 tannin单宁是红酒酚类物质的一部分，主要来自于葡萄皮本身，也有部分单宁来自发酵后的橡木桶。红酒中的苦涩味便来自单宁。  3葡萄酒专业术语。甜水果占香气主导地位的葡萄酒为果味浓郁型（fruit-forward）葡萄酒，覆盆子、黑莓、樱桃和醋栗香气都属于果味型香气。与之相对的是橡木味或药草味更加突出的葡萄酒。

4梅洛葡萄酒口感较甜，通常具有李子、樱桃和黑莓的风味。