How to Choose a Delicious Wine
While choosing the best wine is a subjective experience, knowing a few essential characteristics helps you pick the right bottle for any occasion. A wine labeled “sweet” has residual sugar and will taste relatively sweet, while “dry” means it has none. Wines with higher acidity usually taste crisp, while low-acidity wine tastes rounder. Red wines typically contain more tannin, giving them a drying sensation on the finish. A wine labeled “light body” or “full body” refers to how light or heavy it feels as you drink it, and alcohol content is simply the percentage of alcohol in the bottle.
When picking a bottle, keep in mind that a higher price doesn’t always mean a better wine. Consider the occasion and the food you’re pairing it with. Not all wines taste better with age, but for reds it’s often worth considering the older bottle. There’s a lot to keep in mind, but we’re here to help you choose.
The Most Well-Known Wines in America
Walk into a grocery store or wine shop and you’ll see a wall of wine, including popular names like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Moscato, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Sauvignon is currently the most consumed variety, making red the most popular style overall.
Wine may be organized by variety or by region. Several popular regions in the US are dedicated to winemaking, called American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs. Some of the best known are Napa Valley, Sonoma, Columbia Valley, Willamette Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, and the Finger Lakes. The Malibu Coast is the AVA home to AJA Vineyards, where we focus on several styles of red, white, and rosé wine and blends. Don’t shop by name alone, keep reading to find the wine that will best suit your taste.
Common White, Red, and Rosé Characteristics
White wines can be pale, colorless, or yellow, and are made from green, black, gray, or occasionally red grapes. It’s often recommended to drink white wines young, and most are bottled just six months after harvest. Young white wines tend to be aromatic, while barrel-aged whites bring more baked fruit and baking spice flavor. Barrel-fermented and aged whites can mature, so you can buy a bottle now and enjoy it later, or drink it right away.
Red wines get their color because the grape skins aren’t removed during fermentation. They’re served at a slightly higher temperature (we prefer ours at 55°F at AJA), and pair especially well with meat dishes.
Rosé is usually some shade of pink and made from a variety of grapes. Like white wine, it’s fruity and best served cold, and holds up to a great range of dishes, from charcuterie to salad or even a hamburger.
How Is Wine Made at AJA?
Our white wines go through barrel or tank fermentation depending on the wine. Most begin fermentation in steel tanks to preserve the fruit flavor, though we sometimes use oak barrel fermentation to give a white more body and texture. The process takes careful attention to detail to ensure balance, and our whites are released more than a month after bottling to let their flavors develop.
For reds, the grapes are crushed and fermented with their skins for a rich texture and flavor. Before fermentation, our team soaks the fruit for at least 48 hours, then lets the wine mature for about 18 months in oak barrels. We wait up to 30 months after bottling for a more refined taste.
How to Choose a White Wine
Acidity and sweetness both matter. Dry white wine isn’t sweet, while a crisp wine is more acidic and feels fresh. Wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, and Gewürztraminer can taste sweet because of their bright fruit flavors, even when they’re technically dry. Choose Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling for something bright, or go for a rounder, oaked white if you prefer a smooth, more mature texture. Oak-aged whites often carry vanilla or baking spice notes, and whites from warmer climates tend to have a fuller body than those from colder ones. If you want a white that gets better with time, look for one with residual sugar or oak aging, like an oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc such as our Eds’ Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, or our Central Coast Chardonnay.
How to Choose a Red Wine
The perfect red depends on preference. Some are fuller bodied, some lighter, some more earth-driven, and others more fruit-driven. Syrah is a good option for a romantic date, since it’s rich and smooth. Light-bodied reds carry fewer tannins, while medium-bodied wines tend to carry more alcohol. Reach for a higher alcohol content, like Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style blend, or Zinfandel, when eating a big meal, and go lighter with rosé, sparkling wine, or Pinot Noir for a lighter meal or a shared bottle across different dishes.
How to Choose a Rosé Wine
There are roughly 140 different shades of rosé, so you have plenty of choice, but color usually doesn’t tell you much. Unless you’re comparing a deep magenta to a super light pink, you likely won’t notice much difference. The color changes based on the grape varieties used and how long the juice sat on the skins, so it’s better to choose by region or tasting notes instead. Lighter, Provence-style rosés tend to come from Provence itself, while heftier rosés come from warmer climates, like Tavel in the Rhône Valley. If you usually enjoy white wine, stick to the lighter end of the spectrum; if you usually enjoy reds, go darker.
AJA Wines for Your Taste
At AJA Vineyards, our top priority is producing the best, finest wines in California. We share recommended pairings weekly on Instagram, or you can join our Wine Club and try our Malibu Coast wines from the comfort of home. We ship to most states in the US, and members get 20% off all wines year-round. From Sauvignon Blanc to rosé, Chardonnay to Syrah, or Cabernet Sauvignon, we know you’ll find something you love. Visit our shop or reach out if you have questions.