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There was a noticeable progression during the 1970's when a sweet blush wine was popular. In the 1980's there was a shift from the blush wine to Chardonnay which started to rise in popularity. Ladies would order a white wine spritzer, which was the house white wine with club soda added to it.
As a newbie wine drinker, the tasting progression goes something like this:
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White Zinfandel Starter
There are many of us who prefer to drink something sweet, especially if we are new to the world of wine -- a dry crisp Chardonnay is just not going to do it for the newbie. The wine of choice is usually white zinfandel. It is the rosé of choice among newbies. It is sweet, though not cloying, and has nice fruity flavors, and of course it is always served chilled.
Sweet and Chilled
Blush wines and fruit wines which have a little fizz or carbonation fit the soft drink style Americans are used to. This is often the first type of wine that is chosen by the non-wine drinker. They are light, sweet, and always served chilled.
After drinking these wines they become a little too sweet for the palate. That's where the progression starts. The move is to try wines in the next level, which is the semi-dry wines.
Semi-dry and Chilled
Semi-dry wines are more food friendly wines and are very palatable. The cloying sweetness and fizziness or carbonation from the sweet wines is gone. The sweetness in this category is balanced by the higher acidity.
At some point you’ll tire of the semi-dry wine and want to move on to the dry white wines.
Dry, White and Chilled
These dry white wines have no sweetness and are served chilled. This style of white wine rose to popularity in the '70's and into the '80's. Chardonnay or Chablis was the choice of the decade, and is still a favorite choice among white wine lovers.
It is possible to enjoy wines in this category, and maybe you'll never move on to tasting other wines. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio are becoming the new favorites and these are very food friendly wines.
Dry, Fruity and Slightly Chilled
This category encompasses light red wines. Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are the dry red wines with a stronger flavor than the dry white wines in the category above. The Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are served slightly chilled. They are lower in tannins with more fruity flavors.
These wines have a higher acidity than some other red wines which makes them a good choice with grilled fish and chicken.
Dry, Full Bodied, Served at Cellar Temperature
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are two examples of dry red wines that are richly flavored and medium bodied. These wines often require aging for the tannins to soften. They should be served at a cool room temperature of about 60°.
Did You Know?
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Dry, Complex, Served at Cellar Temperature
This category of wines have been aged to their peak. The wines have lost the fruitiness of their youth, the tannins have softened, and they have subtle and complex aromas and flavors. These wines are more expensive, and may require decanting before serving.
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