The beer drinker’s guide to wine

Posted by TASTE on 4 August 2017

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The beer drinker's guide to wine — So you’ve got your go-to brew but have been thinking about giving wine a chance? Ease yourself into the habit by swapping these five beers for their viticultural equivalents and you’ll be sniffing and swirling in no time.

THE BEER: PILSNER

This pale lager is refreshing, crisp, easy to drink, pairs well with a variety of foods and usually has plenty of spicy, herbal and floral aromas.

THE WINE SWAP: BRUT MÉTHODE CAP CLASSIQUE

Bubbly, dry and refreshing, it’s also a good match for a diverse range of foods.

If you like that, also try: Chenin Blanc maestro Ken Forrester’s Sparklehorse MCC.

THE BEER: PALE ALE

Pale ales are balanced, with the slight bitterness of the hops contrasting with the sweetness of the malt.

THE WINE SWAP: PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir is usually at the lighter end of the red wine spectrum. It’s low in tannins, which can bring bitterness to a wine.

If you like that, also try: Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir.

THE BEER: INDIA PALE ALE

IPAs can be fruity and bitter at the same time. They’re more hoppy than pale ales (and therefore more bitter) and have more earthy, grassy, woody flavours.

THE WINE SWAP: CABERNET FRANC

A great balance between savoury and fruity, Cab Francs often have strong wood spice and berry fruit flavours. IPA lovers will enjoy the savouriness of the wine.

If you like that, also try: Paul Cluver Cabernet Franc.

THE BEER: WEISSBIER

Wheat beers are smooth, creamy, rich and sometimes even a bit sweet. They tend to feature bright fruit flavours, from apple to orange and apricot.

THE WINE SWAP: GEWÜRZTRAMINER

This light-bodied, aromatic wine will give you refreshing notes of litchi, grapefruit and pineapple, among other fruity flavours.

If you like that, also try: Paul Cluver Ferricrete Gewürztraminer.

THE BEER: PORTER

Dark and earthy yet medium-bodied, it can feature flavours of dark fruit, cherries, raspberries, espresso, chocolate and hazelnut.

THE WINE SWAP: SYRAH/SHIRAZ

The spice, herbs and smoke, as well as the fruit of the wine, should keep Porter drinkers happy.

If you like that, also try: Radford Dale Syrah.

CRAFTY, VERY CRAFTY

Seeing is not believing with this Saluez Le Saboteur. It may look like craft beer but it’s in fact a Shiraz (77%), Mourvèdre (19%), Cabernet Sauvignon (4%) 2014 blend from Luddite Wines in Bot River. The unconventional packaging won gold at this year’s Wine Label Design Awards. But what’s in the bottle is noteworthy, too. According to winemaker Niels Verburg, the palate is rich and decadent with dark fruit, plums and black cherries. Available at selected Woolies stores for R229.95.

Discover more TASTE features here.