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I'm just getting into wine, and I've tried some red wines, but nothing I particularly liked.
I found a few pinot noirs too sweet, and last night I had a Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon that was a bit too buttery and smooth for me.
What should I look into for wines that are more, I guess, acidic and have an edge to them? I don't need anything particularly bitter, but butteriness and sweetness do put me off.
What are some types of red wine that aren't buttery or sweetish?
My guess is that one could try a red wine like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. Generally speaking they are dry and thus not sweet.
Some Chardonnays may in fact be buttery, but not all.
What does the term “buttery” mean in reference to wine?
"Buttery" can refer to a flavor, smell, texture or some combination of all three, and it's most commonly associated with Chardonnay. Buttery flavors usually come from diacetyl, an organic compound that’s a natural byproduct of fermentation. Diacetyl can also be a result of putting a wine through a malolactic conversion. Exposing a wine to oak barrels can also emphasize buttery notes—both from the toasting on the inside of the barrel, and the softening effect barrels can have on a wine’s texture.
Have you ever smelled a wine and it’s a dead ringer for butter-flavored popcorn? That’s not a coincidence. Diacetyl is sometimes added to foods for its buttery flavor—think movie-theater popcorn, margarine, crackers and cooking oil.
I consider “buttery” a positive note. Just like any other wine characteristic, I prefer it in balance with a wine’s other elements. But buttery Chardonnays used to be very fashionable, and now much less so. These days, sometimes “buttery” is used as a pejorative term.
Other descriptors in a similar vein are cream/creamy, piecrust, caramel, butterscotch or brioche.
Very few red wines are actually sweet. Meiomi pinot noir is slightly off dry, but hardly sweet. I've never had a sweet cabernet sauvignon. Buttery is an adjective sometimes associated with California chardonnay which has gone through malolactic conversion. Lots of people seem to like it although I'm not a fan. Here is a good article.
If you have a good wine store, I'd suggest asking the shop keeper for suggestions. Personally I like Spanish wines like Rioja which are good values. You can also look for wines with higher alcohol content. It is hard to imagine getting to 13%+ ABV while maintaining any residual sweetness.
Technically, red wines are never sweet (with a few exceptions like Recioto) - so you probably mean the wines are full because the grapes were quite ripe, typically from a sunny location.
As a European, I often find American, Australian and similar wines more full and 'friendly', but lacking in acid that would make it pair better with food.
Look for wines from colder climates; e.g. European wines from Austria, Northern Italy, sub-Alpine France or similar non-European versions.
