In case you missed my pun, there's a classic folk song--probably Pete Seeger or Woody Guthrie--called "Aint Gonna Study WAR No more." Its an ironic tune, meant to mock America's long practice of starting a new war every 20 years.
By analogy, there are the wine wars...by which I mean that big vintners (Gallo, etc.) buy up the fields and the boutiques and dominate the market, taking home our cash, even when we think we're poking around in the esoteric zones.
I also believe they have shaped our preferences by controlling the shop talk and the wine media. But I hadn't considered grad school, until I found this brochure inviting me to take a long distance class to learn all about wine.
They used to call them "correspondence schools." You'd turn in your weekly lesson and get a grade ...and in six weeks you'd be smart as a whip.
So --without bothering to sign up--I offer these thoughts based on hints hidden in the promotional brochure.
1) Right away they promise to teach me about 'which regions make the best wine.' That's a subtle reference to 'terroir.' It makes me want to see a terroir film. But I never worry about terroirism. I taste, I swirl the incarnadined juice, I decide what I like.
Just yesterday I sampled the current release from Garrison Creek (Walla Walla). I have no idea about their terroir, but liked the Cabernet a lot, the syrah almost as much. (He oaks the wine 32 months!)
2) The next temptation they offer me is to "learn why some wines pair well with certain foods and others don't." I used to believe that
claptrap. I used to believe in the Easter Bunny, too. And yes..it's true that a mouthful of chocolate truffle explodes on the palate when you add a sip of syrah. But (a) I'm not always near chocolate, and (b) I am trying as I grow older to shrink my consumption of calories, and my wife hates it when I bring home chocolate. She's addicted to it, even without the aid of syrah. So I favor a simple cracker and a simple slice of Comte or Gruyere without fussing about how perfectly it pairs with wine.
3) Other promises in the brochure include that I will learn how to tell where a wine grape was grown (ho hum); how to store wine so it is neither too warm nor to cold; and most of all, implicit and ominous, is the promise that I will be able to talk good about wine.
Enough about the brochrue. You can take the course if you wish (it'll show up in your mailbox with other GREAT COURSES on Aristotle, Plane Geometry, and othe things smart people think about).
My only concern here is to distinguish between drinking wines that please me, vs. showing off about wine. I once deceived a showboat pal by pouring Paul Masson $7 burgundy into a carafe and hinting that it was from an exotic new vineyard. He raved.
So what's my better reason for drinking (especially with friends)?
First answer: the friendship, which if it's worth having, will outlive
the worst wine on earth. Second answer: to slow down the drinking by chatting about how the wine feels in the mouth. Is it too tart? I don't care if it's been open half an hour or a day..if it's tart I'm not going to drink it again. Is it shallow (my word for a wine that reminds me of Kool-Aid)? If so, why am I taking a 2nd swallow?
I like a wine with body and some kickback in it. I don't need the vintner's lingo to say what I notice. That way lies madness. Yesterday I sampled a domestic Barbera from Walla Walla and said, "Wow..it's..velvety."
The winemaker's eyebrows jumped. He was happy to hear that...would have been equally happy to hear, "I love it!" but my spontaneous comment told him it had a quality that came close enough to what he hoped to produce.
And that's my final word. We're all just looking --in these wine-soaked moments--for what the poet Ted Roethke called "a steady storm of correspondences, or taking a philosophic leap to Italy, what Ugo Betti meant when he wrote, "Perhaps you, and only you, can listen to me and not laugh."
We look for confirmation, for joie d'vivre, for the silent shining eye that says, "Yeah...I liked it, too."
PS
It's not in the brochure.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
How'd you hear about that wine?
If you're not an aficionado, a vintner, enrolled in a class in wine-making at UC Davis, you probably heard about a particular wine by accident.
Oh, maybe you picked something up at Safeway on a whim. Or maybe you got a gift from a friend and have replicated that gift now and then.
But the most likely place to hear about a wine is from an elightened bartender who knows just enough to be dangerous, or while sharing a glass after hours with a pal. In the first case, you are headed down an alley built by wine distributors who know that women prefer chards over reds, and most guys like cabernet or syrah.
So you're just a mutt in the market. Yeah, you might be a self-taught connoisseur, but that's a pricey way to go, since you'd need to taste hundreds of wines before you had any serious confidence about your own taste.
So most of us stick with 6-10 wines we know we enjoy, along with the usual crowd of appetizers (a little crostini, a cheese plate, or some combination of crackers and cold cuts).
How can we expand that horizon? A trip to St. Helena doesn't hurt. In a day or two we can sample two dozen wines, sometimes paying a tasting fee that's refunded if we buy a bottle. Or we can visit a local wine bar, or set up a tasting with friends, each of us bringing a bottle.
My own method is to cruise the wine aisle at a decent shop. I look for red wines (we don't drink much white in our house). I stick with cabernet, syrah, Malbec, pinot noir, or a blend of cab and merlot. I also like bold Tuscans, barolos, Nebbiolos, and Montpulcianos.
I stay at the pricepoint (under $21) my budget can handle. I belong to a couple of wine clubs but often reject the quarterly shipment. I scan the new stuff at Costco to see if anything appealing has come into range. Last month I picked a new wine because the guy unpacking the cases at Costco said casually, "Have you tried this one yet?"
He pointed to a row of reds: the centerpiece was a WALTER CLORE Columbia Valley Red (from Columbia Crest Vineyards) I said I never heard of it. "Supposed to be one of the best wines in the world," he said. He could not verify. He was merely repeating what he heard in the warehouse. I weighed the matter briefly.
He was not posing as an expert. He had no idea how it tasted. He did not know my preferences or my pricepoint. I considered the possibility tha the was either a stooge for Costco or even a secret agent for the winery. Taking his advice would be like taking the advice of a movie usher on which movie to watch. Or buying a car because the neighbor had one and liked it. So I did it. As much as any other informal measure, hearsay is often a reliable path to enlightenment. If humble monks can teach us humility, why can't a warehouse guy lead us to some worthy contender. Besides, I figured if Jeff Brotman (Costco CEO) and his crew were willing to stock it, they have done some homework. I buy my shirts there. Why not a bottle of wine?
I tasted it last night. I liked it pretty well. It's a lightweight, not a knockout. Doing some Internet homework I learn it is a blend of 66% merlot and cab. NW Winepress says, "Firm in texture, ..remarkably graceful and harmonious, on the lighter side for a Cabernet-based wine, offering peppery blackberry accents." Robert Parker adds: "aged for 30 months in new French oak. It exhibits notes of pain grille, pencil lead, damp earth, herbs, and balsamic." The winemaker's notes say: "A classic Bordeaux-style winemaking protocol enhances the aromatics of slight spice, earth, coconut, and chocolate in this red blend."
That explains why I'm not knocked out...it's pleasant, but not husky enough for my palate. A more useful comment is one from a private party whose comment online suggests that Columbia Crest private reserve wines are invariably "brilliant." Since most of them cost more than $30 I may never verify that opinion. And the vintage I bought might wake up a little by 2014, so I'll try it again that year.
Would I give Walter Clore as a gift? Sure...if I knew the recipient likes her wines a little less bold, a little more fruit forward. That's a good enough reason to venture from the box canyon of my usual preferences.
Oh, maybe you picked something up at Safeway on a whim. Or maybe you got a gift from a friend and have replicated that gift now and then.
But the most likely place to hear about a wine is from an elightened bartender who knows just enough to be dangerous, or while sharing a glass after hours with a pal. In the first case, you are headed down an alley built by wine distributors who know that women prefer chards over reds, and most guys like cabernet or syrah.
So you're just a mutt in the market. Yeah, you might be a self-taught connoisseur, but that's a pricey way to go, since you'd need to taste hundreds of wines before you had any serious confidence about your own taste.
So most of us stick with 6-10 wines we know we enjoy, along with the usual crowd of appetizers (a little crostini, a cheese plate, or some combination of crackers and cold cuts).
How can we expand that horizon? A trip to St. Helena doesn't hurt. In a day or two we can sample two dozen wines, sometimes paying a tasting fee that's refunded if we buy a bottle. Or we can visit a local wine bar, or set up a tasting with friends, each of us bringing a bottle.
My own method is to cruise the wine aisle at a decent shop. I look for red wines (we don't drink much white in our house). I stick with cabernet, syrah, Malbec, pinot noir, or a blend of cab and merlot. I also like bold Tuscans, barolos, Nebbiolos, and Montpulcianos.
I stay at the pricepoint (under $21) my budget can handle. I belong to a couple of wine clubs but often reject the quarterly shipment. I scan the new stuff at Costco to see if anything appealing has come into range. Last month I picked a new wine because the guy unpacking the cases at Costco said casually, "Have you tried this one yet?"
He pointed to a row of reds: the centerpiece was a WALTER CLORE Columbia Valley Red (from Columbia Crest Vineyards) I said I never heard of it. "Supposed to be one of the best wines in the world," he said. He could not verify. He was merely repeating what he heard in the warehouse. I weighed the matter briefly.
He was not posing as an expert. He had no idea how it tasted. He did not know my preferences or my pricepoint. I considered the possibility tha the was either a stooge for Costco or even a secret agent for the winery. Taking his advice would be like taking the advice of a movie usher on which movie to watch. Or buying a car because the neighbor had one and liked it. So I did it. As much as any other informal measure, hearsay is often a reliable path to enlightenment. If humble monks can teach us humility, why can't a warehouse guy lead us to some worthy contender. Besides, I figured if Jeff Brotman (Costco CEO) and his crew were willing to stock it, they have done some homework. I buy my shirts there. Why not a bottle of wine?
I tasted it last night. I liked it pretty well. It's a lightweight, not a knockout. Doing some Internet homework I learn it is a blend of 66% merlot and cab. NW Winepress says, "Firm in texture, ..remarkably graceful and harmonious, on the lighter side for a Cabernet-based wine, offering peppery blackberry accents." Robert Parker adds: "aged for 30 months in new French oak. It exhibits notes of pain grille, pencil lead, damp earth, herbs, and balsamic." The winemaker's notes say: "A classic Bordeaux-style winemaking protocol enhances the aromatics of slight spice, earth, coconut, and chocolate in this red blend."
That explains why I'm not knocked out...it's pleasant, but not husky enough for my palate. A more useful comment is one from a private party whose comment online suggests that Columbia Crest private reserve wines are invariably "brilliant." Since most of them cost more than $30 I may never verify that opinion. And the vintage I bought might wake up a little by 2014, so I'll try it again that year.
Would I give Walter Clore as a gift? Sure...if I knew the recipient likes her wines a little less bold, a little more fruit forward. That's a good enough reason to venture from the box canyon of my usual preferences.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Howdy, Ma'am, How "Bout A Sip of My Merlot?
When I say cowpoke, you picture John Wayne, maybe Clint Eastwood, coming at you bow-legged, packing a gun the size of a wine bottle, right?
Wrong. These days, if rumor serves right, that's a wine bottle they're toting, and a handful of Texas wineries make wine good enough to serve with chateaubriand, not just a bowl of Texas red.
Just last week, the Texas Wine & Food Foundation sponsored a shindig that featured wines from Alamosa Wine Cellars, Becker Vineyards, Duchman Family Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Llano Estacado Winery, McPherson Cellars, Spicewood Vineyards in a sip-off against some well-known Argentine wines.
Fall Creek showed up with a surprising entry, their Mission San Antonio de Valero Sauvignon Blanc. Llano Estacado brought their Texas Cabernet, along with a new Riesling, and if that's all news to you, there are six Texas wines already well-known in the wine world for their excellence.
McPherson, for instance, took home a gold medal for its 2009 Rose' of Syrah from the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2010. Duchman Estate Winery took home a Double Gold in 2010 from the San Francisco International competition for its 2008 Dolcetto. And Brennan Vineyards earned gold for its 2007 Syrah in the Finger Lakes (2010) competition.
One of the better known Texas vineyards (Landon) was the Class Champion for its Sparkling Wine Cuvee Sec in 2011. Landon took home 19 medals at the 2010 San Antonio Rodeo Wine Competition. And down in Fredricksburg, Becker Vineyards makes a Cabernet one writer [from Forbes Magazine] called "the best wine in Texas," a steal at under $15.
Finally, I'd feel guilty if I didn't mention Purple Possum Winery in Navasota. They don't make any award-winning wine, and Clint would never show up there. What they make is mead, and mead was the fabled drink of Norse gods. If that's not enough to tempt you, please note that Purple Possum makes vanilla mead, cinnamon mead, and something called Skunk Mead, which they praise for its "unique smell." You gotta get down there, podnuh. If you do, don't come home too soon, you hear?
Wrong. These days, if rumor serves right, that's a wine bottle they're toting, and a handful of Texas wineries make wine good enough to serve with chateaubriand, not just a bowl of Texas red.
Just last week, the Texas Wine & Food Foundation sponsored a shindig that featured wines from Alamosa Wine Cellars, Becker Vineyards, Duchman Family Winery, Fall Creek Vineyards, Llano Estacado Winery, McPherson Cellars, Spicewood Vineyards in a sip-off against some well-known Argentine wines.
Fall Creek showed up with a surprising entry, their Mission San Antonio de Valero Sauvignon Blanc. Llano Estacado brought their Texas Cabernet, along with a new Riesling, and if that's all news to you, there are six Texas wines already well-known in the wine world for their excellence.
McPherson, for instance, took home a gold medal for its 2009 Rose' of Syrah from the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2010. Duchman Estate Winery took home a Double Gold in 2010 from the San Francisco International competition for its 2008 Dolcetto. And Brennan Vineyards earned gold for its 2007 Syrah in the Finger Lakes (2010) competition.
One of the better known Texas vineyards (Landon) was the Class Champion for its Sparkling Wine Cuvee Sec in 2011. Landon took home 19 medals at the 2010 San Antonio Rodeo Wine Competition. And down in Fredricksburg, Becker Vineyards makes a Cabernet one writer [from Forbes Magazine] called "the best wine in Texas," a steal at under $15.
Finally, I'd feel guilty if I didn't mention Purple Possum Winery in Navasota. They don't make any award-winning wine, and Clint would never show up there. What they make is mead, and mead was the fabled drink of Norse gods. If that's not enough to tempt you, please note that Purple Possum makes vanilla mead, cinnamon mead, and something called Skunk Mead, which they praise for its "unique smell." You gotta get down there, podnuh. If you do, don't come home too soon, you hear?
Monday, March 5, 2012
Even if you don't know a pinot noir from a pinata
Let's say you know nothing about wine. Cruising the wine section at Safeway you feel as helpless as a Republican in San Francisco (where Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected 10 times with 75% majority). Nancy and her hubby own a vineyard in St. Helena, by the way.
So even if don't know a pinot from a pinata, you could show your solidarity by taking home a bottle of Liparita 2010 Cabernet. Nancy doesn't make that wine. She just sells some grapes to the vineyard. If Nancy's not your cup of cab, owning a winery is a sport of sorts to dozens of other celebrities.
Imagine having a few pals over for burgers on the deck this summer, and pouring them a glass from a vineyard owned by any of the following VIPS:
Mike Ditka (Kick Ass Red...about $49)
Wayne Gretzky (No. 99 Cab....he also has a syrah and a chard)
Madonna (actually owned by her parents, called Ciccone Vineyard, in Michigan)
Joe Montana (he collaborates with Beringer on Montagia Wines)
Dan Marino (70% of proceeds from his Vintage 13 wines go to charity)
Olivia Newton-John (she has owend Koala Blue since 1983)
Greg Norman (you can find his Greg Norman Estates cab for under $15)
Arnold Palmer (Arnie has a cab and a chard, both under $14)
Tom Seaver (Seaver Vineyard in Calistoga sells Nancy's Fancy at $65/btl)
Tommy & Dick Smothers (Remick Ridge Vineyards: their wine (cab) is serious;
has won repeated silver and gold awards in California tastings)
Boz Scaggs (the noted R & B singer and his wife love Rhone style wines, have
planted some acreage in Napa with syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre,
that sells under MONTAGE label for about $75.)
Robert Parker (Beau Freres Vineyard in Oregon (his brother runs it)
Francis Ford Coppola and golfer Ernie Els and two British rockers (Cliff Richard and Mick Hucknall) also dabble in wines.
And perhaps most amazing, you can buy a wine (from Fattoria Le Terrazze in Italy) called Planet Waves, named after a Bob Dylan hit and signed by the singer.
So even if don't know a pinot from a pinata, you could show your solidarity by taking home a bottle of Liparita 2010 Cabernet. Nancy doesn't make that wine. She just sells some grapes to the vineyard. If Nancy's not your cup of cab, owning a winery is a sport of sorts to dozens of other celebrities.
Imagine having a few pals over for burgers on the deck this summer, and pouring them a glass from a vineyard owned by any of the following VIPS:
Mike Ditka (Kick Ass Red...about $49)
Wayne Gretzky (No. 99 Cab....he also has a syrah and a chard)
Madonna (actually owned by her parents, called Ciccone Vineyard, in Michigan)
Joe Montana (he collaborates with Beringer on Montagia Wines)
Dan Marino (70% of proceeds from his Vintage 13 wines go to charity)
Olivia Newton-John (she has owend Koala Blue since 1983)
Greg Norman (you can find his Greg Norman Estates cab for under $15)
Arnold Palmer (Arnie has a cab and a chard, both under $14)
Tom Seaver (Seaver Vineyard in Calistoga sells Nancy's Fancy at $65/btl)
Tommy & Dick Smothers (Remick Ridge Vineyards: their wine (cab) is serious;
has won repeated silver and gold awards in California tastings)
Boz Scaggs (the noted R & B singer and his wife love Rhone style wines, have
planted some acreage in Napa with syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre,
that sells under MONTAGE label for about $75.)
Robert Parker (Beau Freres Vineyard in Oregon (his brother runs it)
Francis Ford Coppola and golfer Ernie Els and two British rockers (Cliff Richard and Mick Hucknall) also dabble in wines.
And perhaps most amazing, you can buy a wine (from Fattoria Le Terrazze in Italy) called Planet Waves, named after a Bob Dylan hit and signed by the singer.
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