A few rules of thumb for winetasters in a hurry to pour
A brother who seems to know his way around a wine bottle says, "I never drink any Cabernet less than five years old. That's when they're ready to drink."
Hmm. I would not live by that rule, but like speed limits in Montana, I understand their purpose. They shortcut the search--whether for syrah or rainbow trout. But like women who hang out in bars, and politics in general, following them has unfortunate side effects.
For instance, that 5-year rule would cause me to miss:
While that wouldn't stop me from trying a Colgin Cabernet Cariad...the price might--it's $695.00 a bottle, which puts it at odds with my only rule: Nothing over $25 unless it's a gift...then I'll go...$30. Like the Harlan Estate 2005 Cab at $2,895 a bottle, rated 100 by Robert Parker, it will just have to stand beside Ingrid Bergman as a delight I'll never sample.
What about that 2007 Joseph Phelps (half) bottle of Cab Insignia at $125? you ask. ]Well, it's hard to say. Is that old enough? If I'm going to spend $125....it's not old enough. I'd expect it to be at least 21.
But I don't have to wait for that. I've already tried the 2008 Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cab. It was just fine. Parker gave it a 95, by the way, and listed another 2008 Hall Cab among the top wines of 2011.
I could list a dozen more Cabs that are mere toddlers in wine time. But what about my brother's rule of thumb? Tannic wines soften as they age, taking some of that edge off the the first sip. And like a certain woman who shall remain nameless here, Cabs do hold up better than other grapes as they get older.
I should add that (according to a respected sommelier quoted in Forbes Magazine) there are some Super Tuscan wines like Ucelleria Brunello di Montalcino (sangiovese) which gain good weight as they age because they are blended with Bordeaux grapes grown in the same region of Italy. He also names the Castello Romitorio Romito del Romitorio 2004 as a hefty wine that holds up well after aging. But don't expect to see that Brunello for under $60. The 2004 Romitorio is a better bet ($40-50) and has been rated 88 or better.
So my pragmatic thumbrule is this: if the wine ran you more than $125 a bottle, it's safe to hold it for a few years. At $250, you might even hang on for 15-20 years When you finally open it, you'll feel like a god..until it's gone. To prevent the letdown that is inevitable when you reach the bottom of that bottle, buy three.
Now you know why (a) I don't buy wines that expensive, and (b) why I don't mind drinking younger Cabs. But don't apply that 5-year rule to wine in general--they are built for drinking in most cases....pun intended.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Ain't gonna study wine no more
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.
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.
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.
Friday, February 10, 2012
She don't DO white, like some other women do
Messed up by a Semillon in the mid-80s, she has not touched white wine for 25 years.
Won't do it. She can't prove it was the wine, either. It could have been the guacamole dip, the shrimp, or just a garden variety nausea that bagged her later that evening.
But now neither her girl friends nor wine guides or me nudging her to give the Inama Soave a sip will budge her to consider it. Since all whites are off limits, even pro seco and champagne, we wind up with a dozen bottles (mostly gifted) in our tiny cellar, aging nicely, but unlikely to find their way to the recycling center.
Unless they are rare vintages or special occasion gifts, I find new homes for them. I have fed a few to Grandma, who will sip a red wine if it resembles the ones Grandpa used to brew (out of a bucket of blackberries or a pail of plums from his own orchard). She likes them sugar-laden, but on the white side will tolerate a Pinot Grigio if I don't have a sauterne or Gewurztraminer in the house. What some of us consider cooking wine is her cuppa tea.
At Thanksgiving I coaxed her to try a glass of Semillon and it lasted her all afternoon. This dilemma leaves me with too many whites on the teeter-totter I call my wine cellar --a rustic rack over the armoire in the kitchen. Its contents range from a Pomerol to a couple of Red Mountain chards from Terra Blanca (Washington). I may stuff them in someone's stocking this Christmas...not hers. That morning she's only after chocolate.
Has anyone considered making a Chocolate Chard? Stuck on reds, I have plenty to drink, from the 2009 Dante Cabernet--left over after our daughter's wedding in 2009: its berry-riddled finish makes it great with steak in midsummer--to an Owen Roe Cab we've been saving for the right moment, a Dunham Cellars Syrah I consider one of the best wines I've tasted, and a long-savored Napa Valley Cabernet from Heitz cellars due to be opened on our 45th anniversary.
That reminds me: too many winesites from too many vineyards make the fatal mistake of featuring photos of wine fields, chateaus, connoiseurs ganged up around a cask like a family reunion shot. You can't drink a winefield, and we're not that interested in your cousins. To help us single bottle buyers who are curious, but not ready to haul home a case, smart guys will put pictures of their best bottles in plain sight.
That's how most of us remember what we like.
We begin by thinking as we drink..then drinking as we think
Living on Island America, sometimes I forget there are other islands.
For instance...when I started drinking wine 30 years ago, I thought about it...gradually got used to it, settled in my preferences the way people do when they pick a political party.
For 20 years I've been drinking red wines most, and I like cabs over most reds plus a few big Tuscans, some syrahs. I am content to keep doing that. But I wonder what the British drink. So I asked.
First...their own wine is generally called Welsh Wine (British Wine refers to fermented grape juice) But the British are serious consumers of wine, most of it imported, and most of that from Australia now. Wikipedia says Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay is a big winner over there.
In 2010, these three wines were likely to be seen on British tabletops:
Finca Remendio Verdejo Rueda 2009
A pale Spanish white with hints of apples, white flowers
Cabrials Grenache Cinsult Rose 2009
For instance...when I started drinking wine 30 years ago, I thought about it...gradually got used to it, settled in my preferences the way people do when they pick a political party.
For 20 years I've been drinking red wines most, and I like cabs over most reds plus a few big Tuscans, some syrahs. I am content to keep doing that. But I wonder what the British drink. So I asked.
First...their own wine is generally called Welsh Wine (British Wine refers to fermented grape juice) But the British are serious consumers of wine, most of it imported, and most of that from Australia now. Wikipedia says Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay is a big winner over there.
In 2010, these three wines were likely to be seen on British tabletops:
Finca Remendio Verdejo Rueda 2009
A pale Spanish white with hints of apples, white flowers
Cabrials Grenache Cinsult Rose 2009
A pale salmon Bordeaux with a nose of red summer fruits and citrus and a balance of acidity, fruit and body.
Finca La Linda Malbec 2008
An Argentine wine with deep ruby colour and scents of plums and red and black fruits.
How about France? By comparison with the French, American wine drinkers are pikers (though we put away twice as much beer per capita). They drink SIX times more wine ...most of it red table wine..most of it at dinner with the family....and beaujolais remains the most common table wine there. But wine consumption is declining, with about half of young French moving to other alcohols (Calvados, Cognac) and away from expensive premier brands, according to WINE SPECTATOR.
In those fields and regions where the world's greatest wines earned their names, Merlot is still the leading grape among red wines grown there, with several white varietals combining to explain the popularity of wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Macon Villages and Riesling.
PS
I would not normally include Ireland in a list about wine drinking, but my Irish friends will probably ask. So I will close by saying that it's wiser to ask for a pint, and if you insist on a fine wine, don't ask the pub master to recommend one. He's likely to look over his own shoulder before answering, Smithwick's.
An Argentine wine with deep ruby colour and scents of plums and red and black fruits.
How about France? By comparison with the French, American wine drinkers are pikers (though we put away twice as much beer per capita). They drink SIX times more wine ...most of it red table wine..most of it at dinner with the family....and beaujolais remains the most common table wine there. But wine consumption is declining, with about half of young French moving to other alcohols (Calvados, Cognac) and away from expensive premier brands, according to WINE SPECTATOR.
In those fields and regions where the world's greatest wines earned their names, Merlot is still the leading grape among red wines grown there, with several white varietals combining to explain the popularity of wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Macon Villages and Riesling.
PS
I would not normally include Ireland in a list about wine drinking, but my Irish friends will probably ask. So I will close by saying that it's wiser to ask for a pint, and if you insist on a fine wine, don't ask the pub master to recommend one. He's likely to look over his own shoulder before answering, Smithwick's.
Friday, February 3, 2012
G'bye Annie Green Springs, We'll Never Forget You
When we talk wine, we speak too often about what we love, not enough about the dark secret of how we got started.
Only one guy I know grew up around great wine. So I asked a dozen others to tell me how their wine careers began, where they stand today, and why.
A pattern emerged. At least half had a bad night that left indelible stains. This usually happened in high school, they said, usually with a couple of pals, usually at a party. The offending beverage was Annie Green Springs, Ripple, Arriba, Boone's Farm, loganberry flips, wine coolers, or some similar Satanic concoction sold at 7-11 (stolen in most cases.)
The plot sickened. They found a secret place to slug down the wine,
drank half a bottle (hey it tasted kinda like Kool-Aid!), they got woozy, woke up at 2 a.m. in a ditch, on a beach, in the back seat of a bad car with their faces pressed into a pool of puke. Yeah.
They gave up wine instantly, and did not return to it for a decade.
When they did, the pattern was more gradual and guarded, often involved friends, another couple, dinner, a wine-tasting...and they found the wine was OK, nothing special. It took another 5-10 years before they got serious.
Their first legitimate sip was commonly a Merlot (which by now most have abandoned). Or a chardonnay, and many still sip it. Most guys and some of the women have moved on to Cabernet, Syrah or out of the wine world entirely, usually to beer... or a particular mixed drink like margaritas or Fireball (a trendy new whiskey mix).
While I was not (originally) looking for recommended wines in my half-baked survey, I found that most people did wind up with a persistent preferende, and their migration was instructive.
They began by accident in most cases, usually in a fit of mischief, not figuring they'd be more sophisticated after they drained the bottle. They returned more sober, but not sure what to expect. Maybe they were bored with Bud Light, or had moved up in their social standing.
Once they tasted a sensible bottle of wine, most hop-scotched from merlot or chard to (a) bigger, more oaky, or tannic wines like Cabernet; some chose syrah or pinot noir or a red blend; or dabbled with more complex whites like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio or a classic French white Chateau d'Y'Quem.
Here is a short list of some accidental recommendations. (As a group, most prefer red wines (cab or syrah).
Caymus CONUNDRUM (a California blend of several whites), usually under $20 and described as follows: "green apple, tangerine and sweet white flowers, melon, citrus, vanilla." Spectator says "Intensely flavored. Drink now."
Robert Karl 2006 Claret: out of Spokane. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec impart black cherries and smoky coffee, cedar and bittersweet chocolate. About $20
Milbrandt Estates Cabernet $25 black cherry, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, chocolate and spice.
Only one guy I know grew up around great wine. So I asked a dozen others to tell me how their wine careers began, where they stand today, and why.
A pattern emerged. At least half had a bad night that left indelible stains. This usually happened in high school, they said, usually with a couple of pals, usually at a party. The offending beverage was Annie Green Springs, Ripple, Arriba, Boone's Farm, loganberry flips, wine coolers, or some similar Satanic concoction sold at 7-11 (stolen in most cases.)
The plot sickened. They found a secret place to slug down the wine,
drank half a bottle (hey it tasted kinda like Kool-Aid!), they got woozy, woke up at 2 a.m. in a ditch, on a beach, in the back seat of a bad car with their faces pressed into a pool of puke. Yeah.
They gave up wine instantly, and did not return to it for a decade.
When they did, the pattern was more gradual and guarded, often involved friends, another couple, dinner, a wine-tasting...and they found the wine was OK, nothing special. It took another 5-10 years before they got serious.
Their first legitimate sip was commonly a Merlot (which by now most have abandoned). Or a chardonnay, and many still sip it. Most guys and some of the women have moved on to Cabernet, Syrah or out of the wine world entirely, usually to beer... or a particular mixed drink like margaritas or Fireball (a trendy new whiskey mix).
While I was not (originally) looking for recommended wines in my half-baked survey, I found that most people did wind up with a persistent preferende, and their migration was instructive.
They began by accident in most cases, usually in a fit of mischief, not figuring they'd be more sophisticated after they drained the bottle. They returned more sober, but not sure what to expect. Maybe they were bored with Bud Light, or had moved up in their social standing.
Once they tasted a sensible bottle of wine, most hop-scotched from merlot or chard to (a) bigger, more oaky, or tannic wines like Cabernet; some chose syrah or pinot noir or a red blend; or dabbled with more complex whites like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio or a classic French white Chateau d'Y'Quem.
Here is a short list of some accidental recommendations. (As a group, most prefer red wines (cab or syrah).
Caymus CONUNDRUM (a California blend of several whites), usually under $20 and described as follows: "green apple, tangerine and sweet white flowers, melon, citrus, vanilla." Spectator says "Intensely flavored. Drink now."
Robert Karl 2006 Claret: out of Spokane. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec impart black cherries and smoky coffee, cedar and bittersweet chocolate. About $20
Milbrandt Estates Cabernet $25 black cherry, blackberry, cassis, vanilla, chocolate and spice.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Airwines: When you're flying, what's pouring?
I wondered what I might be served if I could afford to fly first class --or even business class--to the Big Apple and beyond. It turns out the airlines have thought about it, too.
I learned they've come a long way from a packet of peanuts and a 200-year-old cookie.
A handful of carriers have hired top talent to guide them in what they pour. Those include United, American, and Singapore, to name a handful. The guidance has paid off, not only in the quality of wines provided. Several show a lot of imagination in what they serve.
Champagne, which you'd expect to see, is there aplenty, but I don't drink it, so I'll just say Singapore appears to lead the league in this field.
In first class, they also pour a pricey burgundy [2006 Faively Corton Clos des Cortons] served nowhere else in the air. American also shows 1st class savoir faire, serving a Cabernet from the Pauillac region. And United sticks closer to home in 1st class with two from California: a St. Clement Carneros Chardonnay 2007 or a 2007 Davis Bynum Russian River Sonoma Pinot Noir. On their domestic economy flights, United also surprises with a Redtree Chardonnay 2008 (North Coast, Calif.) or a Sol Casal Tempranillo NV (Spain). Not the sort of thing you'd expect in mid-air.
I learned they've come a long way from a packet of peanuts and a 200-year-old cookie.
A handful of carriers have hired top talent to guide them in what they pour. Those include United, American, and Singapore, to name a handful. The guidance has paid off, not only in the quality of wines provided. Several show a lot of imagination in what they serve.
Champagne, which you'd expect to see, is there aplenty, but I don't drink it, so I'll just say Singapore appears to lead the league in this field.
In first class, they also pour a pricey burgundy [2006 Faively Corton Clos des Cortons] served nowhere else in the air. American also shows 1st class savoir faire, serving a Cabernet from the Pauillac region. And United sticks closer to home in 1st class with two from California: a St. Clement Carneros Chardonnay 2007 or a 2007 Davis Bynum Russian River Sonoma Pinot Noir. On their domestic economy flights, United also surprises with a Redtree Chardonnay 2008 (North Coast, Calif.) or a Sol Casal Tempranillo NV (Spain). Not the sort of thing you'd expect in mid-air.
Flying American you can ask for a Hope Estate Verdelho [a white from the Hunter Valley of Australia, called a nice change of pace from Chardonnay)...and on Qantas, a 2005 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay [which some connoisseur calls 'a vastly under-rated, gorgeous'].
Cruising the terminal for other options, I see refreshing picks from British Airways (an Argento Malbec); American pours a Graham's 1991 Malvedos Vintage Port; SAS steps up with a Crusan Colombard Sauvignon Côtes de Gasgogne [a dry white seen most often as a pub /restaurant wine]; and United, showing imagination once more, serves its business class passengers a 2009 Burgans Albariño (another dry white).
Two other options impressed me: the 2005 Château Batailley served on Lufthansa,rated 90 by Wine Spectator [with hints of licorice, currant and fresh cèpe on the nose. Full and silky, with lots of sweet tobacco and berry character..] and the Casa de Santa Dão Reserva, which you'll taste in the off chance you choose to fly Air Portualo to Lisbon; it's a red blend of Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz rated 87 at the Westin St. Francis tasting.]
I won't be flying much at current market rates..but some of these
wines may be ordered on line. If I had to pick one sip from this list I'd order the Batailley, then pretend I went to Kenya to visit our old friends Mike & Judy Rainy, who run a remarkable safari/photo camp in Kajiado. They serve a nice sauvignon blanc and also are partial to South African clarets if you decide to go.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
California took in an orphan, called it Zin
A friend said lately his zin shelf was bare. Mine, too, but zin upsets me, so I was wary. A decade ago, when two bottles from the same California vineyard tied my guts in a knot, I took zin off my list.
A few years passed, and I attended a tasting where I tried a sip of Turley, another from Ridge, 3-4 others, all from California. The Turley took 2nd in our little circle. I can't recall the winner, but my faith in zin was restored.
It was at that tasting I heard that Zinfandel--considered a great choice for anyone doing burgers on the deck--has a history that leapfrogs its assumed home in Italy (where they also call it primitivo) to Croatia, its true home.
It's winter here, and we're in no hurry to haul out the deck chairs, but I did some scouting for my friend, and found half a dozen reliable zins under $16. They include:
Joel Gott 2008 Zin at $14
Michael Pozzan Napa Valley Cuvee 2009 Zin $17
Four Vines Maverick Zin $16
Ironstone Reserve 2008 Zin $15
While I'm sure it works, I'd drink a different wine (a nosy syrah) with my deckburger. With Zin I'd consider some chewy Thai dishes, especially those rated 3-5 on the pepper scale. I don't recommend it. I'm just making a point. I believe Zin will win more fans as the current crop of winemakers figures out how to take down that spicy edge, round it out and give us a more balanced profile fit for other foods.
A few years passed, and I attended a tasting where I tried a sip of Turley, another from Ridge, 3-4 others, all from California. The Turley took 2nd in our little circle. I can't recall the winner, but my faith in zin was restored.
It was at that tasting I heard that Zinfandel--considered a great choice for anyone doing burgers on the deck--has a history that leapfrogs its assumed home in Italy (where they also call it primitivo) to Croatia, its true home.
It's winter here, and we're in no hurry to haul out the deck chairs, but I did some scouting for my friend, and found half a dozen reliable zins under $16. They include:
Joel Gott 2008 Zin at $14
Klinker Brick Old Vine 2009 Zin @ $16 ----or $14.50 per half case--the first one I'd like to try, based purely on the name.
St. Francis Old Vine 2007 Zin $16Michael Pozzan Napa Valley Cuvee 2009 Zin $17
Four Vines Maverick Zin $16
Ironstone Reserve 2008 Zin $15
While I'm sure it works, I'd drink a different wine (a nosy syrah) with my deckburger. With Zin I'd consider some chewy Thai dishes, especially those rated 3-5 on the pepper scale. I don't recommend it. I'm just making a point. I believe Zin will win more fans as the current crop of winemakers figures out how to take down that spicy edge, round it out and give us a more balanced profile fit for other foods.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Orson? it's time to drink the wine
Once known as the Champagne King of California, Paul Masson left town not once, but twice. The first time he was homesick for France, but when he got there, the phylloxera virus killed all the root stock, so he came back. The second time was when Paul Masson folded its tent when it was acquired by Vintners International and became the Mountain Winery..hardly a distinctive brand (have you heard of it since Orson Wells died?)
Maybe that's because Vintners filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Canandaigua. better known as CENTERA. That was nearly 20 years ago. Growing out of that mess Canandaigua became Constellation (heard of that?) and the Masson label was sold by Centera to the Wine Group LLC of California.
We know now that Wells never drank Paul Masson in his life. And in a sense, neither have we, since 1993. Wine Group also bought two other lowbrow brands (Almaden and Inglenook) which I guess you can still find on the shelf at Safeway? (You can buy Almaden Heritage Cab for about $7 in box wine. Might be worth a sip if you're just getting started with wine.) The Mountain Winery sells a cab for $27 and a zin for $26. They also offer wine classes/tastings at the vineyard where you can learn the ropes (vines?) from experts.) At Inglenook, they took the high road...wines run from $48 to $430 a bottle. They've earned high marks, but I don't buy wine that pricey.)
The other end is the tiny one, and that's where I tend to migrate. I like Hauck Cellars in Healdsburg, for instance. When I buy a case from Hauck, I can talk directly to Greg at the counter. Same with Austin Briggs in Calistoga, CA. I also had a nice chat with a charming woman at Barnard Griffin in Prosser, but the founder was not far away. That sense of proximity/ownership/pride melts away when the winery becomes a mere commodity.
Maybe that's because Vintners filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by Canandaigua. better known as CENTERA. That was nearly 20 years ago. Growing out of that mess Canandaigua became Constellation (heard of that?) and the Masson label was sold by Centera to the Wine Group LLC of California.
We know now that Wells never drank Paul Masson in his life. And in a sense, neither have we, since 1993. Wine Group also bought two other lowbrow brands (Almaden and Inglenook) which I guess you can still find on the shelf at Safeway? (You can buy Almaden Heritage Cab for about $7 in box wine. Might be worth a sip if you're just getting started with wine.) The Mountain Winery sells a cab for $27 and a zin for $26. They also offer wine classes/tastings at the vineyard where you can learn the ropes (vines?) from experts.) At Inglenook, they took the high road...wines run from $48 to $430 a bottle. They've earned high marks, but I don't buy wine that pricey.)
All of this is prelude to the question: Where do we learn about wine?
I believe the answers are (in this order):
a) friends and family who introduce us to it at parties
b) fraternities
c) tasting events we attend at nonprofit auctions.
We haven't seen Orson Welles pumping Paul Masson for years, and we don't see wine advertised on television, so the role of media in minimal in shaping our taste. If you shop at wine stores, you are no doubt bedevilled by the sheer array of bottles...you feel like a kid in a toy store, or a woman buying fishing gear...unless you happen to be Joan Wulff, that paragon of casters.
But I'm not here to offer advice. Taste is too precarious for that. I prefer to point out that there are two ends to the wine trade, or maybe three. The first is the mega-wineries (Gallo owns about 60%of it, I suppose, even if they hide their hands in boutique mittens.)
I believe the answers are (in this order):
a) friends and family who introduce us to it at parties
b) fraternities
c) tasting events we attend at nonprofit auctions.
We haven't seen Orson Welles pumping Paul Masson for years, and we don't see wine advertised on television, so the role of media in minimal in shaping our taste. If you shop at wine stores, you are no doubt bedevilled by the sheer array of bottles...you feel like a kid in a toy store, or a woman buying fishing gear...unless you happen to be Joan Wulff, that paragon of casters.
But I'm not here to offer advice. Taste is too precarious for that. I prefer to point out that there are two ends to the wine trade, or maybe three. The first is the mega-wineries (Gallo owns about 60%of it, I suppose, even if they hide their hands in boutique mittens.)
The other end is the tiny one, and that's where I tend to migrate. I like Hauck Cellars in Healdsburg, for instance. When I buy a case from Hauck, I can talk directly to Greg at the counter. Same with Austin Briggs in Calistoga, CA. I also had a nice chat with a charming woman at Barnard Griffin in Prosser, but the founder was not far away. That sense of proximity/ownership/pride melts away when the winery becomes a mere commodity.
So here are some other solo vineyards --named randomly--if you happen to share my bias. I suggest 500-1,000 cases as a ceiling
in choosing your wines.
Allora --Napa (esp. for its petite sirah, their best seller).
Biale -- Napa (esp. for its old vine Zin, reumored to be fine..I don't know.)
Vincent Arroyo--Calistoga (for its cab and petite sirah..I have not tried them.)
Robert Hall --Paso Robles (for syrah, but also for its gold medal Rose) Have tried only the syrah)
Penman Springs--(Paso Robles for petite sirah and cab--have not tried)
St. Francis Winery: --Sonoma (for its 2008 Cab)
I have one in my cellar
And in Washington State:
Dunham Cellars: --Walla Walla (for its syrah and its Trutina, both terrific)
Dusted Valley: --Walla Walla (for its cabernet franc and its malbec)
(have not tried that)
Gramercy Cellars---Walla Walla (have not tried these, but hear great things
about Syrah, Cab and Third Man
Mark Ryan: --Woodinville (for its allegedly great Dead Horse and its cabernet
(already sold out). Note: I could not afford any of their wines, but
they have become a winemaking legend in NW, considered a "cult" winery.)
Gorman Winery: --Woodinville (for its Evil Twin and Bully wines, both red)
as much for their amusing names as any other reason..I can't afford 'em.
JM Cellars: --Woodinville (for its Bramble Bump--sold out)
They have others I can't afford, but if you can, consider Longevity @ $38
Their Tre Fanciulli--cab/merlot/syrah) is also sold out. Only 275 cases.
(15% discount for club members)
in choosing your wines.
Allora --Napa (esp. for its petite sirah, their best seller).
Biale -- Napa (esp. for its old vine Zin, reumored to be fine..I don't know.)
Vincent Arroyo--Calistoga (for its cab and petite sirah..I have not tried them.)
Robert Hall --Paso Robles (for syrah, but also for its gold medal Rose) Have tried only the syrah)
Penman Springs--(Paso Robles for petite sirah and cab--have not tried)
St. Francis Winery: --Sonoma (for its 2008 Cab)
I have one in my cellar
And in Washington State:
Dunham Cellars: --Walla Walla (for its syrah and its Trutina, both terrific)
Dusted Valley: --Walla Walla (for its cabernet franc and its malbec)
(have not tried that)
Gramercy Cellars---Walla Walla (have not tried these, but hear great things
about Syrah, Cab and Third Man
Mark Ryan: --Woodinville (for its allegedly great Dead Horse and its cabernet
(already sold out). Note: I could not afford any of their wines, but
they have become a winemaking legend in NW, considered a "cult" winery.)
Gorman Winery: --Woodinville (for its Evil Twin and Bully wines, both red)
as much for their amusing names as any other reason..I can't afford 'em.
JM Cellars: --Woodinville (for its Bramble Bump--sold out)
They have others I can't afford, but if you can, consider Longevity @ $38
Their Tre Fanciulli--cab/merlot/syrah) is also sold out. Only 275 cases.
(15% discount for club members)
Monday, January 2, 2012
Old bottle, drunk fall in, nice bouquet
You read haiku? Not many do. The best ones have the punch of ju jitsu, the delicacy of a snowflake landing our faces. But for most readers--the experience is too much like looking in the window of a restaurant, thinking of going in...but skipping the meal.
So why does wine figure prominently in the work of so many of the best makers of haiku? It is an outright theme in some cases...the poet staggering home after wine with friends comes upon a tableau near a country lane. Or the rice wine loosens his tongue and he admit some human frailty. I can't be sure...not being a drinker of Sake, but I suspect most of the power lies in the wine, not the lines.
Poking around the Internet for a blog that explores the connections between poetry and wine, I found RED WINE HAIKU Review where the blogger (Lane Steinberg) sums up some recent tastings in the classical form of a 3-line Japanese poem:
Here's a random sample of some recent brief assessments:
489) Roxyann Syrah 2008 (Oregon)
488) Roxyann Merlot 2007 (Oregon)
486) Cannonball Cabernet 2008 (California)
481) Castlebank Zinfandel 2009 (California)
To see more of Mr. Steinberg, visit his blog at
http://redwinehaiku.blogspot.com/
So why does wine figure prominently in the work of so many of the best makers of haiku? It is an outright theme in some cases...the poet staggering home after wine with friends comes upon a tableau near a country lane. Or the rice wine loosens his tongue and he admit some human frailty. I can't be sure...not being a drinker of Sake, but I suspect most of the power lies in the wine, not the lines.
Poking around the Internet for a blog that explores the connections between poetry and wine, I found RED WINE HAIKU Review where the blogger (Lane Steinberg) sums up some recent tastings in the classical form of a 3-line Japanese poem:
Here's a random sample of some recent brief assessments:
489) Roxyann Syrah 2008 (Oregon)
Baby butt softness
And a milk chocolate finish
Hide from the children!
488) Roxyann Merlot 2007 (Oregon)
When expectations
Are effortlessly eclipsed
One's left satisfied
486) Cannonball Cabernet 2008 (California)
Starts off promising
An impressive half gainer
Then a belly flop
481) Castlebank Zinfandel 2009 (California)
Frivolous and cold
Which by no means should suggest
It's without its char
It's without its char
To see more of Mr. Steinberg, visit his blog at
http://redwinehaiku.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Desert Island Red
I imagined some friends stuck on an island, and asked what wine they'd want to find half-buried on the beach. 10 out of 20 answered. This entry may be modified if more wine whims trickle in.
To juice up the situation, because I like to hear music when I taste wine, I also asked what music they'd wish to drink it by--if they also found a CD player washed up on the sand, a month's supply of batteries.
There were no duplicates, though red wines lead the field so far. A few exceptions flowed in. One said she'd prefer Gin & Tonic fueled by Hall & Oates. She's a contrarian and didn't like my premise.
Several would pick beer, and one is still pondering what wine. Mostly, they played along, and said, in no particular order:
Chateau Margaux, I think, with Rostropovitch and Britten bittersweet Schubert, Schumann and Debussy (London 1962, 1969.) This comes from a witty, literate, widow who hides out half the year in a remote cabin in Montana, so she knows what wine works best. I suspect the Britten CD is already in her player.
Chateau Margaux got a 2nd vote...the only duplicate in my survey. A friend who grew up attending French schools also named it. As 2nd choice he'd take a Romaine Conti; for music: Mozart (any/all) and/or Dylan. I trust this man as the one most grounded in French culture, and at the same time, someone familiar with our own American tendencies. In the few times I have had lunch at his home, we usually have ham sandwiches and a simple French table wine.
Rombauer Chardonnay and Beethoven (ALL), which I take to mean
anything/everything he composed. This comes from a crusty old journalist who has had his share of good scotch, bad beer, and newsrooms permeated by the stink of ink. He's a fine man to drink with, but surprised me with the Beehoven. I figgered he would pick some old blues player straight out of Kansas City or Chicago.
Fonseca 1994 Vintage Port is the choice of another old friend with classical tastes, and he'd rather hear Terry Gross interview a musician..but lacking NPR connection on the island, will accept the Clash or Hendrix(rock); ACDC (heavy metal); Brandenburg Concerto-w/Adolph Scherbaum on 2nd trumpet) (classical); Willie or Hank Williams (C/W); Etta James, Miles Davis or the Marsalis Family (jazz); or John Cage (new music). I'm having trouble featuring Cage and Fonseca, this guy lived in Aberdeen, WA for a long time.
Barolo and Mahler? answered another--a 70-ish attorney, raised in Paris by a serious musician. He doesn't drink much, but his taste seems unimpaired. I like his choice..perched on a mossy rock hearing Liebsong von der Erde over a glass of big Barolo? Not bad. I plan to test it.
A serious (published) novelist says he can't comment on wine. He considers it "a lesser beverage." but offers a youthful recollection: Strawberry Hill and Led Zeppelin.
On a desert island? Why not?
Then he kindly adds "The Clash," London Calling."
A different kind of non-comformist said, "No music, please. Just peace and quiet and wine." She picked Abeja Vineyards Cab...still a young outfit, but with wines that already are tasty and promise to improve; they are made by John Abbott, who made Cane Ridge a favorite for many Walla Walla wine drinkers.
Another non-comformist [a recovering headmaster who managed a local nonprofit] rejects the wine and says he'd pick
"Perfect Porter," no longer made, and for the music, Mark Knopfler, Randy Newman, and Yo Yo Ma.
A fishing buddy (Hugh Barrett from the badlands of Oregon) says I can use his name in reporting that he would pick a Gnarly Head Zin and Van Morrison's classic album, Poetic Champions Compose.
An old pal in Texas who does not support Rick Perry said she'd prefer
a crisp chardonnay...she did not name a vineyard or year. As for music? She'd like to hear David Byrne's Everything that Happens Will Happen Today....a collaboration with Brian Eno. It's ethereal and breezy..the little I heard. One critic refers to "warm, liquid guitars," in case you don't know their work. If you need a suggestion for a chardonnay, consider Cakebread Cellars or Raymond.
Another attorney (still undecided) asked "Is it a mixed case?" I answered aren't they all? He finally told me he'd pick a Zinfandel from Napa...Probably a Hedges/Rutherford. Music?---
One desiccated brother who used to drink red jug wine until his head rolled off his shoulders now says he'd pick a Malbec from Patagonia side of Argentina, and a CD of Gershwin tunes.
My baby brother (who considers himself a connoisseur of Italian wines) picked a Del Dotto (California) Cabernet or maybe a Quilceda Cab...
---I think he meant the Del Dotto Bin 887, which won big praise from Parker. But he threw my music theory off the track, adding that he'd pick a corny novelty tune from the 50s..."I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." His wife confirms the Del Dotto, but her musical taste is more refined. She picked ...
My (youngest) son, still finding his way in the wine world, names
CMS (Hedges) 2009...A blend of Cab/Merlot/Syrah; the CD he'd pick is Built to Spill, a rock band from Boise, ID.
I don't know about the music, but the wine is tasty.
Here's a sample of their music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6RoJ4GIM9k&feature=related
MY OWN PICKs:
ROBERT KARL Claret (Spokane)
Their cab and syrah (2008) both rated higher by Parker, but claret's just fine.
Music:
Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Summer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BsBbtp4gW4&feature=related
or
Miles Davis: I Fall in Love too Easily
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8JlTlhnjw&feature=related
For context only, I recall the wonderful scene in Jules et Jim (1962/Truffaut) when Jean Moreau babbles to Jim and Jules about the remarkable features of French wines.
To juice up the situation, because I like to hear music when I taste wine, I also asked what music they'd wish to drink it by--if they also found a CD player washed up on the sand, a month's supply of batteries.
There were no duplicates, though red wines lead the field so far. A few exceptions flowed in. One said she'd prefer Gin & Tonic fueled by Hall & Oates. She's a contrarian and didn't like my premise.
Several would pick beer, and one is still pondering what wine. Mostly, they played along, and said, in no particular order:
Chateau Margaux, I think, with Rostropovitch and Britten bittersweet Schubert, Schumann and Debussy (London 1962, 1969.) This comes from a witty, literate, widow who hides out half the year in a remote cabin in Montana, so she knows what wine works best. I suspect the Britten CD is already in her player.
Chateau Margaux got a 2nd vote...the only duplicate in my survey. A friend who grew up attending French schools also named it. As 2nd choice he'd take a Romaine Conti; for music: Mozart (any/all) and/or Dylan. I trust this man as the one most grounded in French culture, and at the same time, someone familiar with our own American tendencies. In the few times I have had lunch at his home, we usually have ham sandwiches and a simple French table wine.
Rombauer Chardonnay and Beethoven (ALL), which I take to mean
anything/everything he composed. This comes from a crusty old journalist who has had his share of good scotch, bad beer, and newsrooms permeated by the stink of ink. He's a fine man to drink with, but surprised me with the Beehoven. I figgered he would pick some old blues player straight out of Kansas City or Chicago.
Fonseca 1994 Vintage Port is the choice of another old friend with classical tastes, and he'd rather hear Terry Gross interview a musician..but lacking NPR connection on the island, will accept the Clash or Hendrix(rock); ACDC (heavy metal); Brandenburg Concerto-w/Adolph Scherbaum on 2nd trumpet) (classical); Willie or Hank Williams (C/W); Etta James, Miles Davis or the Marsalis Family (jazz); or John Cage (new music). I'm having trouble featuring Cage and Fonseca, this guy lived in Aberdeen, WA for a long time.
Barolo and Mahler? answered another--a 70-ish attorney, raised in Paris by a serious musician. He doesn't drink much, but his taste seems unimpaired. I like his choice..perched on a mossy rock hearing Liebsong von der Erde over a glass of big Barolo? Not bad. I plan to test it.
A serious (published) novelist says he can't comment on wine. He considers it "a lesser beverage." but offers a youthful recollection: Strawberry Hill and Led Zeppelin.
On a desert island? Why not?
Then he kindly adds "The Clash," London Calling."
A different kind of non-comformist said, "No music, please. Just peace and quiet and wine." She picked Abeja Vineyards Cab...still a young outfit, but with wines that already are tasty and promise to improve; they are made by John Abbott, who made Cane Ridge a favorite for many Walla Walla wine drinkers.
Another non-comformist [a recovering headmaster who managed a local nonprofit] rejects the wine and says he'd pick
"Perfect Porter," no longer made, and for the music, Mark Knopfler, Randy Newman, and Yo Yo Ma.
A fishing buddy (Hugh Barrett from the badlands of Oregon) says I can use his name in reporting that he would pick a Gnarly Head Zin and Van Morrison's classic album, Poetic Champions Compose.
An old pal in Texas who does not support Rick Perry said she'd prefer
a crisp chardonnay...she did not name a vineyard or year. As for music? She'd like to hear David Byrne's Everything that Happens Will Happen Today....a collaboration with Brian Eno. It's ethereal and breezy..the little I heard. One critic refers to "warm, liquid guitars," in case you don't know their work. If you need a suggestion for a chardonnay, consider Cakebread Cellars or Raymond.
Another attorney (still undecided) asked "Is it a mixed case?" I answered aren't they all? He finally told me he'd pick a Zinfandel from Napa...Probably a Hedges/Rutherford. Music?---
One desiccated brother who used to drink red jug wine until his head rolled off his shoulders now says he'd pick a Malbec from Patagonia side of Argentina, and a CD of Gershwin tunes.
My baby brother (who considers himself a connoisseur of Italian wines) picked a Del Dotto (California) Cabernet or maybe a Quilceda Cab...
---I think he meant the Del Dotto Bin 887, which won big praise from Parker. But he threw my music theory off the track, adding that he'd pick a corny novelty tune from the 50s..."I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts." His wife confirms the Del Dotto, but her musical taste is more refined. She picked ...
My (youngest) son, still finding his way in the wine world, names
CMS (Hedges) 2009...A blend of Cab/Merlot/Syrah; the CD he'd pick is Built to Spill, a rock band from Boise, ID.
I don't know about the music, but the wine is tasty.
Here's a sample of their music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6RoJ4GIM9k&feature=related
MY OWN PICKs:
ROBERT KARL Claret (Spokane)
Their cab and syrah (2008) both rated higher by Parker, but claret's just fine.
Music:
Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Summer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BsBbtp4gW4&feature=related
or
Miles Davis: I Fall in Love too Easily
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8JlTlhnjw&feature=related
For context only, I recall the wonderful scene in Jules et Jim (1962/Truffaut) when Jean Moreau babbles to Jim and Jules about the remarkable features of French wines.
Look at the clarets! she says. Chateau Lafite, Chateau Margaux…St. Emilien, Chateau Y’ Quem....the best in Europe…
The burgundies, she goes on: Martane , Chambertin, Beaume, Pommard, Chablis, Volnais, Beaumarchai, Pouilly Fuisse, Moulin A Vent, Fleurie, Mourgon, St. Amour...
and the men ignore her, until she leaps up, flirtatious, and says, "Catch me!" and runs off. They, inevitably drawn to her, chase.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Checking a hunch about wine prices, I started at the top with a 100-pt Parker rated
cabernet from Abreu Vineyard in California. I don't doubt the quality. But the price?
$473 was the average for one bottle. Yes, I know there are people whocollect and put wine aside, or buy in lots, never touch the bottles, and re-sell it at a profit. They affect the price for the rest of us, and we're not offended because we can't afford Abreu.
A brief aside: whether you revere Parker's system or not, it's useful to see what he considers the most desirable wines. His current list includes a lot of French selections from the past 40 years, beginning with a 2003 Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite and ending with a 1921 Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, peppered in between with Lafites and Margauxs and Gigondas and Cuvees. All great wines, I am sure. I'd love to find out, without spending a nickel.
Since that is unlikely, I dial down my price barrier to $50. It's a number I can swallow, even if I am not likely to spend it. Searching a different index for those, I see the
following:
The top ten include
---an 09 Fin du Journee Cab from Napa for $49.
---an 09 Novy Vander Camp Pinot Meunier from Sonoma for $49
---an 09 Vavasour Pinot Noir Marlborough from New Zealand for $49
---an 09 Seguinot Chablis Vielles Vignes from France for $49
---an 09 Foradori Myrto Bianco from Trentino, Italy for $49
---an 09 Stuhlmuller Chardonnay from Alexander Valley for $45
---an 09 Venta La Ossa from Spain for $45
---an 08 Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma for $45
---a Caymus Vineyards Conundrum from Napa for $44
I poked around and found a Marin Wines Textbook Vineyard Fin du Journee for $25.
I'd try that one instead. It gets multiple rave reviews. A blend of cab & merlot.
But shop for even lower prices. I saw the same wine for under $20.
The NOVY Family website says they built a reputation for their Meunier grapes, but are happy to tout several other wines like their Vineyard Syrah and their Russian River Barbieri. I found the Pinot Meunier for under $22. I found the Caymus Conundrum at three locations for under $20.
Confused? Me, too. The current economy may explain the wide variation in part, but the industry is full of erratic practices and pricing, which is the main reason so many American drinkers shrug and buy beer. The idea of standard pricing of their products wine is apparently unthinkable among wine insiders.
They would rather bamboozle us with claims that certain terroir, particular vintners, or certain prestige vintage years justify this chaos. I agree with Seattle wine merchan Richard Kinssies, who has worked in the field for 30 years, and makes his living by purchasing what the vineyards trhemselves can't market. He sells them at a reasonable price, which irks the winemakers but puts more good wine in our mouths.
cabernet from Abreu Vineyard in California. I don't doubt the quality. But the price?
$473 was the average for one bottle. Yes, I know there are people whocollect and put wine aside, or buy in lots, never touch the bottles, and re-sell it at a profit. They affect the price for the rest of us, and we're not offended because we can't afford Abreu.
A brief aside: whether you revere Parker's system or not, it's useful to see what he considers the most desirable wines. His current list includes a lot of French selections from the past 40 years, beginning with a 2003 Chapoutier Ermitage L'Ermite and ending with a 1921 Chateau L'Eglise Clinet, peppered in between with Lafites and Margauxs and Gigondas and Cuvees. All great wines, I am sure. I'd love to find out, without spending a nickel.
Since that is unlikely, I dial down my price barrier to $50. It's a number I can swallow, even if I am not likely to spend it. Searching a different index for those, I see the
following:
The top ten include
---an 09 Fin du Journee Cab from Napa for $49.
---an 09 Novy Vander Camp Pinot Meunier from Sonoma for $49
---an 09 Vavasour Pinot Noir Marlborough from New Zealand for $49
---an 09 Seguinot Chablis Vielles Vignes from France for $49
---an 09 Foradori Myrto Bianco from Trentino, Italy for $49
---an 09 Stuhlmuller Chardonnay from Alexander Valley for $45
---an 09 Venta La Ossa from Spain for $45
---an 08 Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma for $45
---a Caymus Vineyards Conundrum from Napa for $44
I poked around and found a Marin Wines Textbook Vineyard Fin du Journee for $25.
I'd try that one instead. It gets multiple rave reviews. A blend of cab & merlot.
But shop for even lower prices. I saw the same wine for under $20.
The NOVY Family website says they built a reputation for their Meunier grapes, but are happy to tout several other wines like their Vineyard Syrah and their Russian River Barbieri. I found the Pinot Meunier for under $22. I found the Caymus Conundrum at three locations for under $20.
Confused? Me, too. The current economy may explain the wide variation in part, but the industry is full of erratic practices and pricing, which is the main reason so many American drinkers shrug and buy beer. The idea of standard pricing of their products wine is apparently unthinkable among wine insiders.
They would rather bamboozle us with claims that certain terroir, particular vintners, or certain prestige vintage years justify this chaos. I agree with Seattle wine merchan Richard Kinssies, who has worked in the field for 30 years, and makes his living by purchasing what the vineyards trhemselves can't market. He sells them at a reasonable price, which irks the winemakers but puts more good wine in our mouths.
I am building this blog as slow as a Norwegian decision. If you've read the first one, you know I'm a novice, not claiming lofty wisdom, but hoping to speak for people who tread lightly on the grape.
1) My local newspaper Thursday--in a regular column contributed by a dentist, said certain wines were fine. Never mind his logic or his comments on their noses, their finishes, or their drinkability.
When I scanned his list I went immediately to price: $50 $30 $28. One around $14.
I said to myself, "Does he know this is ridiculous for most wine drinkers? Could he be a victim of self-service in the journalistic sense? i.e. writing about high end wines just so he will be pampered at the winery or call the wine a work-related expense."
I have a couple of dental friends...they side with me...and the most I will pay for wine is $32, and it'd better be memorable. For my daughter's wedding in 2009--a big moment--the most we paid was $18 for a bottle of champagne (ONE). All the rest came in around $11...and went down like Sonny Liston. Most of those punks drank Full Sail or IPA, anyhow (20-somethings). Their parents and I drank the wine...and we only finished half of it. So I still have 2 bottles left.
And so goes most of America, slugging down Coors and Bud Light-- maybe $2 a bottle (2 pours of wine), so it's a plebeian preference, not only in total consumption but custom. That's why they call them keggers. Who'd attend a winer?
2) For people over 60, the issue is similar. We're living with no kids in the basement. When we buy wine, it's usually for two...and we're wary of buying anything that might go to vinegar on the kitchen counter, so we keep a lid on the price...why waste a $36 bottle of Cab?
3) Why pretend that occasional flashes of honesty (a feature called "WINES UNDER $20) are some sort of favor to us. Where's the intelligence that would tell us the writer knows most of us consider wine a luxury in at any price? We were raised on $1 for TWO movies, and gripe at spending $10 to see one now, so we subscribe to Netflix.
We ate 49 cent loaves of Wonder Bread, and balk at a bag that runs $5 a loaf (shopping for a special on whole wheat at $2.99). We order $4 oatmeal and toast for breakfast, soup and a half sandwich for lunch, and sometimes at dinner we settle for salad.
Do they think our brains flick off when we shop for wine?
At the supermarket where I shop, I scan the aisle to find a shelf where the price is palatable...then I pick my wine. Those alleged lovelies that begin above $30? I don't even look. Now and then--through the kindness of friends--I have tasted spectacular
wines that run $80-90 or more than $100. When I do that I always feel I have stolen a peach, but I am not going to invest in an orchard.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A little homework won't hurt ya
And it might even help. I wondered where Washington State stands in per capita wine consumption. Fairly high, though New Hampshire is higher, and Washington DC the highest (all those embassies pouring our best vintages). California drinks more total wine, but we hold our own in per capita consumption. About 2.5 gallons a year...or 40 glasses.
WORLDWIDE, you may be stunned to hear that Vatican City is a major player when it comes to putting away wine. France & Italy and Spain, as you probably guessed, are 4-5 times higher than the US in their wine drinking. We're still figuring out that manly man can drink whatever they want, including wine..but beer still rules. And about one third of all the wine we drink is purchased at supermarkets, the rest directly from vineyards, either online or in person. When we buy in person, we tend to pay more. The last report I found indicated $52 was average price per bottle, while the average is under $15 when we buy at Safeway. The higher vineyard price reflects the difference in customers: serious wine drinkers & collectors tend to spend more.
WORLDWIDE, you may be stunned to hear that Vatican City is a major player when it comes to putting away wine. France & Italy and Spain, as you probably guessed, are 4-5 times higher than the US in their wine drinking. We're still figuring out that manly man can drink whatever they want, including wine..but beer still rules. And about one third of all the wine we drink is purchased at supermarkets, the rest directly from vineyards, either online or in person. When we buy in person, we tend to pay more. The last report I found indicated $52 was average price per bottle, while the average is under $15 when we buy at Safeway. The higher vineyard price reflects the difference in customers: serious wine drinkers & collectors tend to spend more.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
What the wine guy says
Out shopping today, I spotted the wine guy at our local market. He has a good grin. Loves to chat about wine. So I said...what's the pattern of wine purchases here? Red? White? Cab? Merlot? Cab, he said emphatically. His store has a full row of it, six shelves high, a good mix of California and Washington vineyards. He keeps high end bottles in back, and showed me a few (Hartwell, Groth, both from Napa.) He says Washington (his humble opinion) has a few terrific red wines, but California is still the one that stupefies his mouth. "We're not there yet," he says. "I love Washington wines, but (he shakes his head again.) I agree, though a Quilceda Creek I tasted with a friend would make my top 10 list.
How about whites? I asked. Riesling, hands down, he told me. I said "Little old ladies?" He nodded. "And their grandaughters, those 20 and 30-somethings we always see looking cool and wary at local vineyards when they sample the casks? Are they more willing to try a big ol' Tuscan?" He nodded again.
Again, it fit my hunch, but we were interrupted by paying customer, so I didn't get to ask "What about price point? Are most of your regular customers hanging out around $20, like me, and spending more only when the wine is for someone special?" This
slows us down, of course, because we stay with what we know, so I've poked around the wine rack lately so see if there's anything else out there I like. Yes. I'll name a few next time I write.
How about whites? I asked. Riesling, hands down, he told me. I said "Little old ladies?" He nodded. "And their grandaughters, those 20 and 30-somethings we always see looking cool and wary at local vineyards when they sample the casks? Are they more willing to try a big ol' Tuscan?" He nodded again.
Again, it fit my hunch, but we were interrupted by paying customer, so I didn't get to ask "What about price point? Are most of your regular customers hanging out around $20, like me, and spending more only when the wine is for someone special?" This
slows us down, of course, because we stay with what we know, so I've poked around the wine rack lately so see if there's anything else out there I like. Yes. I'll name a few next time I write.
First words about wine
First words about wine
I read about wine before I drank. Falstaff, raving about "good sack, dry sack" in Henry IV, Part I told me most of what was later confirmed when I took my first taste. When Dad bought into a wine shop in the 60s, he was green as a golf course. He brought home German wines most, Bernkasteler Doktor, Kabinetts, Spatleses. I remember the way they sat on my tongue like cool silver. For a few months they served as a guiding light in what I drank.
Gradually, through a friend from England, I learned about sherries...though I never grew to like them. In the 70s I swigged primitive homemade wines (Henry's Rhubarb from Oregon was first). As my paycheck grew, so did my interest in California wines...North Coast Pinot Noir was an early favorite...then Raymond and Cakebread and Duckhorn came along. Those hefty reds weaned me of my preference for German
wines. I never drink them now. Along the way I dabbled with the idea that French wines were superior, got over that when I tasted half a dozen domestic wines that knocked me out. More later on that.
If you read this blog more than once, you'll find me swerving from wine talk to words.
Since I mentioned Falstaff, here he is, roaring drunk and reminding us that the first
purpose of good drink is to loosen the tongue:
A good sherris sack hath a two-fold operation in it. It ascends me into the brain;
dries me there all the foolish and dull and curdy
vapours which environ it; makes it apprehensive,
quick, forgetive, full of nimble fiery and
delectable shapes, which, delivered o'er to the
voice, the tongue, which is the birth, becomes
excellent wit. The second property of your
excellent sherris is, the warming of the blood;
which, before cold and settled, left the liver
white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity
and cowardice; but the sherris warms it and makes
it course from the inwards to the parts extreme:
it illumineth the face, which as a beacon gives
warning to all the rest of this little kingdom,
man, to arm; and then the vital commoners and
inland petty spirits muster me all to their captain,
the heart, who, great and puffed up with this
retinue, doth any deed of courage; and this valour
comes of sherris. So that skill in the weapon is
nothing without sack, for that sets it a-work; and
learning a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil, till
sack commences it and sets it in act and use....
If I had a thousand sons, the first humane principle I
would teach them should be, to forswear thin
potations and to addict themselves to sack.
Gradually, through a friend from England, I learned about sherries...though I never grew to like them. In the 70s I swigged primitive homemade wines (Henry's Rhubarb from Oregon was first). As my paycheck grew, so did my interest in California wines...North Coast Pinot Noir was an early favorite...then Raymond and Cakebread and Duckhorn came along. Those hefty reds weaned me of my preference for German
wines. I never drink them now. Along the way I dabbled with the idea that French wines were superior, got over that when I tasted half a dozen domestic wines that knocked me out. More later on that.
If you read this blog more than once, you'll find me swerving from wine talk to words.
Since I mentioned Falstaff, here he is, roaring drunk and reminding us that the first
purpose of good drink is to loosen the tongue:
A good sherris sack hath a two-fold operation in it. It ascends me into the brain;
dries me there all the foolish and dull and curdy
vapours which environ it; makes it apprehensive,
quick, forgetive, full of nimble fiery and
delectable shapes, which, delivered o'er to the
voice, the tongue, which is the birth, becomes
excellent wit. The second property of your
excellent sherris is, the warming of the blood;
which, before cold and settled, left the liver
white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity
and cowardice; but the sherris warms it and makes
it course from the inwards to the parts extreme:
it illumineth the face, which as a beacon gives
warning to all the rest of this little kingdom,
man, to arm; and then the vital commoners and
inland petty spirits muster me all to their captain,
the heart, who, great and puffed up with this
retinue, doth any deed of courage; and this valour
comes of sherris. So that skill in the weapon is
nothing without sack, for that sets it a-work; and
learning a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil, till
sack commences it and sets it in act and use....
If I had a thousand sons, the first humane principle I
would teach them should be, to forswear thin
potations and to addict themselves to sack.
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