Ever Wonder How Best to Learn About Wine?

People have asked me “How did you learn so much about wine?” The simple answer is that I’ve been at it for years. But, for those who are new to wine, I suggest the following:

Reading — Sure, like any subject, you can learn by reading books and magazines. But, I actually suggest holding off on the ‘classroom’ learning and start immediately with a ‘lab’ class. That is, learn by doing.

Wine Tasting — There’s no better way to learn about wine than by tasting. Realize though, you can’t take a crash course. It takes time to learn about wines and to learn your personal preferences. And, for a lot of people who may be used to sweet cocktails, wine often doesn’t taste very good to them at first. So, I suggest starting with sparkling wines or light white wines. But don’t think that a really expensive wine is the best place to start. Start with a pink sparkling wine, a Prosecco or a Cava. Or, a light white wine - a Chenin Blanc, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Grenache Blanc, or a Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris. And, ideally, try more than one wine at a time for comparative purposes. That’s when you can really make headway on the differences in wine.

Splurge on a ‘Good’ wine — Many people who are new to wine tend to look for the $5 bottles of wines. And, there’s nothing wrong with them. But, you’ll also want to periodically wander into the $10 wines and the $15 wines. Again, for comparative purposes. When you are getting started don’t immediately expect that a really expensive wine is going to taste better. Save those for the advanced lab classes.

Continue Expanding the Wines You Taste — After you’ve tried a few light white wines, venture into some more medium-bodied whites: Viognier, Un-oaked Chardonnay, Sémillon or Marsanne. These are going to have a bit bigger flavors. Then, you can expand into a richer white wine such as an oaked Chardonnay.

There’s so much more. So, we’ll continue with more next time. But for now, simply relax and enjoy wine tasting. And remember, there are no wrong answers in wine when it comes to your personal preferences. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? What Should You Do When Offered a Taste of the Bottle of Wine You Ordered at a Restaurant?

The common ritual when you order a bottle of wine is that the server will show you the bottle, open it and pour you a small amount. This can be a bit of a nervous moment if you don’t really know what you are supposed to do. But, it’s actually quite simple. Here’s how to handle it like a pro.

When ordering wine at a restaurant, it’s usually a better value to order a bottle rather than buying individual glasses. Remember, a bottle holds approximately five glasses. So, do the math and you’ll likely come out ahead ordering a bottle.

When the bottle is delivered to the table, the server will show the unopened bottle to the person that ordered it. This is done simply so that you can verify that the bottle that’s been brought to the table is the one that you ordered. And, if you were specifically ordering the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, look closely at the label and confirm that the bottle is indeed the 2012 vintage. Once you’ve identified the bottle as the one you ordered, simply let your server know that it’s the right one.

At this point, your server will extract the cork and place it on the table. This is not done so that you can smell the cork, it’s done to demonstrate that the cork is intact, and that there are no signs of leakage or spoilage. So, you should simply exam the cork and set it back down as long as it looks fine.

Now, your wine server will pour a small amount of wine in the glass of the person that ordered the bottle. This is the opportunity to ensure the wine hasn’t spoiled. Take a look at the color. A brown color will be a giveaway of a wine that’s oxidized. Then give the wine a quick smell. It should smell like wine, not like a wet dog or a cow pasture (yes, I recently experienced a wine that smelled like a cow pasture!). If it smells okay, then take a small sip. Again, this is your opportunity to confirm that the wine hasn’t spoiled. If you get a nutty flavor, your wine has oxidized. Or, if you get a vinegar flavor, you wine has gone bad.

But also realize, this small sip of wine isn’t intended to be for you to determine if you like the wine or not. You don’t get to have bottles of wines opened for you until you find something you like!

So, keep these simple things in mind the next time you are faced with having a bottle of wine severed to you at a restaurant and you’ll do just fine. Cheers!

Look for Unique Bottles of Wine on the Shelf When Shopping at Smaller Retailers

I occasionally shop at smaller wine retailers such as delis and drug stores. Something I’ve noticed is that these smaller retailers don’t have the same turnover that larger wine stores and grocery store have. So, I’m often pleasantly surprised to find unique bottles of wine on their shelves.

These unique bottles can include older ones, a range of vintages of the same wine and foreign wines.

Finding an older bottle of wine on the shelf can be a real treat. But, it can also be a double-edged sword. Older bottles of full-bodied red wines that are stored properly will have had a bit more time to mellow and soften with age. But, on the other hand, if these bottles have been sitting a very warm environment or in direct sunlight they may have been damaged.

Another interesting thing you may find is a range of vintages of the same wine.  It’s a real treat when you get to taste wines from different years (a vertical tasting) at a winery but it’s often difficult to do this at home. So, if you find multiple vintages on the shelf, pick them up and do your own vertical tasting.  You may be surprised how the same wine changes from vintage to vintage.

And finally, I found when traveling, smaller wine sellers will have unique labels that you won’t find at your local wine-seller. Everything from local wines to foreign wines. Especially on the East coast of the U.S. where you’ll find a larger selection of unique European wines than you’ll find on the West coast.

So, seek out smaller wine retailers (yes, even drug stores) and don’t just grab your same old bottle.  Look closely and you might just find a unique one. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Is it Okay to Drink Rosé Wine in the Fall and Winter?

 Rosé is a wine that is enjoyed in warm weather, by the pool, at the beach and by the lake. It’s wonderfully refreshing and pairs well with most foods. But, like wearing white clothing, rosé is generally not ‘in style’ after Labor Day. And that’s a shame.

Rosé, as previously discussed, is produced from red wine grapes, but extended contact with the dark grape skin is not allowed. The juice from the pressed red grapes is immediately separated before fermentation begins. So, the juice has just a hint of pink color.

So, why do we shy away from rosé during the Fall and Winter seasons? They are delicious and pair so well with so many foods.

Rose’s bright fruit flavors and crisp acidity work with chicken, fish and turkey. Yes, turkey. But is rosé featured on the Thanksgiving table? It should be! And, with a Christmas ham? Absolutely! And on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day? Yes, especially sparkling rosé. While it might be frightfully cold outside, that’s not reason to set aside the rosé.

I say embrace rosé - Year-round. Along with those hearty reds. It’s always okay to rosé! Cheers!

Ever Wonder? Is Price a Good Indication of a Wine's Quality?

Early in my wine exploration, I was drinking a lot of inexpensive wine. Mostly in the $5 - $10 price range. And that’s where I did a lot of learning.

When I’d splurge and buy a wine in the $10 - $15 range it would usually be a better wine. So, in those early days, I’d constantly wonder how much better are expensive wines? If a $15 bottle is better than a $10 bottle, how much better is a $20 bottle? How about a $40 bottle. Is a $100 bottle of wine perfection?

Well, over the years, I’ve learned that indeed there is a correlation between a wine’s price and its quality. And, the infographic from Wine Folly is generally true. About half the wines priced at $20 will be “good.” And, by the time you are spending $30 or more on a bottle of wine, you’ll probably find it’s a really good one. But, where does this stop?

During my travels through wine country, I’ve gotten to taste a lot of wines. And, generally, price and quality are correlated. I’ve tried a $100 Cabernet Sauvignon from a major wine producer in Paso Robles that I still claim is the best wine I’ve ever tried. It was truly amazing. But, I’ve also tried a $150 Pinot Noir in the Russian River area, from a winery I really enjoy, but found it to be no better than their significantly lower priced Pinot Noir.

Price can also be somewhat of a marketing thing. Is $2500 really worth it for a bottle of Screaming Eagle 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa? I don’t have first-hand experience with this one. I bet it’s good. But that good? When you are trying to impress someone, maybe a prospective customer that you know enjoys wine, or a good client, the $2500 is certainly worth it. Everyone will be impressed and you’ll make your customer very happy. But, is the wine really a thousand times better than a $25 bottle of Cabernet? I’d love to find out!

So, price is usually a good indicator. But don’t let it be your only guide. Cheers!