Wine Tutorial and Q & A

hey, jerry, when we have Regaleali Rosato in our restaurant, I promise, it's sold out after a week! The bianco's also very good, but I wouldn't even use the Rosso for a sauce!

The vernaccia is my house white! And the Peperino is almost the house red... Not for the restaurant, but in my pad!

Cav, I must say that I've never had the pleasure of drinking an Icewine, but there are, from what I've heard, some really great ones available here, too. German or Austrian.

Dear Letty, who told you about our anniversary? Rae? It will be nice, we're going to the Lake of constance for the day, and to the restaurant where we had our wedding lunch for dinner! So we wont be a2k-ing tomorrow!

Have fun bigdice! Icewine in Germany = Eiswein, but despite it's origins there, many think we make it better in Canada these days

Now...Trockenbeerenauslese is another story...

Ok, if you say so, still have to try one, tho!

Thanks, cav, we will!

Reading all this makes me want to renew my subscription to Wine Spectator and replenish my cellar. Cav, do you have an Gewurtraminer recommendations? I never found one I really enjoyed....

Oops, looks like my last post didn't go through...I love Gewurztraminer from Alsace, bone dry, but full of exotic flavours, and perfect with Asian food. Try the Pierre Sparr, or Trimbach, or any producer from Alsace. One thing about Alsace, while the house styles might be different, you will rarely find a bad wine. Also keep in mind, Gewurztraminer is not for everyone. It may turn out that you simply don't like it, which is fine.

Anyone tried the St. Francis Vineyard Merlot? It's available at Sam's club for about $15.00 a bottle -- a smooth wine with characteristics of cherry and almond, it goes with fish and chicken as well as any red meat. I even marinated a pot roast in it and...yum, yum.

I assume this is the place?

http://www.stfranciswine.com/table.htm

Sounds interesting, but that chocolate beet cake recipe just made me shudder...

Yes, and I noticed th 1997 Merlot is $40.00 on their site! Sounds like I should buy a case at Sam's! It is a superior Merlot.

LW, these guys from Niagara make wicked Merlot, regular and Reserve.

http://www.peninsularidge.com/wines.htm

I'm so uneducated. I had no idea wine was so involved (incidentally, what is it about wine that makes it so coveted a drink? I mean, I've seen on television people tasting wines and they always look so goofy (for lack of a better term). Is it such a stuffy hobby (wine & all that goes with it?)

1 - why is there a different glass for red vs white vs blush wines? what's the purpose?

2 - what determines a 'good' wine? Can you buy "good" wine from like...Publix?

3 - what little wine I've had, the dryer the yuckier (to me) what's a good (non expensive) sweetish wine? I tasted something at olive garden (light pink..guess that would be blush?) that so sooo good.

when you've answered these, I'll have more :-)

Actually onyxelle, there are different types of wine glasses for different types and varietals of wine, not just red and white, but that's another story. Basically, red and white wine have vastly different "noses", meaning what they smell like. White wines tend to have very little scent, so they are served in a smaller glass with a smaller rim, to help concentrate the scent.

Red wines on the other hand have very strong noses and are very complex, thus, they are served in a wider rimmed glass to allow you to fully experience the aroma. Remember, swirl and sniff before you sip.

You can buy good wine just about anywhere these days, it just requires a little knowledge.

Sweet vs. Dry. Most nubie wine drinkers will prefer sweet. Actually though, most sweet wine is made by adding sugar back in after fermentation is complete. This is not always true, some winemakers siimply don't do a complete fermentation, allowing some residual sugar. As far as "pink" wines go, white zinfandel is the biggest player here in the U.S., and not a great example of a "good" wine either. But people lap it up. It's like a wine cooler in a wine bottle. For me, a dry rose or "vin gris" (literally "grey wine"), is nice for outside on a hot day. It's pink and fruity, but not too sweet. Ask your wine dealer for "dry rose" and they'll steer you in the right direction. In Florida, you'll likely be looking for something French.

The best wine for you is the one you like. You have to try things and see what you like. Over time, your palate will change, and you will find more and more ways to enjoy wine and pair it with different foods.

onyxelle, let me start with my favourite definition of what a "good" wine is: it's the one you like. While there are a lot of wine snobs out there, it's really not necessary, just like the supposed rules about white wine with fish, red with meat also don't apply today.

As for the different glasses, they are designed in order to concentrate the different qualities of each wine, and direct the wine to the optimum parts of your taste buds, to enhance the experience. Check out this site for more info: http://www.riedelcrystal.com/index.htm This is the prefered crystal for connaissouers, and the ones we have (Vinum line, the hand-made Sommelier's series is just priced out of our range).

I don't know how sweet you want your wine, but there are a couple of Greek dessert wines that are good, and not expensive. There is the Samos Muscat (white, sweet) which I sadly haven't seen lately in these parts, and Mavrodaphne of Patras (red, sweet). As for blush, or rose (pron. ro-zay) wines, I prefer the dry variety, so I can't suggest some sweet ones. I also have no idea what Publix is, but I assume it's an American grocery store?

A good source of information is the magazine "Wine Spectator". Check it out here:

http://www.winespectator.com

Wine Spectator tends towards the snobby, but it is a good magazine. I prefer Billy Munnely, maybe because he is so down to earth, and a friend of ours. http://www.billysbestbottles.com/

Alright, I've read over the entirety of billy's site. Wow, is what I have to say. Apparently, lay people don't know what they think they know about wine. The winery that I go to (because they have jazz fests on wknds, has small tasting as a part of the walk-thru tour. It's done in small communionish (about 1/5 inches tall & 1 inch diamater at the top) thingies. Does this mean I'm not really 'tasting' the wine - or at least not in the sense that you'd do a tasting? I mean, I can surely smell it and some of smells really good, but my nose is not so atuned (is that a word?) yet. What do you think of this sort of tasting experience?

The glass described sounds like a mini version of the ISO glass, which is standard for tastings.

"ISO type Tasting Glasses

21.5 cl 7 1/4 fl oz Size
Height: 155mm 6 1/8"
Rim Diameter: 46mm 1 3/4"


International Standards Organisation or 'ISO' wine glasses are recognised throughout the world as the standard design for wine tasting. The rounded bowl and tapering sides allow the wine to be swirled without spilling, and the relatively narrow rim helps contain the bouquet and enhances the appreciation.

The 21.5cl version of this glass is the size most commonly used at wine tastings, but 'ISO' wine glasses are also available in 12cl, 31cl and 41cl sizes."

However, if it's not a tapered glass, then that is different. Here, when wine shops and the LCBO have tastings, they use these little plastic glasses, with no tapering. I don't find them very useful, except to just get an impression of the wine, without depth.

that little plastic thing is what we're getting i'm sure of it. It's not a wine glass per say, more like a tiny hard plastic cup...it was enough to let me know I dind't like 'dry' wine though...way to uhm....hard for me.

onyxelle, you may want to try some 'off-dry' whites, or 'semi-sweet'. Here, most are made from Muscat, Riesling and Vidal. They are quite refreshing well-chilled. Some sparkling wines are also made that way, usually labelled 'demi-sec'. The weird thing is, sweet champagne (the real deal from France) is labelled 'extra dry'. Italy makes some fine sweet sparkling wines as well, like 'Moscato d'Asti.' Some are dry, so just ask a salesperson if you are not sure.

Hey Cav,

I have troubles shopping for wine for my wife. She likes it sweet and fruity. So far her favorites have been Johannisberg Rieslings. I don't mind them sweet but they often taste to sugary (is that a word) for me. Any suggestions?