There are many dimensions to wines and the people that love them. Which ones we love, why we love them and why we return to our favorites time and time again. So, indulge me, while I help you to find the right words to describe what you happen to love about the unique elixir in your glass: We love “Tasting” – Wine tasting allows us to experience a wide range of different wines and learn about them. We enjoy tasting with friends because we can not only share our passion – akin to watching a football game with other football fans – we can discuss what we like with our wine peers. If our friend is a winemaker it is a double pleasure as they are just as vested in our opinion as they are in making a great product. And, maybe it’s needless to say, but by only sampling instead of merely quickly swallowing wines we can have more… We love the “Terroir” of a wine – Often a confusing term used by many of us winos, it refers to the distinct difference of one wine over another when we consider all of the variables such as where the wine comes from, the soil, climate and weather. People will sometimes say that the terroir of the Burgundy wine-growing region creates a different tasting Pinot Noir than we do in the states. As a bottle of Burgundy in France is made from the same Pinot Noir grape, variables cannot be ignored, they can only be appreciated. We love a specific “Varietal” – Some people love Cabernet Sauvignon because they recognize its popularity as the signature grape of the world-renowned Napa Valley. Others may love Pinot Noir because of the bright cherry and stem flavors that can conjure up images of a vineyard. We love Chardonnay for either the buttery texture or creamy taste that is attributed to oak barrel aging or the fresh fruit that stainless steel aging can deliver, and how the chilled wine instantly reminds us of summer. We Love to “Study” – Those that spend more time contemplating the aromas and flavors of their wine, often take the time to be in the moment, translation: Seeing the world around them instead of barreling through it and missing key aspects. I recommend that you take the time to study things – before they, like alcohol, evaporate. We Love “Keeping Score” – Whether you follow my reviews or the giants, once you find a reviewer whose palate agrees with yours stick with it. Buying a 90 point, or above, wine rated by your favorite reviewer pretty much guarantees you got a bottle that you will enjoy. By all means, you should also take your own scores and keep track of them, that way you can revisit a wine you enjoyed again when its new vintage is released. We Love “Wine Clubs” – I only have two, local chaps that make good wine, because I don’t need any more as I get wine sent to me for review and go to plenty of tastings. But joining a wine club, say from a cult winery you like in Paso Robles, not only guarantees you a bottle from a possibly sold out vintage, it also guarantees you privileges such as members-only parties and courtesy discounts. We love “Sparkling” wines and Champagnes because it reminds us of past celebratory occasions while we dream up new ones, romantic interludes past and present and, lest us not forget, we can make fun cocktails with them. And, from my website’s editor Michael Perlis came this quote from Robert Mondavi that pretty well sums up our love affair with wine, “Wine has been with us since the beginning of civilization. It is the temperate, civilized, sacred, romantic mealtime beverage recommended in the Bible. Wine has been praised for centuries by statesmen, philosophers, poets, and scholars. Wine in moderation is an integral part of our culture, heritage and gracious way of life.” |
|