Bon Voyage

 

This past week has been a blur of going away parties and visiting friends. The down side is that you can never see or please everyone. The up side is that you often get to drink a lot of wine.

Some of the standouts from this past weekend include:
An interesting little 2003 Cab Franc out of Virginia from the Linden winery that will probably come into its own in a couple of years;

The Brunello di Montalcino Il Poggione 2001-not as big as I’d hoped, but a still a smooth contender;

And Wynn’s Coonawarra Estate, John Riddoch, Limited Edition, 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon-the hands down favorite for the entire wino crew (at least those that we’d share it with).

While it was pointed out that many people won’t ever have access to these wines, it did raise the question of how I determine which wines I buy and or prefer.

To make myself clear, I compiled the following list that includes many of the factors I consider when buying an unknown vintage/wine or serving wine to friends.

1. About every five years there is a great vintage.

2. Almost every Zinfandel maker’s name that begins with an R is good (Ridge, Renwood, Rabbit Ridge, Rosenblum…).

3. There is no such thing as a bad Champagne.

4. Almost everyone can find a chardonnay they like.

5. Burgundy should follow Bordeaux and Pinot Noir should follow Cabernet.

6. Avoid artichokes and asparagus with wine (both often affect the taste of wine for the worse).

7. “White wine with fish, red wine with flesh,” is simple but basically true.

8. Beware of famous European vintages in their youth.

9. When in doubt, throw it out. If you think a wine has turned after smelling/tasting it, it probably has and even cooking with it can be risky (the flavor will come through).

10. If a wine has turned color, don’t even bother opening the bottle.

11. A wine is corked if it contains any number of undesirable smells or tastes found in a bottle of wine. Recent studies have shown that many factors other than corks can be responsible for taint including wooden barrels, storage conditions and the transportation of corks and wine though the cork is normally considered to be responsible.

12. If you’re at a liquor store that has a “fire sale” on wine that has sun-bleached labels don’t bother. The label is exposing the least of the damage.

13. Wine tasting at liquor stores means that they expect you to buy some of the wine—don’t see it as a chance to get a buzz for free.

14. If it comes in a bottle that you could get on an airplane, the bar selling it has probably kept it in a well-heated place and you don’t want to go there.

15. Last, but not least, trust your own palate—you’re the one who has to drink it after all.

And if you don’t believe that these rules apply, go with your gut instinct, literally. Wines that give you acid stomach or indigestion or contain excessive amounts of added sugar and those that taste like prunes or raisins (unless they’re port) may have turned.

As always, be safe and enjoy.