5 THINGS YOU
DON'T NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WINE
Studying wine is a lot
less fun than drinking it, but some people feel guilty about their ignorance of
its seemingly infinite details. Thankfully, a lot of the things wine geeks
obsess about don't really matter to normal humans. Here are five fewer things
to worry about when you pull your next cork.
Perfect pairings
The next time you're
fretting about whether to drink Riesling or Gewürztraminer with your Thai
takeout, keep in mind that awful pairings (Cabernet and asparagus) and
transcendent pairings (Sauternes and foie gras) are rare. Here's a simple pairing
guide: Most combinations of wine and food are enjoyable.
The year it was made
Weather in winemaking
regions affects the way wine tastes, but not as much as who makes it. A bottle
from a good vintage by a bad winemaker will pale in comparison to one made in a
not so great year by a winemaker who gives a damn. So find producers you like
and stay with them.
Which grapes are in the
wine
It's not always clear
what those grapes are, anyway. In the U.S., wines labeled as a certain grape
(like Cabernet Sauvignon) can legally contain up to 25 percent of any other
grape (like Merlot, or Moscato, or Malvasia Nera). In some of the world's great
old vineyards, which were planted way before genetic testing allowed scientists
to determine which grapes were which, the winemakers may not even be 100
percent sure about the varietals. Also, grapes can produce a wide range of
flavors. A rich, buttery Chardonnay from
California doesn't taste anything like an unoaked Chardonnay from Chablis. Just
relax.
Its score on the
100-point scale
C’mon, Man.
How much it costs
There are plenty of
bad $100 wines. And there are plenty of great $100 wines that, in the wrong
context, are going to taste worse than some $10 wines. On a 95 degree summer
day, would you rather be drinking a pricey room temperature Zinfandel or a
cheap and crisp, cold Vinho Verde from Portugal? And don't think this is only
true for inexperienced palates. When sommeliers finish their shifts at fancy
restaurants, where they've spent the last 8 hours tasting the supposedly brilliant
and complex wines ordered by high rollers, the last thing they crave is
$3,000 Bordeaux. Most of them drink beer.
Don't forget about the nominations of Board Members
