French Wine. Location location location!

“Je ne connais pas celui-là,” is what I said to the wine shop owner as she picked up another bottle of French white wine to show me. “I don’t know that one,” is the translation.

In most of Europe when you go shopping for wine and ask for help, or a recommendation, you are going to get a question in return, and that question is almost always the exact same anywhere in the “old world,” especially France: “Qu’est-ce que tu vas manger?” “What are you going to be eating?” It is implied, of course, what are you going to be eating with the wine?

Most people, not all, in old wine country traditionally only drink wine with food. Again, not all. Yet the majority of wine is still tailored as such. For our dinner that night we were going to have fresh oysters from Bretagne to start, then roasted sea bass with garden herbs and rice. So after telling the wine shop owner this key piece of information she directed me to, and started to point out, several white wines.

Pairing food with wine is a true art, although it is based on chemistry. Acid, sugar, alcohol, and the next 400 compounds that make up what you taste in each sip of wine form the foundation of food and wine pairing. But if you don’t know how to translate that science, and language, into a good dinner pairing then all is for not.

So how do you bridge the language and knowledge gap in the hopes that you end up buying a wine that you will like here in France?

First, all French wine is labeled, and named, based on its location. Location location location! There are a lot of grape varieties that grown in France, and more wines than anyone can know. BUT, the locations of where the best wines come from are known to all French people. Location is the key here, and knowing a few of the big names is a must.

Before your trip to France, do a little research of the taste profiles that are common to a certain region.  Knowing a little about the big red GSM blends from the Rhône, the elegant Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, the minerality of the best whites from the Loire, the difference between the left bank vs right bank in Bordeaux will get you a long way. And never be afraid to ask for help, just try it in French first; “Que recommandez-vous?” You will get a MUCH better recommendation!

Now on to Spain, Portugal, and the Douro!

Packing for a Wine Journey

Well you finally made it to the night before of that long awaited, meticulously planned, every-friend-envious, international wine journey. Congratulations!You have several goals in mind for this excursion. First, have a good time. Second, bring some wine back. Sometimes the second goal becomes the first. So how do you prepare to bring wine back? Here are a few things to think about.I have been successfully bringing wine back from other countries since I turned 21. There are several options to safely and successfully transport wine internationally. The first is having the Vineyard, or Wine Merchant, ship it for you. If you are buying multiple cases of wine then this is really your only option, baring the few readers that have access to private aircraft. It can be expensive and, depending on the current rotation of world events, can take awhile.Yet if you are like me and enjoy buying one or two bottles from multiple locations, then bringing that wine home in your checked luggage may be the way to go.Planning prior to leaving home is key!!!I travel pretty efficiently, and I also, usually, have a base that I operate out of on my travels. That gives me the ability to stow all of my stuff and not have to drag it around. Therefore I fit all of my personal stuff, even on a multi-week trip, in a backpack and an international sized carry on roller bag. Then I devote a single, soft sided, semi-rigid roller bag to be a checked bag. This will be my wine carrier.You have two options when considering “wine luggage.” Option 1 is a specifically built (usually hard sided) wine suitcase. They come in a lot of different sizes, are fairly expensive, and even the best ones are a little cumbersome. They also really only have one use, so not the most versatile.Option 2; using a traditional, soft sided piece of luggage, preferably a piece you already own. I use an old carry on roller bag that can be expanded. Studies have shown that soft sided luggage actually lasts longer and protects the contents better than hard sided luggage (they are much better at absorbing impact). The key to filling soft sided luggage with 18 bottles of wine are wine sleeves.I fill my wine luggage at home with wine sleeves, which are made from durable bubble wrap and are sealable. I also take some extra bubble wrap to line the inside of the main compartment. They are essential!! They are also much cheaper and easier to find here at home, so don't bet your wine trip on finding adequate ones on the road!Next thing to consider with a soft sided bag is weight. Not just for the airline, but for the integrity of the zippers. I bring a lockable luggage strap to wrap around the entire bag. It also helps with picking out your bag out on the carousel.Finally, lock the bag and bring a back up lock. TSA, and other nosy customs officials, love taking a look, and often do not reattach the lock properly. I now no longer use TSA locks. If they want to get in they will call you and ask you to open your bag. Once complete, you lock it and don’t have to worry about someone else getting into your stuff. Also, I have had locks break, so having a back up is a good idea.With a good plan and the right equipment you can be confident that your treasure-find-of-a-wine will make it home intact. Being able to bring back that great wine-find to enjoy with your friends will only extend your wine journey when you return home, and will be well worth the effort!Join us next week as we report back on week one of our wine journey, France! Jusque la, mes amies!

What is “Wine Country?”

I have not had a week go by in the last few months where someone hasn’t said; “I cannot believe all of this is going on here!” The “this” are all of the wine tastings. The “here” is the Pensacola area.

According to any map of wine we are not “in Wine Country.” But are we?

What comes to mind when you hear “Wine Country?” Tuscany, Napa, the terraced slopes of the Douro. Places that grow grapes probably, because that’s where you can also drink that fermented grape juice. Sounds like a fun place!

What would it be like to live “in Wine Country?” It would be really fun! Well, look around at any one of our local wine tastings and you will see people having fun. So, I say; We do live in Wine Country! Wine Country is so much more than a place where grapes are grown. Wine Country, just like any Country, is a place that has an identifiable, unique, and ubiquitous cultural.

To me Wine Country = Wine Culture. Pensacola has a unique and super fun culture, especially with wine, and it surprises people constantly. There are many reasons why this culture exists here and not in our closest large neighbors to the East and West. A few of those reasons are our long and diverse history, the constant influx and mixing of people (a lot due to our military bases and not just Navy, but Air Force, Army, and honorable mention to the Coast Guard), and the fact that we live in a part of the world where many people travel to to have fun.

The result from mixing all of that for a long time is a culture that likes to enjoy enjoyment, and wine is a natural fit.

There were SEVEN wine tastings around town last week from Wednesday through Saturday! I can’t even add all of the pictures from them to this article. That should not surprise any of you, but it does surprise many people, both new to our area and those who have been here for quite a while.

That is why we started Gulf Coast Wine; to give a home to our amazing local wine community, and to share our uniquely fun wine culture, to enjoy the experience together!  This week you could have had a great summer sparkling wine at The East Hill Bottle shop tasting, jumped around Tuscany at the So Gourmet tasting, sampled some great food and wine at Anna’s monthly tasting, played in the mystery wine game and Bottle Share night at Aragon’s tasting, and partaken in a few amazing wines from Argentina at a special AJ’s Market tasting. Each one was a great time, with fun people enjoying the company of other wine lovers, not wine snobs!

So, we do in fact live in Wine Country, one that, in my opinion, is actually more fun than several of those listed on the map! Cheers to that!

Wine Experience Give Away

Gulf Coast Wine was founded a year ago to give a home to the amazing and unique wine culture around the Pensacola area. Yet Gulf Coast Wine isn’t just a page for local wine tastings, but a growing community of wine enthusiasts ranging from wine novices to experts.Our goal is to show people how fun and enjoyable wine can be and are passionate about enhancing your wine experience with each glass.To celebrate our first year we are giving away a few awesome wine prizes this week and next week to thank you, the followers of our Newsletter and our Instagram. This week the prizes are:1. From So Gourmet; A Charcuterie Board for Two and $20 toward a bottle of Wine ($45 Value)2. From Aragon Wine Market: A Free Month of Aragon’s “Cru” Wine Club to include a Private Wine tasting profile to find what wine you like, then Two Bottles of wine that match your palate profile. ($33 Value).3. From Anna’s Fine Wine & Beer: Free admission to their July (the 27th) Wine Tasting. ($25 Value)The winners will be selected by random this Friday, June 30th, and will be notified by e-mail for the Newsletter Subscriber winners, and by Instagram Messenger for our Instagram winners. You will have one week to redeem your prize, instructions and directions will be included in the notification.Stay tuned for next week as we will do round two to celebrate our 1st year.

Summer Wines, Part 2.

What qualities make a wine more enjoyable during the heat of summer? Perhaps quality Number 1 is “Refreshing.” Perhaps also “Crisp.” It would probably have a flavor profile consisting of strawberry, or hints of citrus, or maybe the essence of nectarine. The taste would take you to a comfortable chair on the porch, enjoying the breeze.

Well what wines do that?!?

The first step is to just focus on Rose and White wines, for now.  Reds are much more tricky so we are going to leave those out.

Next we must look at the wines’ sugar/alcohol content and acid. Wines that tend to be more refreshing and crisp are low in sugar (are not sweet), have relatively low alcohol by volume (13% or less), and have higher acid.

Then we want a wine that tastes like summer.  What tastes like summer?  Summer fruits; strawberry, the stone fruits, green apple, and some hints of citrus. 

Our first example is Figuiere “Mediterranean” 2021 Rose from the South of France. It’s description contains the remark “bright acidity and a moderate level of alcohol.” The tasters of this Crowd Favorite at Aragon this week got hints of strawberry with no sugar. Bullseye!  Tasters declared it a perfectly refreshing Porch Wine as we contrasted it to a Sonoma Coast big, but young, red blend.

Our next example, from this week’s tasting at the EastHill Bottle shop, is Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2022, from Tuscany. This Crowd Favorite runner-up came in with flavor essences of stone fruit (peach & nectarine) and crisp green apple. Light on the tongue with “lively” acid. Winner!

So let’s review. Rose and whites that are low in sugar. Check. Relatively low in alcohol. The Rose, 13%; the White, 12.5. Check. Flavor profiles that contain summer fruits. Check. Two great porch and pool pounders. Just remember; serve chilled! Cheers!

Up-ing your wine game, Part 3

I really like being able to open the door or remove an obstacle from someone’s wine journey. The door is the realization of how fun and enjoyable wine can be, and an obstacle can be anything; like being able to describe what you actually like.Your wine journey can appear overwhelming at the start. Thousands of wines from thousands of grapes and combinations. As a wine guide I enjoy giving fellow tasters a few simple and easy tools that enhance the enjoyment of each glass. Once you realize how fun the journey is going to be it will no longer feel overwhelming.Here is a quick recap of some of those simple tools.In the first part of Up-ing your wine game I said how important it is to go to wine tastings, especially the unique ones, like the monthly tasting held by the Emerald Coast Chapter of the American Wine Society. Going to tastings like these show you how to taste wine. Even just going to your favorite local Wine Shop tasting will help you begin to find what you like.Yet, are you still getting frustrated because you cannot describe what you like? In Part 2 of Up-ing your wine game I gave a few easy words to use. Most important - Think about what you actually taste!So, taste wine, describe wine. The next step is to ASK QUESTIONS. Do not be afraid to ask! Why did that wine taste like that? Why was it dry? Why did I taste grapefruit? Asking questions will allow you to start putting it all together. It will also show you who can you trust to ask your wine questions to, someone who can and will enhance your wine journey.Tonight’s Crowd Favorite at EastHill, Altocedro La Consulta Select Red Blend 2019 from the Uco Valley, near Mendoza Argentina, is a good example. It was bold, had a satisfying level of complex fruit; black plum, blackberry, followed by some coco with medium tannins; all from using six different grape varieties. Could you describe that if you tasted it. If so fantastic. If not don’t be afraid to ask! Just like any puzzle, the help of a second set of eyes finding that one piece can really get you over the hump, and back to enjoying your journey.

So Gourmet 7 June Tasting

Wine tastings that allow you to compare different levels of a single grape/style are extremely fun and educational. You can compare such things as “sourced” grapes vs “estate” grapes, find out if you liked that extra aging, and then determine if it is all worth the price.This past week So Gourmet featured a line of Tempranillo wines from the Spanish region of Rioja, all from the same producer. With the exception of a semi-sweet wine (which was very unique) the others compared the different quality of grapes and the benefits of aging those grapes.Age doesn’t help every wine, so aging wine doesn’t guarantee it being better, and there are several types of aging; in the barrel and in the bottle are the main two.In this case, the Wine of Note, had both forms of aging. Finca Penamayor Gran Reserva from 2005, at only $40, is a deal! I know that’s a little more than most people like to spend on a bottle, but if you peruse down the Spanish wine isle at your favorite wine shop and look at Grand Reserve Rioja wines that are 15+ years old you are going to see some much higher prices.This wine had all of the things that you look for in a good Rioja; that deep red fruit flavor that is equaled with soft leathery tobacco and round tannins. Drink or have with dinner, this is a do-both wine.So be sure to check out our calendar and Instagram for wine tasting previews. If you see tastings that can focus on a great comparison then you should make every effort to go.  As the Spanish say; "Bali Bali!"

Swirling Wine

Can you remember the first time you swirled the wine in your glass? If so can you remember where you learned that quintessential and often cliched action? Unless you grew up as a wine savant in a isolated wine cave in the Douro Valley you didn’t start swirling wine on your own. So why is it done? Should you do it with every wine? Can you over swirl? Let’s take a look.You can type “why do you swirl wine” into any search engine and get a number pretty decent answers. Yet I have not found just one spot that combines and condenses all of them into a single recommendation.So. Should you swirl every wine, every time? No.I am going to address the “How” to swirl your wine first. Do it gently with out spilling it. It’s not a washing machine, slow and gentle, for 6-8 seconds at a time. You CAN over swirl it! There is also an element here on the proper way to hold your glass:  NOT by the cup (the curved bowl section)! If you would like a tutorial please ask me at the next tasting.Whether it’s a wine you just opened at home or at a wine tasting, restaurant, wherever; Smell your wine first without doing anything. Yes, that’s not a typo, smell your wine first. Then taste it.Now, at this point, you can swirl your wine, unless it is a very old wine. Very old wines tend to be very delicate and swirling them can break them down. You don’t have to swirl, it’s up to you, but if you do swirl continue.So you poured wine in your glass. You smelled it, tasted it, swirled it, gently. Now smell and taste it again. Was it better or worse? If it was worse then don’t swirl anymore. If it continues to not taste good POUR IT OUT, it’s probably a bad wine! If it continues to taste better, then give it a gentle swirl each time before you take a drink, smelling often.So why can it get better when we swirl, what’s happening? Oxidation. Just like an aerator, swirling mixes oxygen into the wine, making it easer to smell, which science has proven to be about 75% of what you taste. Smelling wine helps you taste wine.The mixing of oxygen can also begin to break down tannins, making some big wines a little softer and thus more pleasant.Hopefully this gives you a little more guidance on why and when we swirl. Just don’t spill it on yourself or others. Cheers!

Aragon’s Blind Tasting 1 June

Watching some of the world renowned wine experts take a sip of wine and correctly regurgitate the grape varietals, the location, and the year can be akin to watching the stage magician cut the volunteer from the audience in half! Wow, what a good trick, almost seems like magic.Everyone at a blind tasting, or confronted with a mystery bottle wants to “play the game,” to correctly guess everything coming out of that unknown bottle of wine. Yet the vast majority of us have a better chance of picking winning lotto numbers. So if the odds are so against you why bother?Because it’s important! Here’s why, part 1.There are two separate things happening when you take part in a blind tasting or attempt a guess on some mystery wine, an exercise and a game. You MUST do the exercise first, otherwise you will probably fail at the game.The exercise is to actually think about what you are tasting. DO NOT try and start guessing! Just think about if you liked it, didn’t like it, and why. That’s the exercise, the Why. Could you taste fruit, if so what? Was it acidic, did it leave you with a dry mouth, was it amazingly smooth? Think about what you are actually tasting, flavors and feel! Once you have done that, the exercise, then you can begin to play the game.It’s amazing how much, and almost instant, pressure that one feels when trying to guess a mystery wine. That pressure can really throw you off!  But if I were to come up to you and just say “Hey, try this and let me know what you think,” then the pressure is zero.By doing the exercise first, the “try this and let me know what you think,” then the analytical part of your brain is working without pressure, allowing you to formulate what you are tasting.Now when you start playing the game of trying to guess what that wine is you will have a much better foundation to play from. The more you exercise the better you will be at playing the game. Duh!Tuning in your awareness of what you are actually tasting. That’s the key! After a while you will probably find yourself no longer guessing; at that point you will answer because you know what that wine is, and won’t that be magical!

Wine Hunters

I know several people who intentionally do not keep wine in their house. Not because of any health or religious reason, but because they like going out and hunting for a bottle of wine.They go out, search, and buy only what they are going to drink that evening, or in the very near future. This style of wine hunting fascinates me. I also consider myself a Wine Hunter, but one who mostly plans ahead, one who hunts for that unique or rare bottle for a future special occasion.To be clear, I am not a wine collector, I drink everything that I buy. I am also blessed with a basement (yes, I live in Florida and I have a basement), so I have an amazing spot to store wine after my hunting trips.I have written about the proper way to store wine before, but a quick recap:  no need to get overly worried about not having a wine fridge or cellar, only a stable temperature (around 70ish is fine), and absolutely no sun light is all that is required. So if you don’t have those conditions then you should drink that bottle as soon as possible.Yet the Wine Hunters I am speaking about are not doing it due to their lack of a proper storage area, they do it for the love of the hunt, for the search. It gives them the reason to get out and go on a journey. An escape from our hectic world.The word “Safari” is Swahili for “journey,” and because they are going to have that wine post-haste, the satisfaction of the hunt is immediate and nearly audible. This experience is all part of their wine journey.That journey, the Safari, is made up of an untold number of wine experiences. That is it what we are all after! So are you a Wine Hunter? There are many different types, but if that means going on a life long Wine Safari, then YES, count me in!

Treasure Hunting

Do you hunt? A very open ended question to be sure. This is a wine article so you would assume that I am asking if you hunt for wine. If you read this week's first article on Wine Hunters then you might already have an answer.Well, now I am asking in a much bigger sense. All of the great explorers of the world were hunters; both in the traditional sense of chasing wild game, and the metaphorical sense, hunting for what lay over the horizon.I consider myself a hunter in all senses of the word. It is a mindset, an ethos. I am as equally excited for the pursuit as for the end achievement. The hike up the mountain is as enjoyable as the unparalleled view from the top.I am also intrigued by the rare and often overlooked in life. I also very much enjoy history. Wine has A LOT of both. As I traveled this week I had the chance to do some wine hunting, and with history as my guide I was not disappointed.The results were two very obscure, rather rare wines, both from Portugal. The first was a 1997 Carcavelos. A fortified wine from the smallest DOC in the world and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.There is a book written by John Hailman titled “Thomas Jefferson on Wine” and includes a letter from Jefferson to Richmond Va. merchant James Brown requesting a quarter cask of wine. Jefferson writes “I would prefer good Lisbon, next to that Carcavallo.”Why was Jefferson hunting for Carcavelos so long ago? Carcavelos is NOT Port! It’s profile lies somewhere between Madeira and a aged Tawny Port. It is fortified but with a very unique character. Its profile is very complex; with raisin and citrus, earth and salty air, it dances across the tongue while wearing boots. My Carcavelos is made solely from the Ramisco grape and comes from the tiny region just west of Lisbon near the jet-setting coastal town of Cascais. The entire DOC only totals some 25 acres!!!The next is a 2009 Colares, also made from Ramisco. What makes Colares so unique is that it is some of the only wine in the WORLD that comes from ungrafted vines. The soils here (northwest of Lisbon) contain a lot of sand and were resistant to phylloxera, and therefore were never killed off.Colares doesn’t have anything similar to it in taste. It is like drinking a wine that came from the core of the earth, deeply complex with the hints of red cherry and acid. It is profound, a wine for the consummate wine hunter that will satisfy the deepest of wine geek in any of us.A good week of hunting for me, two true treasures! As I look forward to enjoying the fruits of my labor here are some words of wisdom from Thomas Jefferson: “I have lived temperately. ... I double the doctor’s recommendation of a glass and a half of wine each day and even treble it with a friend.”Cheers to the next hunt!

A Nebuchadnezzar!!!!!

This was quite a week of wine! There were six wine tastings in four days! Our local chapter (the Emerald Coast Chapter) of the American Wine Society had a great monthly tasting featuring California Cabs. Yet the highlight of my week was a friend’s birthday party who is a huge wine lover.

I have seen, and drank, a lot of wine. I have seen those big bottles of wine and have even had some. None of it was memorable. But I have never had wine out of the biggest of all wine bottles, until now.

Pictures do a better job of conveying the shear size of a Nebuchadnezzar bottle of wine, the biggest commercially made bottle on Earth! It holds 15 liters, or 20 bottles (normal 750ml bottles) of liquid, and when that liquid is an amazing wine, hold on. Literally, you could drown in this thing.

The wine; Anderson’s Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012, from Napa. It was fabulous! A Wine of Note! No further tasting notes needed. A perfect wine for a special occasion. Fill a Nebuchadnezzar with that wine and you have a wine party to remember, and we all will!!

Too much wine, and liquor!

I literally got lost in the store trying to follow the order of tasting tables this week at ABC on Bayou. This Florida family owned chain was getting ready for their biannual big wine and liquor tasting. 14 tables with an average of four alcoholic drinks to taste on each one, wine and liquor!!!! That’s 56 for those who do not like public math. Ooooffff!

As I perused the labels across the 14 tables all I could think about was “circus!” The tables where not in any particular order, and the wine and liquor were set up per distributor, not in any logical tasting order.

Yet perhaps the most interesting part was that most of the pourers did not know anything about what they were pouring. You would think that is bad, and it is, but it can also be good. The taster was left to their own devices, to determine if they liked what they were tasting. I think that part is great. The bad part was that if you liked what you were tasting good luck on getting any information on that liquid.

The other bad part was the total lack of any tasting guidance. You don’t always have to drink white before red. What really matters is the balance of acid and alcohol, preferably starting with wines that aren’t overly acidic and having higher alcohol wines towards the end.

One definite: don’t drink liquor before wine! That goes for tasting and good “body” practices.

So be careful the next time you walk into a “tasting circus.” If you just roll right down the line at a big tasting without a plan you will probably end up as the main attraction. Not something that you want!

Summer Wines, Part 1

Well, summer has started on the Gulf Coast. I am going to weather geek-out here: Summer officially starts for me when the wind shifts to be predominantly southern. That means the wind, most of the time, blows from the Gulf of Mexico. Every day is mostly humid and night time temps no longer get below 70F.

It’s okay! That just means it’s time to really pop open those light and refreshing wines. Beach, pool, warm evenings out with friends. Here are two picks to get your wine summer off to a good start.

The first is from New Zealand. Mohua Sauvignon Blanc. If you were lucky enough to go to Seville Quarter’s wine tasting this past Tuesday then you would have been able to speak to the wine maker himself, which is always a rewarding occasion. This wine was bright with a refreshing essence of grapefruit and acid and is right at home poolside.

The next was a Sparking Wine from the Loire Valley of France; Gratien & Meyer Cremant de Loire Brut. This wine was featured during Aragon’s Cru wine tasting on Thursday. Tight and intense bubbles that gave a very nice long finish with hints of orange and honey. Not sweet (it’s a Brut!), this Sparkling would be fantastic as the wine to greet your friends with as you start dinner.

Ready or not summer on the Gulf Coast is here. Serve cold and enjoy!

East Hill Bottle Shop 10 May

“We’re sold out.” That was the response I got when I went to get a picture for this post of Klinker Brick Vineyards’ Old Vine Zinfandel from 2019.

The human nature of stereotyping is very strong. So when people hear Zinfandel from Lodi they often think of a wine akin to a jar of jam. Those Zinfandels do exist, but so do Lodi Zins that are balanced, deep, and smooth.

It is too easy to say; “All of those wines from xxx taste like xxxx.” Don’t lump wines together, even when one winery is across from the other. The wines can be, and often are, very different.

I had the great opportunity to visit Klinker Brick Vineyards back in February. Check out that post here… Amazing folks, and the only reason that I didn’t buy their Old Vine Zin while I was there was because I could find it here, back home.

So it was no surprise that they sold out! The wine is just plain good, a great drinking wine, and an even better wine to take to a party! It goes great with the random variety of foods that seem to collect at the neighbors’ weekend party.

And never forget the two most important rules in Wine: Never serve hot wine and always bring a wine that you like! Can’t go wrong with this one.

Grocery Store Wine

Last week was a long one for me; six days, five major cities, 22 media events, and just over 2,000 people in person. Kind of a lot for me! By Thursday all I was looking forward to was getting home and relaxing.I arrive home and realize that there is nothing to eat in my house. What to do for dinner? We've all been there. I love to cook, so this conundrum wasn’t the issue. The challenge:  Two last minute neighbors get added to the mix while you’re at the grocery store with a request of “grab a bottle of wine while you’re there.”Grab a bottle of wine. A daunting task in and of itself. Multiple questions may course through your head, like; “What wine goes with xxx?” “Should I change what I’m planning on cooking?” “Why aren’t my neighbors bringing the wine, I just got home?!?”Fear not!Here are some words of advice and tips to avoid stressing about a last minute wine purchase and food pairing.First. Stick to your original menu plan! Do not add unnecessary stress by changing another dinner variable.Second. If there is a local and trusted wine shop between you and home, stop in and have them help. If you do not have this as an option, continue to the next step.Third. There are only a few true rules when it comes to wine. Don’t serve hot wine is first! If you are in a time crunch, scan for something you recognize and that you have enjoyed before. Don’t worry about if it will pair perfectly with your dinner choice.Don’t see anything you recognize and still in a time crunch? No worries.  Go for whatever is on sale. Treat it as an experiment - it will probably be okay and fun to try.But, if you have some more time, then you can look for pairings. Decide if you want a complementary or contrasting pairing. An example of complementary pairing: Burgers with a Spanish Tempranillo or a Riesling from Alsace with shrimp tacos. An example of contrasting; an Australian Shiraz with Asian food. Or that same Riesling with Asian food (the hint here is high acid).As I was staring at the grocery store selection, a couple next to me turned to each other and asked “Does this wine go with Asian food?” “I don’t know,” was the other’s answer. I politely offered some advice after asking if they were after sweet and salty (contrasting) or something more smooth (complimentary).They chose sweet and salty. I hope they had a good dinner! Wondering what I grabbed?  Ask me at the next tasting.Hope to see everyone out at the next wine tasting and let me know your if have ever made a last minute wine pick.  Cheers!

Some Amazing Wine!

Scenario: You are at a “fancy” wine event and you have just been told that they have put out some "amazing" wine. Everyone starts to taste this "amazing" wine and begin to proclaim that the wine is “Amazing!”But you didn’t like any of them. Everyone turns to you and beings to ask; “What do you think?”Two weeks ago we hit on the need for you to use your own words to describe what you are tasting. Being genuine and authentic, and true to what YOU are tasting, is the best way to stand your ground in a scenario like the one described here.Everyone has a different tongue, a different palate, so don’t be afraid to like what you like, and be confident in voicing that you didn’t like a certain wine. The key is to be honest with yourself and you will have nothing to fear when everyone else disagrees.The wines in the photo are a primer to a dinner at the Destin Charity Wine Auction, the 4th biggest in the U.S., and everyone agreed that they were, truly, some amazing wines!

Please do me a favor and pick the wine with the ugliest label.

Me: “How did you pick that wine?”

My friend: “I like the look of the label.”

I'm not sure if there is an actual study or any numbers out there that can tell us the percentage of wine sold based on how “pretty” the label looks, but my guess is a “pretty” high percentage. Drum roll please.

Corniness aside, there are sooooo many people that go in and buy wine solely based on the look of the label. The question is: If you choose a bottle of wine based on the way the label looks, will that get you a bottle of wine that you like more often than not?

From both experience and observation, I say NO.

My estimate is that 33.3% of the time, you will get a wine that you like by choosing solely on the look of the label. If you were blindfolded outside of a good wine shop and led to a random shelf to pick a random bottle, there is also a 33.3% chance that you would pick one that you liked.

There are amazing wines with beautiful labels out there. Tonight’s crowd favorite, by a very slim majority, was Broadbent’s Vinho Verde, which is an outlier; good, cheap, with an attractive label. Yet, more often than not, money spent on making the wine, not the label, will lead to a better product.

So, if you go to a place where they sell wine and there is no one there who can guide you to a wine that you like, leave! Go to a good wine shop curated by qualified, CERTIFIED, wine people and ask them for help picking out a wine. If you don’t have access to a good local wine shop, go in and pick the prettiest and the ugliest (or plainest) looking bottle that you can find. Do a taste test and see what result you get. Sometimes you might find that beauty is only skin, or label, deep.

Up-ing your wine game, Part 2. Use your words.

So you have finally started to regularly come out to the wine tastings but you haven’t gotten much past the wine description of “Oh I like this one.” One of the most common statements I get from fellow tasters is; “I just don’t have the vocabulary to describe what I’m tasting.”Anyone who has watched any of the “Somm” docu-movies on Netflix has heard the very precise-to-outlandish words used to describe both the taste and aroma of wine. Yet “garden hose” and “fresh can of tennis balls” should never come out of someone’s mouth when talking wine! Therefore, especially after hearing stuff like that, you are often left with the notion that describing wine is a task best suited for the fanciful snob.Fight against that! The practical use of descriptive vocabulary can be extremely helpful in Up-ing your wine game. The first step is to actual pay attention to what you are tasting, smelling, and feeling. The taste of wine has both a flavor component and feel component. Even if your first descriptive wine words are super basic, like “dry,” or “tart,” you have taken the first big leap in your wine journey, away from just “I liked (or didn’t like) that wine.”Here are two examples of the words I used at V.Paul’s this week to describe a white and a red wine during the tasting: “A little bit of green apple with a tart finish, too acidic; “Lots of fruit-plum, blue berry, light tannins, medium acid.” Simple, efficient, effective, nothing outlandish.So, use your words! I didn’t have all of those “wine words” when I started. Part of the fun and allure of wine is broadening your taste horizon. As you go to more wine tastings and begin to pay better attention to the wine in your mouth, your vocabulary will improve. That’s step one in Up-ing your wine game. In part two we will discuss a few very effective “wine words” to use.

Gosh, I do love the mystery wines!

What is one of the best ways to entertain a wine enthusiast? Have them watch other wine enthusiasts try and guess mystery wines. Some folks claim it is an art, others a type of super power. There is definitely science involved, which can get expensive to learn. Learning to pay attention to what you are actually tasting, and feeling, while you drink wine is the first step. Then remembering all of it is the next.Other than the actual art of frustration that comes with most mystery wine tastings, mystery wines are fun in two ways. The first is the obvious; testing your palate and wine knowledge on the fields of glory. The second is less so; it is in the sharing, which might be the best part. Often the Friday tasting at The Bottle shop involves a mystery wine or two brought by fellow tasters. Want to join in and be invited? Buy a bottle that you like, put it in some kind of covering and share.Tonight featured three mysteries: Two Brunello’s di Montalcino and a Pinot Noir from Niagara New York. The two Brunellos came from vineyards roughly five miles away from each other, both were from 2017, but tasted world’s apart! Crazy. The third wine was from the Niagara Escarpment in upstate New York. The Pinot was soft, pleasantly smooth but different from any Pinot Noir that I have ever had!No one doing a mystery at your wine tasting? Then start the tradition yourself, you will have more fun than you think.