Thursday, November 20, 2008 Home Community Calendar About Us Current Issue Reader Survey Subscribe Advertise Contact Us Login		ON THE TABLE WINE WISDOM “Good wine,” wrote Shakespeare,“is a good familiar creature if it be well used.” But how to “well use” it? Well, that is the question, and two local wine experts have the answers. Wine has been a vital part of almost every culture and civilization in the world for over 4,500 years, yet many people are still intimidated when it comes to enjoying this magical elixir. With the myriad choices available today, even at the grocery store and not to mention specialty wine shops, choosing, storing and drinking wine can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Wine is no longer only for the privileged; it is definitely a drink for the masses, and by following a few simple guidelines and your own taste buds, wine can actually be fun. Wine 101 is a pretty simple class. The basics are just that: basic. As most people know, wine is the fermented juice of grapes. But you may not know that it is only one species of grape, Vitis vinifera, that is used for nearly all the wine made in the world. From this species as many as 4,000 varieties of grape have been developed. These varieties differ from each other, though sometimes only slightly, in size, color, shape of the berry, juice composition, ripening time and resistance to disease. Of the 4,000 or more varieties, only about a dozen are commonly used for winemaking around the world. The chief varieties are Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. But knowing what wine is doesn’t completely remove the air of mystery surrounding how to personally make the most of it. Ted Klose at Derk’s Filet & Vine and Kathy Holmes, co-owner of Peppertree Steaks N’ Wine provided the information to solve these riddles, answering some of the most frequently asked vino questions. Q: Everyone has heard the red wine with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry rule. Is this a hard and fast rule? Ted: No. There are lighter reds that you can do with seafood like Pinot Noir, And chardonnay, a white, does not go very well with seafood. It is too heavy a white wine, but would actually go well with white meat. Kathy: Years ago, yes. But now it is really up to you. I advise people to drink what they like. Q: What are the “never to be broken” rules when it comes to wine? Ted: I would stay away from cabernet with seafood, and what it usually depends on is the sauce. A lighter sauce or no sauce goes better with a lighter wine, but seafood with spicy or heavy sauce matches with a heavier wine. But it is really about what you like, your personal taste. Kathy: You shouldn’t put red wine or any wine over ice, but there are really no firm rules when it comes to wine. Q: Are more expensive wines always better wines? Ted: There is usually a reason why a wine is more expensive, but many times, the $40 wine won’t taste four times as good as the $10 one. Kathy: No. As with anything, the most expensive is not always the best. That being said, there are some $50 wines that a $10 wine just can’t be compared with. Q: What is the proper way to store unopened wine? Ted: It should be stored on its side, in the coolest, darkest part of your house. Temperature should be constant, and that is more important than the actual temperature. Fifty-five to 65 degrees is a good range, but better to be at 65 all the time than fluctuating all the time. Kathy: Store at or as close to 55 degrees as possible and on its side to keep the cork moist. Q: What is the proper way to store wine once opened? Ted: There are certain devices like wine pumps that get air out of the bottle, and that prolongs the life a little because what breaks the wine down is oxygen. Once a bottle is opened, it will still break down no matter what you do. Two to 3 days after opening is about all you can get in my opinion, even with a vacuum. Refrigeration helps too, even if it is a red wine that you drink at room temperature. Q: What does smelling the cork and swirling wine in the glass do? What are people looking for when they do that? Kathy: Smelling the cork really does nothing. The cork is an indicator that the wine has been stored properly. But swirling the wine allows you to see the wine’s color, and it releases its bouquet. When experts describe a wine, more of the flavors they are talking about, fruit, earth, pepper, etc., they are getting that from the smell Ted: Swirling in the glass brings up the aroma, and that is important because your most accurate sense in your body is your smell. It is part of the full experience of the wine. Q: Explain a little about wine names. Do they correspond to the grape or grapes used or the region or both? Ted: It is different with different countries. France is the model for basically every country that makes wine. In France, wine is named after town or village, but they don’t tell you the grape they are using on the bottle. Italy is the second major wine country. There, it sometimes after the grape, sometimes after the place. The reason why the French name the wine after the location is that each location has very unique soil and climate that make the wines distinctive. Kathy: Wine names vary from country to country. French and Italian wines rarely ever have the grape name on the label, usually just the region or village. California, Oregon, New Zealand and several others almost always list the grape variety on the label. 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