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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 14, 2006 Off The Vine Answers to common questions Lorn Razzano Over the years, I have received tons of questions concerning the world of wine. Today, I will share some of these questions and answers with you. OK, here we go: Q: My husband really likes red wine and I simply cannot drink the stuff. Every time he brings a bottle home with him I give it a try but it just does not agree with me. I like fruity wines with no bite. Is there a red wine out there that you can suggest I try that I might end up liking? A: The first thing to understand is that there are many, almost endless choices in red wine. This is the best time in the history of wine appreciation to select wine. Not only is the selection of wine huge, the resources to experience wine are also endless. This can be a positive thing for you or can also be seemingly overwhelming in scope and magnitude. My suggestion is to go to a good wine shop and tell the person what it is that turns you off of red wine. It is impossible for someone to help you understand and enjoy red wine unless you start at first base; giving a professional somewhere to get you started and understand where you are coming from. I’d bet that this person might start you out with a dry rose wine, then work you into a soft Beaujolais, something fruity, light and not astringent. From there you can get to the “stronger” tasting reds, if you so desire. Rule number one: be open to try all kinds of red wines, I’ll bet you find a winner. Q: How do I know if a white wine is going to be sweet just by looking at the bottle? A: One of the problems in looking at a bottle of wine on the shelf is not knowing what exactly is inside unless you have previously consumed that vintage of that producer’s exact wine. Sweetness is indicated, or I should say assumed, by the level of alcohol listed on the label. Usually, the higher the alcohol listed on the label, the drier the wine will be. If the wine says “Late Harvest” the wine will be, in most instances, sweet. A wine sitting under 11 percent alcohol will have a small amount of sugar to the taste. Remember, “sweet” and “fruity” are two different terms in the wine world. A wine can be very fruity but be dry on the palate. Also, you might find a wine that displays little fruit on the nose or the palate but be sweet, but this is pretty rare. Q: I found a really old bottle of wine in my grandfather’s cellar. We made a nice dinner, opened the bottle and it was not very good. Aren’t older wines supposed to be better? A: This is a very big misconception about wine. A very small percentage of wines are designed by the winemaker, in any country, to age long-term in a cellar. Winemakers are very savvy on how to make wines destined for the cellar and how to make wines to be drunk short term. Most wines are made to be consumed within a few years of production. This gives the winery cash flow and takes into account that most folks do not age wine or have the facility to age wines properly. The chance of stumbling upon a random older bottle that is still “good” is, sadly, pretty slim. The trilogy of a sound cellar bound wine are the intent of the winemaker, a great storage facility (well-maintained cellar) drinking the wine when it is at its best, not over-age the wine or drink the wine too soon. Q: Is it proper to take a bottle of wine into a restaurant? I’ve seen it done but it seems pretty gutsy to me. Why would someone do this? A: Bringing wine into restaurants is beginning to become more popular as time goes on. Many people bring wine into restaurants because they may have an older vintage wine they would like to try, or that there is a particular wine they would like to share with a friend or a group of friends. Some wine lists are very limited and (a few) restaurants encourage patrons to bring wine into the restaurant. Always phone ahead for permission to bring wine along with you and expect to pay a “corkage” fee when doing so. These fees can be as little as $10 per bottle and go up from there. Never assume that a restaurant will be OK with you bringing in a bottle of wine just because it is “old” or “special” — you could find yourself in a very awkward position. See you next time with some more wine goodies! 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