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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 19, 2004 Off The Vine Writing on wine is a funny thing Lorn Razzano I received some feedback on the article I wrote about wine writing a few weeks ago. Wine writers as a whole are pretty funny characters. Who else would sit over a glass of wine and wax eloquently (or not) on a glass of fermented grape juice? We don't read much about someone sitting over a watermelon and describing its firmness and juiciness in great detail, or about five different types of celery growing in Salinas in just the perfect soil. The trick to wine appreciation and evaluation is really about the change that occurs, the magical change that occurs, when yeast is tossed into a sweet tub of grape juice. This grape juice transforms itself, with a little help from its friends, into a vastly more complex reality. Hidden treasures emerge through this fermentation process which bring the soul of the grape to a more defined, refined and (hopefully) elegant state of being. This process can be large in scope - national, international, costly and time consuming - or can be as simple as a home winemaking experience on a lovely autumn day. The results, no matter what type of recourses are lent to the task, are the same. The grape juice is changed magically, it seems, into an alcoholic beverage with layers of new implications and possibilities. The art of wine appreciation, evaluation or writing is to track, evaluate and systemize the many variables that make up this fascinating process from the soil, sunlight, rainfall of one certain grape to another. The complexities of a finished wine are endless. Not only is the growing area, the climate and the harvest a part of the equation and lend most of the flavors represented in the glass, but the next step, the winemaker's touch, lends to this process another huge dimension. It is no wonder that ancient paintings and lithographs show the winemaker dressed as a wizard with a draped robe and slouched hat with a wand over a bubbling (in French the word "ferment" means to "boil") cauldron of juice. There are two sources for up-to-date wine writing that I turn to for solid information on the wine scene; here they are: The Wine Spectator: Glossy and chatty, the Spectator gives the reader the chance to read up-to-the-minute news on the national and international wine scene. The photographs are sensational and the in-depth articles on restaurants with fine wine lists, wineries and personalities can't be beat. Wade through the annoying advertisements, scorings and imagery and you will find some real gems on recent wine tastings and releases with some pretty good background information. Note that many of the prices are usually lower than you'll find in the Northwest. The Wine Advocate: Robert Parker has made a fortune writing this international bestselling wine magazine. Unlike the gloss of the Spectator, this is a more meat-and-potatoes approach to the evaluation of wines. His writing is crisp and he doesn't hang around an issue but moves forward with good information that is both useful and timely. Again, I've never been a fan of rating wines by number but if this is something you like, Parker is your guy. Wine of the week: Lucca Primitivo. Lovely, soft red from Puglia, Italy. This wine is spicy, long in the finish and begs for another sip. Hints of oak and warmth linger in the finish with not a trace of harshness or bite. Sells for around $14 and is a classy bottle of wine. See you in two weeks! DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams