Grapes of Wrath

Last night Jodi and I went out for a nice dinner at The Creamery. During the course of our dinner, I heard so much wrong information about wine I wanted to rise up, don a waiter coat, and hold a session right there and then.

Listening to an inexperienced waiter try to describe the difference between a Mourvedre and a Zinfandel made me cringe. Another table pretentiously demanded the WRONG style Riedel stemware to quaff their $25 Pinot...despite correction by the wait staff. Never mind the wine they ordered was $10 plonk available at any supermarket.

There is so much pretentious crap surrounding wine that people get lost in themselves. They overpay for bad restaurant wine thinking it must be good, and refuse to ante up when they could get a truly exceptional wine from a shop for a few bucks more. There are only a few basic things required to really enjoy wine, first and foremost is the desire to remain open minded and avoid the hype. The all time biggest mistakes I see people make with regard to drinking wine:

1. Drinking red wine that is too young.

2. Technique. Taking small, strained "babysips" when drinking. You need a decent mouthful for all the magic to happen, and 3/4 of an ounce is minimum.

3. Improper storage. You don't need a multi thousand dollar cellar like Jefe's to keep wine, but for God's sakes get it out of the sunlight and away from the heat register.

4. Drinking above your experience FOR THE WRONG REASON. Everyone deserves to have a taste of an '82 Cheval Blanc, but not everyone would appreciate what they are drinking, and it would lead some to severe disappointment. I often see people order by price...more money equals better wine right? Maybe...if the wine IS good, and your taste buds are experienced, you can probably justify the extra bucks. The average wine drinker would be better off ordering a solid, but lower priced wine, and enjoying it for what it is. Do this for a while, and you will see yourself gravitating to more complex wines...and having the experience database to really enjoy them.

5. Ignoring experience out of pride. An experienced waiter probably knows more about wine than you...it's part of his/her job. It is a virtual certainty that they know the specific wines in the restaurant cellar better than you, even if it is just memorized tasting notes. Use this information. If you are lost in a wine list, but really want a good bottle, ask for a recommendation. You may be surprised to find it is not the most expensive one on the list, and you wont look like an idiot just because you asked for help.
***NOTE***when contemplating a very expensive wine, it may be better to ask for the sommelier or the wine buyer. They are almost always overjoyed to be included.

6. Drinking white wine that is too cold. Right outta the fridge is too cold, let it warm for a while, and you will be shocked by the taste difference.