Undervalued Chenin Blanc

One white, grape variety that doesn’t seem to get much justice outside of France’s Loire Valley, South Africa and certain parts of California is Chenin Blanc. It’s resistant to many diseases and grows in climates often too warm for many other Vinfera types. It’s extremely versatile making great dry, medium-dry, medium, and spectacular sweet wines. Noble Rot or Botrytis loves it and it creates fabulous Icewine. It even produces wonderful sparkling selections. It can take oak, if desired, has good body and, at times, possesses reasonable aging potential. Full of floral, honeyed, melon, quince, honeydew, flint and zesty acidity, it’s extremely food-friendly. It’s too darn bad more producers don’t choose to work with it!

Two Faces of Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc, the great white grape of France’s central Loire Valley and Bordeaux has two distinct faces. One is straight up with its crisp, gooseberry, grassy, green tree fruit character shining through as in Sancerre or with more tropicality like New Zealand versions. The other, mellowed with some oak treatment, exemplified in French Pouilly-Fumé or California Fume Blanc. Both are great aperitifs and extremely food-friendly, but which is better? It’s strictly a matter of taste, but personally I feel that this variety shows much better unoaked. In my mind, oak masks and detracts from the varietals distinct soul of freshness, liveliness and pizzazz making it somewhat fatter. If I want fat, then I’ll sip an oaked Chardonnay. 

Visual Wine Problems

Most wine defects display themselves on the nose, however, there are some visual signs a wine could be problematic. Cloudiness or sediment in a bottle is usually evidence of age or evolution. In a young wine, it could mean unfiltered. Neither of these is necessarily a bad thing. If utilizing a cork enclosure and the cork seems to be pushing out against the capsule, this could be trouble. Usually, this particular bottle has come in contact with a source of heat and any dormant yeast has come to life again and starting to re-ferment the wine. The carbon dioxide produced is pushing the cork out of the bottle. If the bottle you’re contemplating purchasing looks this way, don’t buy it. Most likely it will not be good. 

Wine is Light-Sensitive

Why do you suppose almost all wine comes packaged in dark coloured bottles? Very simply put, wine is light- sensitive. That’s also why, properly stored, wine is kept in the dark. As to the particular colour utilized for bottles, there is no significance, Many shades of green, brown and even purple, like a Noxzema bottle, are used. The only wines that might come in clear bottles are dessert and rosé wines, strictly as a marketing tool to highlight the pretty colour and make you want to buy them. Once purchased though, these should be stored in the dark as well. So whether you’re buying wine to have with dinner on Saturday or aging it for a while, be sure to keep it in a dark place.

Wine/Food Matching Parties

Want to have a great get-together where you can eat, drink and actually learn something about the marriage of wine and food? This is something I suggest to my wine students at the college all the time. Invite numerous like-minded people (not party animals) over and ask each to bring a food dish and a bottle of wine they think matches it. Start off by tasting all the wine and food matches, even mixing and matching wine and food for more results. Then discuss why the matches work or don’t. You’ll learn a lot about wine/food affinity and have a great time doing it. After this educational portion of the evening is complete, then you and the group can switch into party mode and indulge. Lots of fun!

Rhone Reds

Gotta love red wines from France’s Rhone Valley at this time of year. Big, bold and spicy, they’re just the things to warm your innards and match the full-flavoured, rib-sticking foods of winter. Most Northern Rhone reds are comprised of Syrah although there is an allowance for a smidgeon of something else. Southern Rhone reds are usually blended. Although numerous varieties are utilized, Grenache seems to dominate the blend followed by Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. Full of smoky black fruit, pepper, saddle leather, earth and licorice, they’re fabulous with game, rich meat dishes in dark sauces, spicy fare and old, hard, seasoned cheeses. Whether from the north or south, they’re great.

Wine Condoms

Do you practice “safe” wine preservation? Well, according to a mother and son, if they can get the business off the ground with enough funding, you’ll be able to, utilizing a specially designed condom. You heard correctly, a condom. They have come up with a sealer of sorts that fits over wine bottles (can be used for beer too) that is manufactured by a rubber producer in the food industry. Even if a bottle wearing one is turned upside down and left, apparently it won’t leak. The pair also claim the sealers are very light, versatile and mobile, easily carried around in your pocket, purse, etc. Great for concerts, camping, sporting events, etc. where keeping a bottle securely closed is problematic! Wonder if they come in day glow colours!