Following on our article giving tips on beer, here is one to help you navigate the world of wine. You don't need to take a course to become a connoisseur, although maybe some day you will decide you want to learn more. But here are some tips to help you order wine in a restaurant, to judge the wine you are served, to select wine for meals or social events, and other wine-related information.        
        
 
"God made only water, but man made wine." ~ Victor Hugo, 1856
 
Wine is an ancient invention and one that has inspired much mythology, art and passion. It is very trendy these days to "collect" wines and have tastings in the home, and many people have taken courses to help them refine their palates and learn the finer points of wine-tasting. This past year two films even dealt with wine, like the road movie-comedy Sideways which started out as an indie feature that received lots of acclaim and became very popular. Two old friends decide to drive to wine country for one last wild weekend before one of them gets married. The drinking and appreciation of wine becomes a metaphor for many things: love, sex, nature, and life itself. Paul Giamatti is wonderful as Miles, the depressed, divorced writer who meets and falls for the beautiful Maya, perhaps the only women he has ever met who appreciates wine as much as he does. A documentary film by Paul Rossiter called Mondovino also opened this year, and it is an in-depth fascinating look at the world wine industry, set in Italy, France, California, New York and Chile. I highly recommend this film if you are curious about the way that wine is marketed and made–you may be shocked to find out how politically complex the making of wine has become.
 

"Fill ev'ry glass, for wine inspires us, And fires us
With courage, love and joy.
Women and wine should life employ.
Is there ought else on earth desirous?"
John Gay 1685 - 1732
The Beggar's Opera [1728], act II, sc. i, air 19

"Wine is the drink of the gods, milk the drink of babies, tea the drink of women, and water the drink of beasts." ~ John Stuart Blackie

Wine is associated with romance and love. Its color, scent and taste are tempting to almost everyone and make us aware of life's many pleasures. It is also intoxicating and its powers to shift our reality are associated with the gods Bacchus and Dionysus, the gods of ancient Greece and Rome who were the lords of lusty, unrestrained behavior. These gods had many festivals dedicated to them and the making of wine was under their patronage. Vintners (wine makers) to this day still have images of Bacchus and Dionysus in their wineries, in homage to this ancient association. The grape harvest in the fall is a heady time when the scent of ripening fruit and the sight of grapes bulging on the vine can make us all able to imagine how it was in the old days, when live was simpler and watching the setting sun with a simple jug of wine and loaf of bread was one key to happiness.
 
Champagne, which is sparkling wine, is the preferred drink for any romantic special occasion, and the carbonation does have a way of "going to one's head" and making us happy and slightly dazed with the sensations of the moment. Choosing a special bottle of wine for a meal in a restaurant or that we are cooking can be a nice way for a couple to bond. But there are so many wines out there how can we know what is the right one? How do we find wines we like so we can be sure to choose them again?
 
Wine is very diverse and different tastes govern our choices. Some people like sweet wines, some like dry ones, some like red, some prefer white. Some people even choose wines based on the social and political implications of the wine's production: hence the wines of Australia, Chile and Argentina are becoming popular as some wine enthusiasts in the know seek to boycott the big business ethic governing wine production in the USA, France and Italy. But these countries, the top wine producers, also have wines available from small wineries and distributors, so it is possible to find good wines produced in the old way. Most wine shops offer some written comments about the wine on the shelf next to it, and usually there is at least one staff member available who is a wine expert, so don't be afraid to ask questions and seek out information.
 
Below are some popular wines made in California. Any wines bottled after 2004 could and probably should be aged for a few months; store them in a cool dry place. Wine usually improves and mellows with age and the flavors become more complex and subtle. The recent trend in the past few years is the selling of "Beaujolais Nouveau" which is a wine that is hardly aged or even fermented. It's a lot like sour grape juice and not to everyone's taste; most peopel prefer a wine that has aged more.
 
Some terms you will find mentioned:
 
Fruity--self-explanatory, this means you can taste the grape strongly and other fruit tastes may linger, such as peach, apple or cherry "notes".
 
Oaky--this refers to the taste caused by large amounts of tannins in wine, it gives a slight bitter, astringent taste which some wine aficionados find desirable. It causes the lips to pucker when the tannins are in large amounts.

Flowery--these flavor notes do indeed seem like flowers, in their scent and taste.  
 
Spicy--this means a taste of cinnamon or clove, the sweet spices. An herby taste like basil or rosemary would be referred to as savory, rustic, peppery, herby or musty. For an example of the type of language used for wine tasting, check out this article:   http://www.wrathofgrapes.com/pre0409.html
 
Wines are named for the variety of grapes they are made from. The northern region of California is perfect for grape vineyards so it has become a huge industry there in recent years, and to a much lesser extent in Washington State. Before California became a big player, western New York state's wineries became very well known for classic wines like Lake Niagra and Catawba (very fruity, grapey wines which some find too sweet).


"Wine gives us liberty, love takes it away. Wine makes us princes, love makes us beggars." ~ Wm Wycherly (The Country Life)
  

White Wines:

White wine is lighter than red, perfect for warm weather as it is usually served chilled. It is also traditional to serve white wines with fish, seafood, chicken or pork, but these "rules" are easily overlooked if you choose just the right wine. When in doubt ask the wine expert at your local shop. You may also serve these wines in spritzers with club soda and ice, or over ice for a lighter alcohol content (also a good idea on a hot day!). If you p refer a fruity wine, try the many Rieslings available, mostly from Germany but also made in the Alsace region of France, and in New York State.
 
(Descriptions of individual wines from the Wrath of Grapes website)
  
Chardonnay (shar-dun-ai). From the French Burgundy region. Considered an elegant white wine. Not as fruity as others. Most are turned into oaky and buttery wines by the winemakers because they can charge more for them. A well made simpler, fruitier Chardonnay is a better complement to food.

Sauvignon Blanc (so-vin-yohn blahnk). From the French Bordeaux region. A fruitier less complicated wine than Chardonnay and usually better with food. Also called Fume (foo-may) Blanc.

Gewürztraminer (geh-vurtz-trah-meener). From Germany. Flowery, spicy, and at least a little sweet. Good sipping wine. Usually said to be good with spicy food, but I'd rather have a beer. Also made as a sweet dessert wine, but most California ones are too syrupy. Not too much of this made.

Riesling (reez-leeng). From Germany. Flowery. The drier ones are best by themselves, not with food. The sweeter with dessert. Not much of this available. White Zinfandel. Zinfandel is a red wine grape, but has been successfully marketed as white zin. This is a pink sweet sort of wine that is easy for Pepsi drinkers to get accustomed to. Made for sipping on a hot day, not for having with food.
     
You can make a lovely white wine "sangria" (usually made with red because sangria means blood) with fresh summer fruits and a nice fruity white wine like Pinot Grigio or Riesling. Add cut fruits like peaches, pears and apples, cherries and grapes are nice too. Use firm, even slightly-underripe fruit to keep the mix nice and crisp. Serve in glass pitchers and pour over ice.


Red Wines:

Red wine is perhaps more easily associated with the Dionysian sense of abandon and intoxication than white. The deep color is the essence of the grape on the vine. Most Burgundies, Bordeaux, and Cabernets are great to have with dinner, and many people enjoy the wide variety of Merlot and Shiraz wines available. The Australian winemaker Yellowtail has an excellent array of red wines that are moderately priced.
 
(Descriptions of individual wines from the Wrath of Grapes website)
  
Pinot Noir (pee-noh nwahr). From the Burgundy region. Lightest of the major red varieties, but can be an elegant wine. Cherries, sometimes a bit of a cigar taste. Most require little or no aging. A good Pinot doesn't overpower with fruit, but has some"backbone" to stand up to a hearty meat dish.

Merlot (mare-loh). From Bordeaux. A lighter, softer cousin to Cabernet. A good Merlot will have the same characteristics of a good Cabernet only not so tannic or astringent. Most require little or no aging. Lots of mediocre Merlots out there right now because of their popularity (a supply problem) so be careful. The best Merlots have 10 or 20% Cabernet blended in, but those are hard to find.

Cabernet Sauvignon (cab-er-nay saw-vin-yohn). From Bordeaux. The "king" of red wines. Big, heavy, fruity, dark colored wines needing anywhere from one to five years bottle aging. When they are young, they are often tannic (that's what makes you pucker when you taste it). A good Cab says "chocolate" or "sirloin."Zinfandel. Raspberries, peppery, or sometimes inky (concentrated). The best all-around red wine because it's good for just sipping, or with almost any meal (try with BBQ'ed chicken) and is still reasonably priced. A good zin says "raviolis!"

Syrah (sir-rah). An "up-and-coming" full-flavored variety. Fruity and will stand up to any food. Similar to Australia's Shiraz, but not the same as Petite Sirah. Petite Sirah. An old Italian-style heavy red that's not very popular anymore. Can be a hearty mouth-filling big, yet soft wine or can be like sucking on a sock. The really good ones are worth finding and aging.


"Wine and wenches empty men's purses" ~ English Proverb


Tasting Wine–tips from Wrath of Grapes:
 
If you're sampling different wines it's best to taste the whites first, from driest to sweetest then reds from lightest to the heaviest. Otherwise, it throws off your taste buds kind of like drinking milk and orange juice back-to-back. Use bland crackers between tastes. hen you are tasting keep in mind wines will change over time and they will taste different with food.
 

Buying Wine:
 
First decide what are you buying for? Tonight's dinner? Something to store away? A sipping wine for Saturday's picnic?If you already have a favorite winery or region for a particular kind of wine then stick with that unless you get a trusted recommendation. For instance, it's hard to find a bad Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley region or a bad Pinot Noir from Carneros.Sometimes meaningless terms to watch out for: Reserve, barrel select, special bottling, unfiltered, old vines, cuvee. It doesn't mean the wine isn't better than another, but it's not a guarantee of quality. Sometimes it's just marketing's way of charging more.Price is not a guarantee of quality. Even though wine reviewers will fall all over themselves to taste and rave about the latest $50 Napa Cabernet. Don't buy just on price.    
 
Wine can be as complicated as you want to make it, or as simple. If you don't worry too much about making the right choice, and instead are guided by your own tastes and preferences, the world of wine will become easier to navigate and always a source of pleasure!

"Let us have wine and women, mirth and laughter, Sermons and soda-water the day after." ~ Lord Byron (Don Juan)