What's the point? As I was thinking of what subject to tackle for this edition - it hit me - questions, lots of questions that I could not answer. "What are you doing? What are you trying to write about wine for - you're no expert. There has been so much written about wine already that there is no possible way you can come up with something that has not been written about fifty times already, and by real professionals and experts that have 'been there and done that' for real. Why bother - it's already been done!" Well, to find out why I am here writing about wine, continue reading. The only way I can validate the words I write is to simply say that nobody else on the planet can offer what I have to offer - my opinion. The world is already full of wine professionals that have traveled the world and tried every luxury wine imaginable. I don't think that most of us can really connect with these guys and gals that report $50 bottles as "good values", "must buys" and "bargains". If you're in that league, you are either very wealthy (can I come over and help you drink your wine?) or financially irresponsible (http://www.debtconsolidation.com/ for help). My purpose here is to just offer my thoughts on the wide world of wine that is out there. I'm trying to make it easy, fun and more comfortable for all of the regular people out there with jobs, families, mortgages and all of the other goodies that come with being an "everyday Joe." Hopefully I'm doing this in an easy to ready manner with some good-natured wit and a little dry humor on top for good measure. Five Quickies Off The Top of My Head In my opinion ... Merlot is boring! 95 percent of the Merlot out there is cheap, light, flavorless and generally poor! The real stuff with any guts or flavor is going to cost you at least $15/bottle (barring 1 or 2 exceptions). In my opinion ... the most fun place to buy wine is in a store dedicated to the fruits of the vine - a wine shop if you will. Warehouse and supermarket style stores are noisy, ugly and a general pain in the butt if you have a question or can't find what you're looking for. It is so much more fun to chat with a knowledgeable owner in a more intimate setting than to "pay and pray" in a big store. In my opinion ... vintage ratings are out of control! I'm glad that 1997 was the best year this century for California Cabernet and Tuscany, but enough already! 99 percent of the best wines from this vintage were gone before they hit the shelves and the ones you could find were way over priced thanks the buzz created by the mainstream wine media. Thanks for nothing (literally)! In my opinion ... two simple styles of wine glasses are all you need. One red and one white and that's it. Unless you have a lot of cash (and a lot of storage space), you don't really need a different glass for your Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Red Bordeaux, Syrah, Chianti and Zinfandel, do you? In my opinion ... wine is fun and everyone should be able to try as many as their heart desires without somebody telling them that their particular choice does not taste good, it's cheap or that it will not go with that big taco on their plate. Wine is for everyone and we all have our own idea what "good" wine is. I feel much better now. TASTING NOTES - hey, give me a break - I'm not Robert Parker! 1996 Olivier LeFlaive Pinot Noir - Bourgogne, France: Cherry nose, fruity palate, well balanced with good acidity. Short finish, quite tasty. Nothing fancy here - just plain good wine for a good price ($10) from one of the most famous names in Burgundy. 2000 Selaks Riesling/Gewürztraminer Ice Wine - Marlborough, New Zealand: Strong nose with the classic gewurz aromas. Smooth on palate, nice citrus flavors without being too sweet. Yummy! Not "real" Ice Wine - price is only about $14 (true Ice Wine will cost $40+). 1998 Columbia Crest Semillon Reserve Ice Wine - Columbia Valley, WA: Nose is full of shoe polish and other un-savory odors. Palate was not much better. Yuck! This one is oak aged - I think it was a bad bottle or it was aged in rotten barrels. Save your money ($28)! 1996 Tokaji Oremus Late Harvest Furmint - Hungary: Don't worry, I've never heard of it either so I thought it was worth a try. Old gold in color. Exotic and complex nose - layers of tropical fruits and spice, very aromatic. Peaches and pineapples on the palate with a nice lemony twist on the long finish. Yummy! After some quick research, I found out that furmint is the main grape used in the great sweet Tokaji wines. I found this one at the LCBO in Toronto for $12.50 (Canadian currency) - if you ever see one, grab it! 1999 Georges Duboeuf Saint-Veran - Saint-Veran, France: Watery color, faint nose of apples/pears. Not much to this one. Very high in acid - this begs for food (or people with iron stomachs). Crisp, lively, bracing - may settle down in time. Simple wine with a very cool and colorful flowery label. 1999 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Carneros - Carneros, CA: Deep purple color, looks very big in the glass. Intense nose - loads of fruit - strawberries and blackberries stand out. Big tannins are also found in this one, but there's plenty of fruit to keep it balanced. This has the power to age and develop. I bet this will be silky smooth with time, if you can wait. A big Pinot and a yummy wine - worth every penny of the $20 price. 1971 Chateau Rieussec Grand Cru Classe - Sauternes, France: Amber color, complex nose - think of crème brûlée! Smooth, mellow, rich flavors that last forever on the palate. To find this you'll have to spend some big money in a restaurant with a deep wine list, go to auction or just have some really cool friends willing to share their spoils (thanks again Keenan!) One of the best of it's type - only the famed Chateau d'Yquem holds a higher classification in the Sauternes region. 1997 Zaca Mesa Syrah Mariposa Vineyard - Santa Barbara County, CA: Complex nose of blueberry, blackberry and chocolate. Well balanced on palate, full body and rich, very smooth and tasty. Big wine with lots of flavors including a beefy/gamey element. Long finish with pepper and anise - yummy wine, worth the hunt. That's it, finally! Thanks for the visit. Please feel free to write me at cellarbrat1@yahoo.com with your comments, questions and suggestions. Everyone gets a reply! All feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Know someone that likes wine? Send 'em the link - I'd love to increase my circulation to double digits! See ya next time from the cellar, and remember wine is more fun than you think. Gunerman writes "The Brat In The Cellar" twice per month for the Rochester, NY chapter of Wine Brats, found at www.ggw.org/winebrats/. Wine Brats is a national non-profit organization based in California. They are an active group of adult wine enthusiasts who are mostly young in age but absolutely young at heart. Wine Brats enjoy sharing their passion for wine with their peers and take pride in breaking down the cultural walls that for too long have mystified this beautiful beverage. Ultimately, as a non-profit organization, the Brats' purpose is to attract a whole new generation of adults to the wonders of life with wine. For more information, visit the national site at www.winebrats.org/. Feb. 22, 2001
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