But I'm Allergic to Wine...

I have a love-hate relationship with being a pourer at wine tasting events. On one hand, there is nothing in the world I love more than having a platform, and a captive audience, to share my passion and enthusiasm for wine. I get a thrill seeing the expression on someone's face when they try a wine for the first time and they love it. They didn't even know something like this existed and yet they can't get enough of it. I, in turn, get to "geek out", filling their head with a ton of useless information about the history of the grape, how it's cultivated, and the wars, political upset and economic devastation this little vine has endured. I have goosebumps as I write. I live for this stuff.
On the other hand, there is my worst nightmare. Right there, in the floral blouse and rhinestone glasses coming at me like a heat seeking missile. I am about to be inundated with stories of how "certain wines" affect her bowels, give her a rash and, come back up. Most cultures (and doctors) would call this a hangover and not blame the poor bottle of wine, but rather the copious amounts consumed. But just like saying Bloody Mary three times in the mirror causes instant death or blindness or something, there is a horribly perpetuated myth about wine allergies. Number one culprit... Sulfites.
Ahh yes, sulfites. It wasn't long before little miss rhinestone glasses informed me that she can only drink French wine because there aren't any sulfites in French wine. She went on to inform me that there really weren't any sulfites in Italian wine either, but she just didn't care for them as much. On the rare occasion I'll feel feisty (and well rested ) enough to challenge this ridiculousness. But the truth is most folks don't want to hear it. They have convinced themselves that somehow, what they are experiencing is an affliction to the most common preservative in the world.
The fact is, there are more sulfites in a glass of orange juice than there are in an entire bottle of wine. Bacon, onions and garlic, pickles, jams and jellies, cookies and potato chips, on and on and on... Chances are if you are one of the truly unfortunate people to suffer from a sulfite sensitivity, this shocking revelation did not come to you last Saturday night because you downed a glass of California Cab. You've probably known it since birth, and hated every minute of it.
So, why do people think these European countries are sulfite exempt? Simple. The U.S. has stupid labeling laws. Just like we are required to let you know that alcohol consumption is bad for pregnant women and might impair your ability to operate heavy machinery, duh,  we are required to let you know that sulfites are present in an almost undetectable amount. 10 parts per million to be exact. (FYI: the booze sulfite maximum  is 350 ppm). Here's the real kicker - sulfites happen naturally! They are a perfectly normal bi-product of fermentation. The addition of So2 to wine happens for the same reason it's put into anything else. To prevent bacterial growth, browning and oxidation. That being said, if you really truly believe that sulfites are inhumane, drink red. There are waayyy more sulfites added to white wine than red wine because white wine will turn brown without them.
Now, I'm not a doctor. I really shouldn't go around diagnosing people and their wine aliments... but I do. So here it is. This is why you get a rash, headache, stiff sore muscles, and a stuffy nose. Drum roll please (pprrrrrrrrrrrr) Histamines. Yup they're present in wine. About 100% more prevalent in red wines than white. Tannin, the astringent, mouth-drying element in wine, can also produce allergy like symptoms but again, if you have a sensitivity to tannin you knew it the first time you ate chocolate, soy sauce, or drank an overly steeped cup o' tea.
The irony is that I can relate to wine allergies. Yes, I too suffer from a histamine reaction to wine. Stuffy head, sinus pressure, the whole shebang. However, instead of divulging my nasal issues with a poor defenseless wine pourer, I simply take a Claritin and call it a day.

Here's to your health... literally.

Vive La France!

I'm always surprised at how many people hate the French. I mean sure, there was that whole anti Iraq war thing and they themselves have expressed an unprecedented amount of Anti-American sentiment. Maybe folks resent the fact that Johnny Depp moved there and Jim Morrison is buried there. Whatever your feeling, we can't deny that the French have contributed to society. Historically, I cannot dismiss the entertainment value that must have come from countless aristocrat beheadings. And then there's the artists that single-handedly gave us the Impressionist movement (and the Rococo but that was just a bunch of silly nonsense.) Then there's the food. I'm not talking about French, er, Freedom Fries here, I'm talking about the greatest of the French food gifts... foie gras, escargots, lardons, crepes.
Then there's my most favorite of the French contributions - wine.
So I tried to think of my favorite French wine to write about. And I couldn't. Then, I tried to think of my favorite wine region to write about. And I couldn't do that either. The more specific I tried to get, the more I realized that I have a love affair with most all French vin. From the easy to drink, summer wines of Provence to the complex, mysterious wines of Bordeaux. The masculine, hearty, almost gamey wines of the Rhone to the profound whites of Alsace and the Loire. Then, there is of course the holy grail of French wine... Burgundy. These are the Princess Diana wines. No, she didn't make them famous by drinking copious amounts of the stuff, I just have a habit of thinking about wines in terms of people. These wines remind me of the late HRH because the wines of Burgundy are an anomaly. The older they get, the more beautiful they get. They are graceful, elegant and feminine, yet have amazing backbone and strength. They are misunderstood and complicated, but when you get to know them, they become intriguing and endearing.
French wines in general don't appeal to the American palate and it's easy to understand why. America has always been a Jack and Coke, Budweiser, Stoli martini kind of nation. So when we picked up on this new wine culture thing, we simply substituted our cocktails for a glass of wine. A big, overwhelming, highly alcoholic, glass of wine. I like to call these "cocktail party wines". These are the wines that will get you just as schnokered as that Cosmo but be twice as filling. And more important than that... they don't need food.
French wines serve a different purpose. They are meant to be consumed daily, all day and not get you knee-walking-commode-hugging-drunk. They are meant to make food taste better. Conversely, the food also makes the wine taste better. There is a marriage between the wine and the food, that we here in America, are still trying to figure out. Don't give up mon petit winos. Your palate with wine is like your palate with food. The more you taste, the more you'll discover flavors and sensations in wine will grow on you. Remember as a kid when you hated peppers and onions and anything green or squishy? Somehow you grow up and you can't imagine not eating those things or cooking with those things today.
So, in honor of Bastille Day, which also happens to masquerade as my birthday, the plan is as follows:
Open a bottle of Bollinger and drink with friends.
Eat some cavier.
Open a bottle of Natter Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) and drink with friends.
Eat some escargots.
Open a bottle of Domaine Tempier Rose and drink with friends.
Eat some fois gras.
Undo button on my pants.
Open a bottle of Vosne Romanee (Pinot Noir) and drink with friends.
Eat some morels.
Open a bottle of Lafite Pauillac Rouge and drink with friends.
Eat some duck confit.

Be put to bed.

Happy Storming of the Prison Day, France!

The Wine List - Friend or Foe?

I started Great Legs Wine Consulting because I saw a desperate need to make wine accessible, and more importantly, an enjoyable experience. I see so much pretension and snobbery associated with wine, and I'm exhausted by the endless game of one upmanship . Sadly, I find this perpetuated, more often than not, by restaurant wait staff.
One of the most common fears people share with me is the moment they are handed a wine list in a restaurant. Overwhelmed with choices, most of which they have never heard of, with over-inflated prices. I find that the fear is not so much in choosing the "right" wine, but more so about choosing the "wrong" wine. It doesn't help that the waiter gives you about 2.5 seconds with the list before coming back to the table, pen in hand, wanting to know if you've made a decision. I can tell you that I have been a guest at many a restaurant where the waiter is obviously less than impressed with my choice... and I'm a Sommelier! Herein lies the kicker... it's on their list. They are responsible for representing it, and if it's so awful as to garner a snide remark or a scornful glance, that should be their problem, and don't you forget it.
 I know of several restaurants that no longer offer White Zinfandel but instead feature a sweet Riesling by the glass. Although I don't entirely agree with this, I at least have to respect the fact that they don't want to represent a wine they don't care for. On one hand they are trying to educate and help people develop a more sophisticated palate. On the other hand, what about the little old lady who just wants a stinkin' glass of White Zin? But that leads us to the second problem facing not just wait staff, but restaurant wine buyers as well... it's not about them. This was single-handedly the most important lesson I learned form the Master Sommelier guiding me. Just because I didn't like it didn't make it a bad wine. And just because I thought something was the greatest thing since canned milk didn't mean everyone was going to share that same sentiment. Actually, anyone who knows me and my wine preferences can firmly agree that's, in fact, quite the opposite. At parties I'll catch myself asking "What do you mean you don't like the stinky, barnyardy, smells like a sweaty saddle wine?!?" or "This Pinotage is great! I just love the gamey, animal fur, almost savory component!" The point, as my Master drilled in my head, was to look for the quality and take myself out of the equation. Not easy to do, especially when the wine mantra du jour is "drink what you like". Wine professionals need to remind themselves that this statement only holds true for the guest drinking the wine.
So how do you overcome the fear associated with navigating a restaurant wine list? Short of having a Sommelier on speed dial, these tips may help:

• Don't fight it - Sometimes you have to go with the flow and drink what the buyer likes. For example, if there are 27 different Chiantis on the list, and you're in a Greek restaurant, it should be pretty clear what the buyers passion is. It may not have been your first choice, but you'll end up with a darn good bottle of Sangiovese.
• Know before you go - Many restaurants have websites with the menu and wine list uploaded. Familiarize yourself with the selections in the price point you're comfortable with. If a website isn't available, call the restaurant ahead of time and have a current list faxed to you. This can be invaluable  if you are hosting a business dinner and don't want to be put on the spot.
• Beware of the value pitfalls - Wines served by the glass and "house wines" are often of the poorest quality and carry the highest mark-up. Restaurants with integrity will choose wines by the glass that are beautiful examples of quality and value, but alas these are few and far in between.
• If it grows together, it goes together - Consider the restaurant you're in and order accordingly. In an Italian restaurant, have a Rosso di Montalcino. French cuisine on the itinerary? Look for a Cotes du Rhone or Langudoc. This also makes food and wine pairing a no-brainer.
• When in Rome - Just like you should consider the nationality of the restaurant, also consider the style and genre. Don't order a Sauvignon Blanc in a steakhouse or a California Cabernet in a seafood joint.
• ABC - Otherwise known in the wine world as "Anything but Chardonnay/Cabernet." There's a whole world of wine out there just waiting to be discovered. Some of the best wines out there are from Spain (like a Tempranillo from La Rioja) and Argentina (the Malbec grape is perfect with beef!).

One other tip I should mention that tends to be the pet peeve of many servers is the antiquated procedure of handing you the cork once its pulled. Please don't smell it. Don't roll it around, squeeze it, or put it to your ear. I assure you the cork is going to tell you nothing about the quality of the wine. In fact, I have pulled the cork on several bottles only to find it completely saturated, or conversely, completely dried out. On numerous occasions, I have not only been pleasantly surprised, but blown away at how delicious it tasted. Had I relied on just looking at the cork, I would have missed out on bliss. Proof is always in the pudding.

Cheers!

Wine's Dirty Little Secret

When the going gets tough, the tough get drinking!
Booze is one of the few recession-proof industries. In fact, I think its safe to say that the worse things get the more people imbibe. However, its what they imbibe that changes. With the economy in the tank, even the wealthy mucky-mucks have changed their spending habits. Long gone are the unlimited expense accounts and $200 bottles of wine. So what does this mean for wineries that hang their hat on those uber pricey little gems? They are in one hell of a conundrum. The great debate is what to do with the excess of wine that no one's buying. There's the option of riding it out. Wait until the market rebounds and luxury products become feasible again. Sure, the wine may be old and past its prime by this point, but it just may beat option number two.
Obviously, wineries don't want to sit on past vintages so the decision becomes, "do we drop our prices?" This may seem simple enough... lower the price and move through the product. In reality what this translates to the consumer is "our wine really isn't worth what you suckers have been paying all these years. We've enjoyed having you over a barrel (pardon the pun) and look forward to gouging you in the future."
Enter the red-headed step child of the wine world... the "declassified" wine. These little beauties are winery orphans, the wines that no one wants to claim as their own but gladly reap the monetary benefits. You see, wineries commit to making so much wine a year, many sitting on acres and acres of land that produce much more fruit than what goes into their premium bottlings. In the day's of yore, the "excess" fruit was sold off to wineries that didn't own any vineyards. The next thing you know, you have a little podunk wine, breaking confidentiality clauses, and shouting from the mountain tops "this is Silver Oak Fruit for only $15 a bottle!!" Needless to say, Silver Oak would not be happy about this exclamation. (Even though, in my personal opinion, $15 is still too much for a bottle of Silver Joke, er, Oak). Of course this begged the question, "why should I pay $100 for this bottle, when I can get the same thing for $15?" Well, because it's not the same thing. Not by a long shot. Just because a winery bought the fruit from a famous vineyard does not mean the end result will be the same. Different winemakers, techniques, oak treatment, aging, strains of yeast, etc. etc. etc. The way to solve this dilemma was for the prestigious winery to keep the "excess" fruit and create their own second label. This way, you've eliminated someone else taking credit for your fruit, and skill of your million dollar vineyard manager. You have also maintained a level of quality, and depending on the producer, very few wine making differences between the notorious label and the declassified label.
Now, how do you know you've purchased a declassified gem, a superstar wineries second label? You don't. That was certainly more true a couple of years ago, but it's still the norm for a winery to cut all ties to the second label. You won't find tasting notes or information online and there won't be any mention of the famous winery on the label.  It's almost like the wine doesn't exist. Buahhaha (insert evil laughing voice).
So here comes the greatest incentive to get out and go to wine tastings... Sommeliers live for this. We are waiting to dish the dirt to anyone who'll listen. When we find out about a fabulous bottle of wine that is one-eighth the price of its counterpart, we ache to share the discovery. And trust me on this, we know lots and lots of secrets that you'll want to know too.
It's Saturday night... I know there's a wine tasting going on somewhere near you. GO.

Cheers!

P.S. While I was writing this, I was enjoying a lovely bottle of Caravan Cabernet from Napa. Aren't you just dying to know who makes this?? Buaahaahaa