Wine Giques

Uncorked

The cork in a bottle  of wine finishes it off somehow. It is the cherry on the sunday; the sprinkling of parmesan cheese on a bolognese. Don't get me wrong, there is something fun and easy about screw caps (like microwaving popcorn) but nothing beats the heavy pan with the oil.

I love the romance of undressing the bottle - gingerly cutting and unpeeling the foil, grasping the neck of the bottle and positioning the tip of the auger just so. Then gently pushing and twisting the shaft... (this isn't a family site, correct? All the children are in bed?)

My point is - nothing compares to a cork as the proper (and historic) closure for a bottle of wine. It's not the same if it's plastic and pink, or yellow, or even a composite. Screw caps are handy, I'm the first to admit. But not romantic, and, certainly, not sexy.

DISCLAIMER: What follows is serious stuff and not all all the kind of silly drivel that came before. Read it if you must. Enjoy it if you can.

Many in the industry want to find an alternative closure to the cork. The reason for the change of heart are two factors. One is the thouht that cork forests cannot be sustained (there are varying opinions on that one) and  TCA  or cork taint. Cork taint is caused by a chemical compound in the cork of a very few wines that give the wine a musty smell(like Grandma's basement) and funky taste. The percentage of these wines is relatively small but some wineries don't want to deal with this percentage of loss at all.

More about corks: Contrary to popular belief, the cork is not presented to sniff. One must look at the cork to ascertain whether the bottle and the cork belong together. There was a time when bottles were refilled with basement swill and the cork was the only way to tell if what was in the bottle was what was intended. That was when producers started to brand their corks.

If you feel like removing a cork on something drinkable try an Old Vines Grenache from Spain: 2005 Vina Alarba. Very plummy and spicy. A great blogging companion. Cheap - under $9

Tongue, don't fail me now

Christ! I guess now that more of my friends, cohorts, and constituents are reading my ramblings I might, actually, have to post more often. That means I may have to drink more wine. Will I collapse under the stress? Will my tongue hold up??? More importantly, will I have anything at all to say...
Truthfully, that has never been a problem of mine.

My friend Jalil and his wife, Stephanie, just returned from a two week trip. Week one, France. Week two, Tunisia. "Jay" is Tunisian but was raised in a small town near Lyon in the South of France. They brought us a fun little Rose from the Languedoc (which we drank this evening). I particularly enjoyed getting a bottle that didn't have that awful (American) disclaimer about how drinking can impair both driving and a woman's right to make choices regarding her own body... oops, sorry. Again, no problem finding something to say.

The wine was fun to drink - I love Roses. Actually I love tulips. (Can someone tell me how to put the accents over my letters without writing this in HTML?) Do I have to cut and paste?

The wine. A Vin de Pays - which means it is a step above a table wine but the third highest wine quality in France. A blend of Carignan, Grenache (noir) and Syrah with a much richer raspberry hue than some of the other Roses I've had recently. In fact, the wine was all about raspberries and finished dry. Simple but enjoyable. Great with the Cajun meat pies left over from our party last weekend.
2004 Dom Brial from Les Vignerons de Baixas, Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes.

What to drink when it all tastes good

So often I have a very hard time making a decision about what to drink. I love gin. Vodka is great. Bourbon is what I drink when I'm feeling serious. Tequila is festive. Rum makes me feel like I'm on vacation. Cognac, for a  "grown-up" occasion. But wine is what I settle into, and time - and - again I find myself looking for something that won't wear out (or tire) my palate.
Lighter bodied, fruity, white wine tends to weigh less on the palate. I mean that in the figurative sense. They are easier to drink, less contemplative than reds, and can keep the taste buds lively and ready for food... or more wine.
Tonight I decided on the Campus Stella Albarino from Spain. The wine is reminicent of Viognier for it's apricot, peach, and citrus flavors. A great sipper, and good with food, too.