Seriously?

Has anyone noticed lately just how silly the world of wine is becoming? Seriously? I mean, everybody seems to be getting caught up in the game of flowery terminology. As though a nose of fine Italian licorice and a hint of Australian Koala Bear pee on the palate are important to us anymore! Seriously??

And on top of that, it seems to me that too many wine shops these days are resorting to try to reinvent themselves (perhaps they are just in survival mode) by trying every trick in the book to suck customers into their stores. At what point does another class on 'the obscure wines of Tibet' or 'wines made from grapes that start with the letter C' become too much? Seriously?

Yes, we get it... businesses have to do whatever it takes these days to stay in business, but SERIOUSLY, when did the simple concepts of over-the-top personal service and extremely competitive prices fall by the wayside. Are today's wine consumers so gullible that they just don't get it? I love wine classes as much as the next guy, but for goodness sake, make them interesting and don't bore me by reading some crap you pulled off Wikipedia. And at least keep pouring while you pontificate!!!

Seriously... how about we all go back to the basics of marketing and customer service and not take wine so seriously? Tell me why I should spend my money with you, and remind me often so I don't forget. Remember, we have lots of choices. Seriously.

Spring has finally sprung!

Well, well, well. It has been way too long since I've put on my blogger hat and posted something here. Since springtime is finally here, maybe it's time for a few words... not that spring has anything to do with anything. You know, all that fresh new season, longer day, brighter horizons kind of stuff. So, what's been going on and swirling around in my wine life? Me, I've enjoying lots of great wine but very slack about posting to my blog!

There have been too many wines to remember that have graced my glass since I last wrote something here, but then there can never really be too many wines. Right? I recently attended an amazing wine dinner at Second Empire in Raleigh that paired delicious creative dishes with stunning rare French wines... Champagne, Burgundies (white and red) Bordeaux from Magnums and luscious Sauternes with dessert. Our host, Tom Black, collect and studies these special rare collectibles and was extremely gracious and educational. And his jokes were funny, too!

Attending events such as that with my wine buddies, the Mad Dawgs (check us out on Facebook), as well as another recent dinner featuring a decadent main course of TurDucKen continue to offer me more insight into the world of pairings. When you stuff a turkey with a chicken and a duck, then roast with lots of rich yummy stuffing, the wine pairing challenges are kicked up several notches.  We tried wine from France, Italy, Australia, USA and Spain. We tried a variety of blends as well as a number of "single grape" wines, and you know what??? They were ALL good. Granted some were better than others, but (I repeat) they were ALL GOOD! Drink what you like and like what you drink... that's my new motto.

As we roll into warmer months and begin to sip more crisp acidic whites and lighter reds to pair with all the outdoor cooking we'll be doing, remember, it's not about the wine or the food or the pairing, it's about the moment. Enjoy the moment. Live in the moment. Savor the present, because it is truly a gift!

Until next time... cheers!

The Mad Dawgs invade Wine Country... again!

Well hello again. I hope everybody's had a nice summer. It's been hot as hades here in the south this year so I'm beginning to welcome the change of the season.It's been a summer filled with great wines and great memories.  We've had many occasions to share good food and wine with friends and neighbors and that's what it's all about. 

Recently spent a week in northern Napa and Sonoma valleys with my wine group, the Mad Dawgs. We've been together for over 10 years and we love sharing great wines with each other. We've traveled together a number of times and always seem to top our previous trips with even better ones! Spending quality time with winemakers/vintners/proprietors is something we love to do and they've always been so gracious and generous to us. Sharing time in their vineyards, tasting rooms, barrel rooms and the homes of these wonderful people is what it's all about! And when they share their stories and their wines with us, there is nothing finer. Hanging out with wine people makes for lasting memories.

When we get to know a "wine person" and they've been generous and nice enough to invite us to hang with them or do some barrel tasting or join us for a meal, we usually make them an Honorary Mad Dawg ,which includes presenting them with a special T-shirt with the Mad Dawgs logo. Over the past 10 years, we're proud to have bestowed that honor to 85 special friends in the business... so far! They are the best of the best and we love them all!

Well, after having 15 friends and neighbors over last night for smoked pork shoulder and a bevy of other great food and some lip-smacking wines, I think it's time to take a break and relax today. See y'all on the flip side. Till next time... Let's drink some wine.

Hot Hot Hot...

Beware the hot weather, Wine Lovers! It will cook your wines in an instant... and you may not even know it until it's too late. It's been hotter than hell lately and unless you've been smart enough to pack an iced cooler with you when you're wine shopping or plan to quickly head home in air conditioned comfort once you leave the store, prepare to be disappointed that you're wines got COOKED! When wine reached temperatures above 80 to 85 degrees for any sustained period, lots of really bad things happen... not the least of which is that the good juice you have invested in will turn nasty in a hurry.


We Americans tend to store and drink our wines too warm anyway. Ideally, a white should be served in the 55 degree range, reds in the 65 degree range and sparklers in the mid - forty range.  If you don't have temperature regulated storage for your collection, at least try to keep the wines away from direct heat, sun light and vibration. If you can at least give them a quiet shaded/dark spot to rest, they'll be grateful and will live longer than if they're stuffed into one of those stupid racks over the top of your refrigerator! Who in the world ever thought that was a good idea?????


Anyway, keep your wines cool and they'll live longer, taste better and make you happy. And that's what it's all about, isn't it?

Can you put it into words?

Think about it... the language of wine almost never has to do with describing something that tastes like wine. We use flowery verbiage to tease the imagination, such as "essence of fine leather and bacon fat" or "a rush of honeysuckle and white peaches" or "briary, with a powerful wallop of black cherries and chocolate"... you get my drift.  I daresay that if we couldn't describe the myriad flavors and/or smells of a wine with terms other than white/purple/sweet/sour/tart/good/bad, etc., we probably wouldn't have as much fun with it and we definitely would not enjoy wine nearly as much.

So, when my wife says, "I want something crisp" or my friend requests something "chewy", I know exactly what will satisfy them. Crisp, flowery, chewy, unctuous, tart, silky, soft, robust, bold, tropical, spicy, "barnyardy" - it's such a colorful language, isn't it? I love it. In fact, I never get enough of it. Reading wine reviews is so much fun because I'm always amazed at the new and creative ways that writers can find to describe fermented grape juice. Life is too short to be boring!

Every single day is special!

It seems that almost every single "wine person" I know (with the exception of a very fortunate few who own a zillion bottles) is always holding on to a few 'special' bottles for the proverbial 'special occasion'. I guess it's normal to do that and I know I've been guilty of that sin myself... but... as I age along with my wines, I've come to the conclusion that every day is special, so why not be willing to open that special bottle to celebrate it?

Over the years I've developed the habit of segregating my coveted little wine collection into three categories: (1) Wines to share with those who don't know or care much about wine - i.e., most people; (2) Wines to share with those who DO know a little about wine, want to learn more about it, and generally appreciate getting to try something different  - a smaller group of mostly neighbors and close friends; and (3) Wines to share with those who GET IT and are appreciative that I'd be willing to open that bottle and share it with them - a very small and select group that includes my wife, the Mad Dawgs and a handful of very close friends with whom I'd share anything in my cellar. Do other people do that, too? Or am I just an oddball? Whatever; it works for me.

Twelve years ago, a couple of  wine people decided that there should be a special occasion to Open That Bottle just in case you seem to be one of those people who is always waiting for a special occasion.  Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher of the Wall Street Journal founded Open That Bottle Night and designated it to be the last Saturday of February. Iver the years it's really caught on and nowadays a lot of people celebrate that as just such a special event to justify opening that bottle they've been saving. Well, while I love the idea and applaud them for it, I believe the good Lord only gave us so many days on this earth and that every single one of them is special. So, henceforth, anytime you feel a need to treat your self, significant other and/or friend(s) to a special bottle, I implore you to OPEN IT! For heaven's sake, don't wait... because none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. And who the heck wants to unexpectedly meet his Maker knowing that he's left a cellar full of great wines behinds for other people to drink?!?! You can't take it with you.

Does the glass really make a difference?

Lately I've been keeping up with a zillion posts on a LinkedIn wine group in which I'm a member regarding the question of whether the glass actually makes a difference in the taste/enjoyment of the wine. So far I've been pretty amazed at the diverse answers/assessments/evaluations and sundry judgements from far and wide. It would seem that the consensus is that a "proper" stemmed glass does indeed make a difference.

As one who has attended a presentation/seminar/tasting event on behalf of the makers of Riedel stemware, I can say unequivocally that there was an impressive improvement when tasting the same liquids (wines and some cheap Scotch) from everyday glassware versus the Riedel glass designed for that particular liquid. Interestingly enough, I personally thought the most astonishing difference (i.e., improvement) was with the Scotch. Maybe it was because I was not a scotch drinker at the time, but over the years I have continues to be amazed at how the Riedel Single Malt glass improves almost any small batch whisky/whiskey. That having been said, maybe there were not enough variables to do a true scientific research study but the the purpose of the event was to sell Riedel glasses! Go figure.

Anyway, fast forward to the present... this I know. A high quality stemmed glass will almost always improve the enjoyment of a decent wine and will enhance the best attributes of a great wine more so than a jelly jar or a paper cup. We can probably all agree that a good glass will not make a bad wine good but a cheap glass won't do an extraordinary wine any favors either. And it definitely differs from person to person. My wife still loves her favorite plastic thrift shop stemmed "glass", regardless of what goes in it. I rest my case.