Food
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Two Most Important Rules of Buying Wine
partner
Dear BA Foodist,
I love wine, but I hate buying it. Most wine stores, with their
enormous selections and often unknowledgeable staffs, can be
intimidating. Any tips for navigating a wine store?
Belle Eisner, New York
Read more from BA's Restaurant Editor, Andrew Knowlton,
as he shares tips, trends and his take on eating
out.
Dear Belle,
Despite what all the experts say, buying wine will always be a
daunting task. During the holidays, the stakes are even higher.
Nothing beats good old fashioned wine knowledge but I've
got a couple of tips for selecting imported wines that may help
you.
Rule 1: Beaujolais Nouveau is never a good idea. Yes, it's
inexpensive, but if you want candy, eat candy. Beaujolais-Villages
wines, on the other hand, are fine.
Another mystery for some restaurant goers may be valet
parking. BA gets the dish about this fancy restaurant service from
L.A.'s most prominent valet.
Rule 2: Know the importer. If you look on the back label of the
bottle, you'll almost always find a government warning, the
name of the wine and region, and the logo or name of the company
that imported the wine. Importers know a lot more about wine than I
do, which is why you'll often find me reading the back labels
of wines rather than the front labels. Once you discover an
importer whose wines you usually like, it's more than okay to
pick a wine solely with that information. I do it all the time.
Sommeliers at fancy restaurants often select bottles for their wine
lists based on the importer, and you can use the same strategy.
Whom to trust? Some of my favorites are Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant,
Terry Theise Estate Selections, Jorge Ordonez, Rosenthal Wine
Merchant, Eric Solomon Selections/European Cellars, and Polaner
Selections.
More from Bon Appétit:
Related: wine, buying wine
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Posted by tralala311 Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:10pm PDT
what about those of us who (gasp!) buy our wine at the grocery store? do we get any tips? besides, not buying wine at the grocery store...
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Posted by thomas Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:05am PDT
if you want to learn about wine, i suggest reading the WINE SPECTATOR magazine. not just for the articles but also for the tons of ads from wine dealers and sellers of various books on wine and wine culture.
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Posted by IsaacG Sun Oct 18, 2009 6:55am PDT
Around the holidays, try the box wine and refill that expensive wine bottle you have from your anniversary. most normal people wont know the difference
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Posted by risatrix Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:06pm PDT
Re: tip #1, anyone that disses Beaujolais offhand is just a snob; sometimes you want (or can only afford) something simple, cheap and drinkable.
@tralala (and the original asker for that matter) I'd suggest Mark Oldman's book, "Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine". It's got short, readable lessons that will get you up to speed on wine basics in no time, and some more advanced info as well. It's been a lifesaver. As they say, the more you know...
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Posted by Frances G Sun Oct 18, 2009 7:01pm PDT
hi i don,t too much about wine. but i like sangria with a little gingle ale. how about that.
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Posted by katiej Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:24am PDT
One of the grocery stores here had a wine tasting class and that's where I definitely learned what I don't like and a couple I actually did. Now anytime I go to a grocery store and I actually see the wine person there I tell him or her what I like and try their recommendation. I hardly ever spend more than $10 per bottle and my absolute favorite is $6 (Fall Creek Vineyard Chenin Blanc or the Granite Blush from Texas). Some of the recommendations I've liked there's been a few I threw away because they were nasty but now I know I like wines from Texas and Australia so just about anything I try I like be it red white or anything in between. I know it's not quite what Andrew Knowlton drinks but to hell with his snobby ass.
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Posted by biscuiteater Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:35am PDT
While I myself am not a huge fan of Beaujoulais-Nouveau wines, to dismiss them summarily takes away from the role that Beaujoulais-Nouveau wine, and the Beaujoulais harvest plays in French wine culture. They are produced for a reason. And it actually goes well slightly chilled with many holiday meals because it is light, fruity, and doesn't overpower food. I myself am a Shiraz, Cab, Zin, Malbec fan for the most part, but that doesn't exclude me from drinking a few seasonal glasses of Beaujoulais-Nouveau. I think replace that rule with this one...get to know which growing regions you tend to like wines from. If you notice a pattern in a specific grape and growing region you enjoy, experiment with other wines from that region. They will most likely have similar characteristics, but you can see each vineyards take on the grape. Great way to learn subtle differences and nuances in the various grapes and blends...
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Posted by Embee Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:01pm PDT
I have two tips for the poster: if you're purchasing a less expensive wine, choose a blend (includes at least 2 types of grapes) because those tend to be better at lower price ranges. Also, I have found that if Robert Parker (a reviewer whose description and a score appears on many shelves) likes it, I will, too!
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Posted by Joy in Seattle Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:12pm PDT
Here's advice: Anything in the 15-30 range is just as good or better than more expensive wine. Anything below $10 shouldn't be served at a real dinner party (unless your fav is on sale and you've already drank it).
I tend to avoid things that say "crisp" or "good acidity" as that usually just means a highly acidic wine that masks the actual taste.
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