What Makes Me Laugh
I had a woman ask me while I was at work, "Can you recommend to me a nice White Zinfandel?"
That's the sort of thing that makes a wine professional try very, very hard not to laugh when she hears it.
Now please don't get me wrong--I am content that White Zin exists. I'm more of a wine geek rather than a wine snob; I don't feel the need to bash people's tastes. If they like it, good on them. When you have folks intimidated by wine or who first try a very dry red wine, they would likely never return to sipping on wine without the sweet, easy-drinking qualities of a White Zin. That's its purpose. Great.
But a nice White Zin? Here's a cherry Kool-Aid. I threw in some vodka for ya. There you go! White Zin was an accident, a trauma accomplished by a stuck fermentation of a Red Zin. It's not going to be the top recommendation I would give to anybody at any time. The wine wasn't built to be a fine, long-finish, well-balanced, complex glass of beauty to savor. It's to swill, laugh, and enjoy. A bottle of White Zin you'd enjoy, ma'am? Yes, I can recommend that. But a NICE bottle of White Zin? Well, only if I redefine the word.
Now, if she had just asked me for a nice sweet wine, my list would have been endless....
That's the sort of thing that makes a wine professional try very, very hard not to laugh when she hears it.
Now please don't get me wrong--I am content that White Zin exists. I'm more of a wine geek rather than a wine snob; I don't feel the need to bash people's tastes. If they like it, good on them. When you have folks intimidated by wine or who first try a very dry red wine, they would likely never return to sipping on wine without the sweet, easy-drinking qualities of a White Zin. That's its purpose. Great.
But a nice White Zin? Here's a cherry Kool-Aid. I threw in some vodka for ya. There you go! White Zin was an accident, a trauma accomplished by a stuck fermentation of a Red Zin. It's not going to be the top recommendation I would give to anybody at any time. The wine wasn't built to be a fine, long-finish, well-balanced, complex glass of beauty to savor. It's to swill, laugh, and enjoy. A bottle of White Zin you'd enjoy, ma'am? Yes, I can recommend that. But a NICE bottle of White Zin? Well, only if I redefine the word.
Now, if she had just asked me for a nice sweet wine, my list would have been endless....
posted by Kira | 4:40 PM
7 Comments:
I only drink one type of wine and I'm sure it's going to make you laugh. Moscato D'Asti. I know it's a dessert wine, but I drink it with all of my meals. I've tried other wines but I just don't like them. When I read the descriptions with hints of pear, honey, oak, etc. I'm never able to taste those specific flavors. Most wine geeks will tell you that a Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling are sweet wines but I cannot taste anything sweet about them. Sure they're not as nasty as the dryer wines, but still not sweet to my palate. Moscato? That's some sweet shit! And I LOVE it! (I prefer the bubbly of the D'Asti though)
Sweet shit: try B. Lovely's Late Harvest Riesling or Washington Hill's Late Harvest Riesling. "Late harvest" means that the grapes were left on the vine way, way longer than usual, and so the sugar built up a lot. This means that there is a substantial amount of sugar left over after fermentation. It will be sweet enough for you. Trust me.
Sauvignon Blanc is NOT sweet. Ever. That one won't be to your taste. And some Rieslings are drier, esp. if they come from Alsace (French region). You just have to know what you're doing with Riesling choices. Rieslings you'd like from Germany will all have the word Auslese on it somewhere. That's basically the same thing as the "late harvest" designation that American Rieslings use.
I do know another wine you will love (unless you have something against strawberries). The Sant Orsola Brachetto d'Aqui that TW sells is like strawberries and cream in a glass--deep red, bubbly, smooth, sweet, nice and chilled like you'd have the Moscato D'Asti. I have never had any female try it and say anything other than "DAMN that was GOOD!" Seriously!
Thank you! I have noted all of these. You're the best!
Oh ghods, Kira, just give the woman a bottle of Beringer and be done with it. :)
Okay. That puts an end to my plan of asking you what's a good year for a Mogen David.
Apparently, you have a dry sense of humor.
Working in the wine industry myself, I applaud your attitude.
In my view there is no such thing as 'good wine' or 'bad wine'; merely wine you like or wine you don't like.
we can accept other's tastes without condemning them, I think. Gentel encouragement, rather than disparagement,is what will lead people to expand their palate.
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