John's Wine Page

Being that John is the wine person of the two since I don't drink, this page is all his to do as he sees fit. So let's see what he has to say about the great food accompaniment!

I'm starting this section, belatedly, but here it is! Wine. Wine goes with food. I like wine. And if you're reading this, you may like wine, too - especially with food.

Now, having put myself in the spotlight on this topic, I'll quickly state that I'm asking a bona fide wine expert, my good friend Dave Gruber (a professional CA and OR winemaker and a certified sommelier) to take this space over from me soon. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's my initial semi-informed, non-snobby take on this tricky subject:

Wine Rules:

#1: Drink the wine that you like and can afford.
#2: Refer to rule #1.
#3: That's it!

Corollaries to the Wine Rules:

if you like to spend a lot of money on wine, go ahead. Some people like to brag about how much money they spend on wine, because I guess it's an ego thing, or they think more money means "better" wine. Fine! I like to see how little I can spend and still get something that I like. Labels mean nothing to me - especially labels that say for example "Coppola", "Opus 1", or "Chateau Neuf du Pape". On the other hand, if the label mentions the Loire Valley region of Chinon, then I take note because my own wine-drinking experience is that I prefer these reds, in general, and they are not very expensive because they haven't achieved "celebrity".
in countries like France, Spain, Italy, Portugal for example I've discovered a very time-tested corollary - that is, drink the wine of the region you're in and whose food your eating. After hundreds (maybe thousands) of years, these people have figured out what complements each other best. That's what they grow, that's what they bottle, that's what they eat, etc.........
The new wine-growing regions of the world (Australia, Chile, S. Africa for example) are making very consistent wines, but rarely anything unique. They are the "Japanese car makers" of wine. High quality, consistent, high-mileage stuff that has little character - no "terroir", because it is essentially manufactured wine. Not saying that you shouldn't buy it, drink it, or like it (refer to Wine Rule #1).
white wines for fish, red wines for meat ... blah,blah, blah .... whatever, dude.
find a good wine retailer, get to know them (and let them get to know you), and stay loyal. They know more about wines than you, so use them. They'll be honest with you and try to recommend wines that they think you'll like - not what some wine distributer is pushing.
find a couple of cheap everyday wines that you like, and stock up. Save more expensive bottles for special occasions.
don't be a wine snob. Even your wine snob friends will think you're boorish, and they'll know (like themselves) that you have no idea what you're talking about.
don't drink (too much) wine and drive - or get into an argument with your wife.
call me if you discover any really good '03 Chinons for cheap!