Monthly Archive for November, 2007

Why I Don't Rate Wines

November 29, 2007 filed in Wine.
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Spectator_scoresUsually it’s people I barely know who tell me "you should rate all of the wines you taste so I know what’s good and what’s not!"  This is an understandable recommendation.  With over 50,000 different wines to choose from, people are looking for help.  One would have to taste 137 wines a day to know them all.  And there are a lot of options for people who want to see wine ratings – Spectator, Parker, Vaynerchuk, Cork’d, Bottlenotes…

Wine_advocate But I feel differently.  I find that people hold very few wine names on the tip of their tongue.  Try this test – ask a wine drinker – even a casual one – to name the wines they purchased most recently.  Then ask them to name the wines they would like to purchase.  Most people can recall between 0 – 5 names, but likely not much more than that.  (And if your respondent can name more than five, send me their address – they’d be a great customer!)

Wine_library Marketers have long known the old chestnut "Bad publicity is better than no publicity."  Meaning, of course, it’s better to have people talking about your product AT ALL, regardless of what they say. 

Combining consumer’s short top-of-mind lists with this Chestnut…

If I pan a wine I don’t like, and tell you so, there’s a good chance that the ONLY thing you’ll remember when at the wine shop, faced with hundreds of wine labels, is the label itself, which means you’re more likely to buy it.  Even though I found it sub-par.

In addition, I respect the entrepreneurial pluck it takes to begin producing wine.  And every winemaker improves over time.  If I pan a winemaker’s early efforts, there is a chance you’ll remember that rating and you may NEVER try that wine again.  I know this premise contradicts the one above, but allow me my inconsistency.

But MOST importantly, I find wine too multi-faceted to simply reduce it to a numerical score.  My life would be much easier if I yielded to this temptation, believe me. 

Instead, we carry only the wines I find to be interesting, well-made wines.  Such wines appeal to a variety of palates – new world and old world alike – and become part of the portfolio as long as I feel they’re well made, interesting, and appealing.

Any thoughts?

Dave_at_champagne_partyHappy Holidays!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

Today’s Quote:
"Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it"
  Michel de Montaigne

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Q&A With George Taber

November 28, 2007 filed in Book Reviews.
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George_m_taberNovember 28, 2007

In the early twilight of a successful journalism career, George Taber turned his talents to furthering the world’s understanding of his primary passion – wine.  And he’s done so with considerable notoriety – in the short span of three years he’s produced two ground-breaking works. 

His first was "The Judgment of Paris," about the famous tasting that put California wines on par with the best of Bordeaux.  As the only journalist to attend the event, his brief account of the event remained under the radar for days after its publication, achieving its deserved recognition days after its publication, when the full impact of the event sunk in.

G_taber_to_cork_or_not_to_corkIn his most recent work, "To Cork or Not to Cork", published just last month, Taber reveals the flaws inherent in the current bevy of options for wine closures – including corks, synthetic corks, composite/agglomerated corks, screwcaps and glass stoppers.  I had difficulty putting this book down, to be honest, as I described in my book review two weeks ago.

After that review, Mr. Taber and I made contact via email, and he readily agreed to an online Q&A session.  Here’s what he had to say:

DC: Your book would not have been written were it not for the fact that, several decades ago, an increasing % of corks began fouling the wines they were charged with preserving. Can you tell us about the most recent wine wine you opened that was ruined by a tainted cork?

GMT:  The problem was worse a few years ago, but a few years ago the cork manufacturers admitted it had a problem and started doing something about it.  As I wrote in the book, the cork problem dramatically increased in the 1980s for the reasons I explained. Then for about 20 years the cork industry had its head in the sand and didn’t admit it even had a problem.

About 1998 the industry finally admitted it had a serious problem and started to address it with heavy investment in new manufacturing equipment and research into the cause of the problem.  It takes time for any change — positive or negative — to be felt with cork because of the long time it takes to grow cork and then for wines to age in the bottle before opening.  But in the last few years there are signs of somewhat less cork taint at places like the big London wine show where they keep good statistics on the number of corked bottles. 

That having been said, my most recent example of a bad bottle was only last week. As part of my book promotion, I have been showing audiences the difference between the same wines with corks and those with screwcaps. I’ve found a couple of examples of exactly the same wine with the two closures. I was at a book store outside Chapel Hill, North Carolina doing a signing and showing one of those wines. It is a 2003 Domaine Laroche Chablis from the St. Martin vineyard. I have done this taste-off at least a half dozen times.  But this time the bottle with a cork was clearly oxidized.  That had never happened before in the tests, but there was no doubt about it.  Everyone could taste the difference between the two wines. 

Random oxidation is not the same as a corked wine, but the cause is still a faulty cork. Many people might not have recognized it if the wines hadn’t been tried side by side.  Some winemakers told me they thought random oxidation is actually a bigger problem than cork taint.

DC:  I’m not surprised – I hate oxidized wines.  It is apparent that researching your book took you to the far corners of the world to meet some of the wine world’s luminaries.  What was the most interesting story you can tell us – one that didn’t make it into the book, perhaps?

GMT: I tried to use all the material in the book, but sometimes an interview just doesn’t make the cut. One was an interview with Simon Barlow, the owner of Rustenberg, a top South African producer. His experience was similar to so many others. He had a high number of bottles being returned because of corking, so he went to his cork supplier who blew him off, saying that the problem was caused by his bad winemaking procedures. He couldn’t get even a decent hearing from the supplier, which was typical of the reaction until fairly recently.

So Simon decided to test plastic corks on his second label, Brampton. But consumers had serious problems with plastic corks.  People were sending him bottles with cork screws stuck in the plastic corks.  That’s a common problem with plastic.  So he sent his winemaker to New Zealand to study screwcaps, and the person came back with the recommendation that they try screwcaps on the second label, and they are fairly happy with the experience.

Barlow, though, is reluctant to put his top Rustenberg wines in screwcaps because he doesn’t think consumers are ready for them and he also doesn’t think screwcaps are the final word in the debate. So he continues to look for the best closures and experiment. In a lot of ways he represents a vast number of winemakers around the world who are looking for the perfect closure but still haven’t found it.

DC: Yes, the eternal quest goes on.  And on.  After writing this book, you must be one of the world’s more knowledgeable people on wine closures. If you could dictate just one closure to be used for all wines, what would it be?  And would your ruling change if it applied only to wines above $25?

GMT: I don’t think the perfect closure has yet been found. They all have their advantages and they disadvantages. There might be one in five or ten years, but there’s not one today. I think winemakers should be tailoring their closure to the wines they want to produce.  And I don’t think it’s merely a question of a price point like $25.  A cheap wine with a bad closure is still a bad wine. 

I think in the short run you’re going to see more and more light, fruity whites like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc with screwcaps, and it’s not surprising because those are the wines that show cork failures most readily.  Red wines, especially ones that are meant to be aged, are likely to continue to carry a cork. Many winemakers are reluctant to split their production lines like that because it implies that the wines with screwcaps are low quality.  I wish they could get over that and select the closure best suited to the wine.

DC:  Have wiser words ever been uttered?  Let me ask you about the recent turn in your career.  You enjoyed a successful career as reporter and editor for Time magazine and then launched your own publication in the late 80’s before selling it to "retire".  Your four-paragraph story on the famed “Paris Tasting” of 1976 has been called “the most significant news story ever written about wine.”  But in just the last few years, during what is usually one’s twilight years, you’ve written two very successful (and well researched!) books about the wine industry.  How has this period of your career compared to your earlier period?

GMT: I’ve been very lucky to have ventured into a new career writing books about wine. After selling the publication I founded, I told myself that I wanted to throw all my efforts into the new field with the same focus and intensity that I had devoted to my earlier jobs. Half-way efforts never succeed. Luck can help, and I plead guilty to being lucky, but it also takes hard work to be successful in any endeavor. It’s easier to work hard, though, in a field that is as interesting and exciting as wine. The great economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said that if someone didn’t pay him to teach, he would gladly pay someone to let him teach. I feel the same about wine writing.

DC: I love that answer, having similar feelings myself.  I’ve read that you are a wine fan and collector.  Was the jacket photo for your first book taken in your personal cellar?  Tell us about the wines you like to collect and drink.

GMT: The picture in my first book was taken in the cellar of a friend. I had my own wine cellar at the time, but it was a much more modest affair, although it was a very good place for storing wines.  My wife’s uncle and I built it.  I drink wines from all over the world and with all sorts of closures.  I love old Bordeaux as well as versions of those made in California, South Africa and Chile.  My wife likes Pinot Noir more than Bordeaux, so I have to comprise, but that’s not too hard.  I think the fun of wine is that you can always be trying new wines and learning new things.

DC: Amen to that.  Now as I bring our Q&A towards a conclusion, I’m curious to know your response to a fantasy question.  If you could invite any four people (living or dead) to your house for dinner, who would they be and what wine would you serve?

GMT:  It would be an interesting evening.  I’ve spent a long time around economics, so I’d be interested in talking with perhaps the two greatest in that field: Adam Smith, the father of economics who wrote in the 18th century, and John Maynard Keynes, who wrote in the 20th century.  They’re both Englishmen and are both good writers in addition to being giants among economists.  I’d also invite Leonard da Vinci just because of the breadth of his scholarship.  And finally Winston Churchill.  Not sure what it means that I would invite three Englishmen.

One of my favorite wine quotes is from Keynes, who said late in life that he had only one regret — that he hadn’t drunk more Champagne when he was young.  Churchill also loved Champagne [Bollinger, as I recall - DC].  So we’d have to start with Dom Perignon Champagne as a gathering wine.  I love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, so we’d have a Cloudy Bay with the fish course of cod.  For the second course of roast lamb (and in honor of Leonardo) we’d have a great Italian wine like a Il Palazzone Brunello di Montalcino.  The owner of that winery is Dick Parsons, the about-to-be former CEO of Time Warner, who also lives on Block Island as I do. 

Thomas Jefferson died poor because he spent too much money on wines like Chateau d’Yquem.  That would go well with a chocolate soufflé dessert.  Finally, in honor Churchill, who answered critics who said he drank too much by saying that he got more out of alcohol than alcohol ever got out of him, a great vintage port, perhaps a 1945 Quinta do Noval, to go with espresso coffee.

DC:  Damn.  I was hoping to be at the table too!  Incidentally, one of my favorite Churchill quotes was in response to Lady Astor, his political and personal nemesis, who had accused him of being drunk.  His reply went something like "Yes, I am drunk.  But you’re ugly.  And in the morning I’ll be sober, but you’ll still be ugly."

My fantasy guest list contains many of the same names, though Ben Franklin is an addition.  Before we end this, is there anything else you wish I’d asked?  For example, cork taint is not the only wine fault.  What about the others?

GMT:  You’re absolutely right.  Cork is the best known, and if something is wrong with a wine too many people immediately assume it’s because of a bad cork.  A company called Le Nez du Vin puts out a kit called "Les Défauts" on wine faults. In it there are samples of 12 different faults.  Corkiness is only one of them.  I wish consumers — and winemakers — knew more about the other 11 and didn’t blame everything on the cork.

DC:  Thanks for that.  And for your time answering all my questions today!  I wish you continued luck, and hope to see you on your next West Coast tour.

[Interested in the book?  Compare prices on new and used copies here!]

Dave_at_champagne_partyHappy Holidays!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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Hmmm, Needs Copper!

November 27, 2007 filed in Wine.
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Te_kairangaIn today’s news from "Food Week" comes this story about 4000 cases of New Zealand’s "Te Kairanga Pinot Noir" being rejected by its German buyer.  The reason?  The wine contained 3.6 PPM of copper, while Germany’s allowable limit is 1 ppm.  Germany, it was noted, is a stickler for enforcing their tight guidelines.

The article doesn’t indicate what sort of closure was used, or why the copper levels were higher than Germany’s allowable limit.  But one does have to wonder if copper fining was used to prevent unwanted post-bottling reductions (which result in sulfur-based aromas of rubber, onion and other unappetizing scents).  Such post-bottling reactions are found in a fraction of wines bottled with such air-tight closures as screwcaps or glass stoppers.

I could find no online evidence of Te Kairanga pinots being bottled in screwcap.  But New Zealand is a leader in the screwcap movement, so learning as much would come as no surprise.  Until then, I am only speculating. 

But news of this rejection arrives on the same day "The Scotsman" reports screwcaps are now found on the majority of wines for sale at Britain’s powerhouse retailer, Tesco – more evidence the screwcap juggernaut has reached orbit, and there is no turning back.  So if this particular rejection wasn’t due to fining for screwcap, it’s likely just a matter of time.

Note, however, that faults due to screwcaps are reported only half as often as are faults form corks.  And that complaints from corks are finally being taken seriously by the cork industry, which has invested serious moolah to fix a problem they ignored for decades.  But cork tain is only one of several problems that can occur with cork, and oxidized wines (letting in too MUCH air), is even more common.  Let’s face it, cork is a wonderful, natural product.  It’s just that it ain’t perfect.

Though reports of reduction under screwcaps are about half those of tainted wine under cork, it seems clear we have yet to find the perfect wine closure.  But until then, we must remain ever-vigilant.

Dtwm_color_2Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

In tomorrow’s blog – Q&A with author George M. Taber!

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From "No Tops" to "Glass T-Tops"

November 26, 2007 filed in Wine.
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Stopper_small_2The days following Thanksgiving found me at our affiliated wine bar in Solvang.  Much of my time there was filled with angst over our technical problems (no I do NOT recommend using Quick Books POS in your next wine bar!)  But I still managed to spend some time entertaining guests from behind the bar, where I poured tastes of the Nada Roja Sauvignon Blanc as part of the "Sideways Wine Club Flight".

Much of the buzz over this wine was due to its glass stopper (photo), one of the first wines to use this award-winning "closure system".  Response was unanimously positive due to a number of attractive features:

  • No corkscrew required!  Winelovers are separated from their first sip my simply scoring the foil capsule with a strong fingernail or coin.  Once removed, a thumb of average strength can click off the stopper.
  • No cork taint.  Of course.
  • No oxidation.  The glass stopper is rimmed underneath its lip with a thin gas-tight and acid-resistant seal that imparts no flavor to the wine.
  • Reseals easily.  Didn’t finish the bottle in one sitting?  No worries, just click the leak-proof stopper back into place and slide the bottle back into the refrigerator.  This is an especially welcome benefit at our wine bar, where leaky tops regularly drip wine into the bottom of our wine cooler to quickly grow stale and stinky.  Cleaning this up is not a job employees fight for.

Wine2_large_2But the perfect wine closure has yet to be invented, and I wonder about the reductive concerns that can occur in a wine held in an oxygen-free, air-tight enclosure (exactly the environment the cork allegedly eliminates through it’s slow, microscopic seepage of oxygen).  When it occurs, reduction leaves in its wake the unpleasant aromas of sulfur, over-ripe onions, or rubber.  And even before these flaws become evident, a reduced wine loses its freshness in much the same way as a wine undergoing the early stages of cork taint.

Screwcaps are becoming criticized for allowing reduction to occur in a small percentage (some estimate ~2%) of their wines.  I would guess that glass stoppers will yield the same concerns.  Note, however, that cork taint is responsible for an even higher percentage of fouled wine, having completely ruined some wineries, costing millions of dollars in recalls for others, and causing unknown damage to wine brands in the consumer’s mind.

The #2 concern for winemakers considering screwcaps is the public reaction to a screwcap closure on premium wines.  While the edge of the acceptance envelope is being pushed ever-higher by the wine drinking public, glass stoppers seem to have a natural immunity to these concerns.  Their heft seems to communicate quality in a way feather-weight screwcaps don’t.  And these stoppers really are very dense, with one report indicating they can survive a drop from a second story window.  Plus, the Greens like their recyclability.

Are these the best closure of all possible alternatives?  On the surface, it seems to be a contender.  But given that no stopper is infallible, I withhold judgment until the reduction tests are in.

Dtwm_color_2Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

Portions of this posting were gleaned from the new book "To Cork or Not To Cork" by George M. Taber

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A Most Revealing Calendar

November 21, 2007 filed in Current Affairs and Wine.
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Swillpartycalendergrotto_2 If you haven’t yet heard about the women of the SWILL (Several Wine Imbibers Liking Libations) social wine tasting club, you’re in for a treat.  This amazing group has more going on than just their vinous interests, and now, just in time for holiday giving, they introduce a a wall calendar to benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

In the spirit of "Calendar Girls", their mission is to empower all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life – a most worthy goal, as we likely all know someone who’s been affected by this ruthless disease.

Here’s a sample image of the calendar, and a link to their preview and purchase page.  After covering production costs, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer.  Early sales have been impressive, and there are only a couple hundred remaining from their initial printing of 1,000 calendars.  At just $19.99, the four-color, 11 x 17" spiral bound wall calendar makes a bold statement toward giving.

I was so impressed with this effort, that I contacted the organizers with a few more questions:

Dave: First, please clarify how the money flows. Specifically, how can a calendar buyer rest assured their money doesn’t go towards your wine cellars? Is the purchase tax deductible as a donation?

Anne & Eva: Our company, SWILLparty, LLC, which specializes in wine tasting kits for parties and clubs, has funded the production of the calendar along with a national company, Kinley Corporation. Eva and I receive the orders either through our website or Amazon.com. Since we are also trying to run our business, and we’re going into the busiest season of the year, we’ve contracted with a local company called Webgistix for the distribution of the calendars. Once our production (printing) and distribution (shipping) costs are covered, 100% of the remaining proceeds will go to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. We’re hoping this will be a sizable check. None of the participants have been paid…it’s all volunteer. Our books are set up so that all income and expenses for the calendar are not comingled with our company funds. We have conferred with our accountant and he has helped us set this up. And, yes, happily each calendar purchase is tax deductible.

Dave: How many members are there in SWILL? How often does it meet and what is your normal tasting format?

Anne & Eva: SWILL was founded by me (Anne) as a birthday gift for my BFF since kindergarten, Dennis. If it hadn’t been his wish for a wine club, SWILL would never have been formed. He’s a great friend to all of us and very supportive of our cause.  We meet bimonthly and each gathering is hosted by a volunteer club member. We’ve grown from 12 members in 2003 to over 160 in 2007. November will mark our 20th meeting. The SWILL method of hosting wine tasting parties and clubs is contained in our SWILL 101 Guide, but we will share that we always taste two whites and three reds with a theme in mind, and organize the tasting into stations. We charge a tasting fee which covers the cost of the wine, and has allowed us to taste some excellent wines in a higher price range than you would normally buy without knowing if you like it. We also hold one beer SWILL and one Champagne SWILL each year. Each SWILL wine club gathering usually takes about three to four hours, the last one or two consisting of lots of great conversation and going back for that favorite glass. It’s been a great way to meet people while learning about wine in a fun, easy-going setting. You could say that we’re somewhere "between Yellowtail and wine snobs." If we like it, we’ll drink it.

Dave: Are men allowed in SWILL?

Anne & Eva: We have as many men as women in the club including singles, couples and old married folk. Our ages range from mid 20s to early 60s and we all have a ball together.

Dave:  Great.  Can’t wait to join.  What is the funniest thing that happened during your photo sessions?

Swillpartycalendercover Anne & Eva: The cover itself is probably the best example of a funny outtake…in the top photo you can see Eva and me gingerly crawling across the huge log which is about ten feet off the ground. The second photo shows Lori Tiller (the photographer) in action…she had forgotten her remote, so she ended up running back and forth and zipping up the log to fling herself down beside us. What had taken Eva and me a good ten minutes to do took her the time it takes to hit a camera remote and RUN! The third photo pictures success!

At another time, we were shooting the photo in the grotto (December), which again involved walking through a dark, high-ankle deep creek with slippery rocks and crevaces. But that wasn’t the most challenging part. While walking through this slippery mess, we encountered a giant albino crayfish that looked very hungry with its claws opening and closing. Some of us had bare feet. Yikes!

Dave: How did SWILL get started, and did you use any particular source, written or otherwise, as your guide for format?

Anne & Eva: Question #2 answers how SWILL got started. As to format, I owned an event planning business in Portland, OR so I knew something about party "flow." I researched wine tasting on the internet with the goal of creating a wine tasting experience with an emphasis on socializing, learning, and humor. If you were actually referring to the format of the calendar, well then we can tell you that we modeled it after the actual Calendar Girls calendar of British movie fame.

Dave: Anything else you’ve thought of since your press release that induced a head-slapping "I should have said…." moment?

Anne & Eva: Yes, we have since learned to put even more emphasis on why we chose LBBC. Here’s the quote we’ve been using…

"We’ve received tremendous positive feedback from survivors and their families thanking us for drawing attention to LBBC’s educational outreach. We really feel like we’re making a difference, however small it might be."

Dtwm_color Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

.

Today’s Quote:
"The loss is not yours alone", she said "& you will see it in their eyes when they do not think you are watching". "How long does it take?" I said & she put her hand on my chest & we did not speak.

Poet, artist and storyteller Brian Andreas, who now counts me among his growing fan club.

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Book Review: "To Cork Or Not To Cork" George M. Taber

November 14, 2007 filed in Book Reviews.
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G_taber_to_cork_or_not_to_cork

To Cork or Not To Cork. 
Tradition, romance, science and the battle for the wine bottle.  George M. Taber.  Scribner publishing, October, 2007.

"In the entire world, only a few sounds bring joy to all but the most jaded.  One is the purring of a kitten.  Another is the thwack of a well-pitched baseball hitting a perfectly swung bat.  And a third is the pop of a cork being pulled from a bottle of wine."  George M. Taber, from his book "To Cork Or Not to Cork?"

To his list I would add the sound of George Taber’s prose. 

In recent memory, this is the most enjoyable wine book I’ve read.  There are times, after receiving a book for review, that I have to ponder what to say about it.  Not so with this one.  My reaction was instant.  Maybe I predisposed to like it because Jancis Robinson recommended it.  Maybe I was predisposed because I enjoyed his first book "The Judgment of Paris".  Or maybe because I was consulting at Bonny Doon Vineyard during their switch-over to screw caps in 2002 (so Taber’s recounting of Grahm’s "Funeral for the Cork" on page 157 brought back fond memories!)  But even after airing all my biases in full view, I can still be unabashed in my recommendation.

Taber’s books benefit from an approach to investigative journalism that is so thorough it would make Sherlock Holmes jealous.  But Taber is no Kurlansky, and his novel-esque style manages to be both serious and engaging (see the opening quote, reproduced above, which offers some rare poetry to a wine industry that has been busy for two decades leaking fun like the air through a pin hole.)  As a result, his books are far more difficult to put down (and easier to summarize when on the cocktail circuit!)

This book will appeal not only to wine geeks like me, but to any history buff as well.  And, as this book has JUST been published, it is the perfect holiday gift, as it is less likely to appear in your recipient’s existing book collection.  (Compare prices here)

If you read this book, I ask that you weigh in with your preferred bottle closure.  If you’re like me, you will long for a healthy cork industry so our kids can appreciate the sound and tradition of cork-finished wine bottles.  AND you will shed some prejudices surrounding alternative closures, whether they be screwed, bagged or boxed.

(Click Here if you can’t see the survey in this space)

Dtwm_color_2Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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How Does The Brain Taste?

November 9, 2007 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
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Brain2How does the brain taste?  I don’t mean what flavors it might offer, were one to eat it.  I’m curious about how it processes the various sensations we know as taste.  I have a growing suspician that current theories on taste will someday be as amusing as today’s take on the flat world theory. 

For example, how do we explain the wide variation in taste that individual brains send their owners when presented with the same substance.  Such as found in a glass of wine, for example, where one person’s love is another’s anethema.

How can I be sure that taste varies from one person to another?  Anyone who has eaten dinner with a 5-year old knows they aren’t experiencing flavors the same way we are.  Whether they experience a different sensation, or merely react differently to the same sensation is up for debate.  But let’s set aside adult-child comparisons and consider discrepancies between adults alone.  One also arrives at the same conclusion about disparity in taste if one has a spouse who hates a food you love.  The combination of sweet and savory, for example (sorry hon, I just couldn’t resist).

Of course, one might argue that such variations are simply due to an individual’s frequency of exposure – the more you eat something, the more you like it.  This issue was recently addressed by Jancis Robinson in her 10/26/07 article "Drink Globally to Ward Off Cellar Palate".  Jolly_green_giant_2 I recently heard a related concept presented by a food specialist who described how kids need 30 exposures before they learn to like a food they initially dislike.  He wasn’t at my childhood table when my brother gagged on his green beans for 9 years running.

Music and Wine – Science or Snake Oil?
On the tail of these discussions about inter-individual variation came an interesting article about changes to a given individual’s taste experience.  Specifically, can your choice in music affect the way you experience a wine?  This was nicely addressed in the 11/2/07 article by W. Blake Gray in the S.F. Chronicle "Music to drink wine by: Vintner insists music can change wine’s flavors."  The article is lengthy, but I doubt your employer will mind if you take another ten minutes to click the link to pursue greater knowledge of your personal hobby.  The article detailss the theory of provocateur Clark Smith, a Vintner and owner of Vinovation, who insists certain music affects our taste experience.

Smith’s company, Vinovation, spends their day "fixing" wine, adjusting it until it fits into the mold defined by the buying public for what "good wine" is today.  Think of them as "Nip and Tuck" for the wine industry – taking off a bit of alcohol here, tucking some volatile acidity there, then tweaking down the tannins until "voila!" there you have it, a 90 pointer!

It was in reading of Clark’s discovery – about how a .1% difference in alcohol can move a wine into its "sweet spot" – that made me wonder if tasting was similar to music (think of two singers where one was .1% out of tune).  Might there be a wave or vibration phenomenon at work?  Consider the theories on scent reported in the well-written book by Chandler Burr – "The Emperor of Scent" the tale of Luca Turin, a lonely scientist who promotes his controversial conclusions about scent as vibration instead of shape.  Things seem to be falling into place, theory-wise.

"Never play polkas with anything," unless you really like White Zinfandel."
Like Turin, Clark Smith is promoting different ways of thinking about how our brains process taste sensations.  Specifically, he believes different types of music affect the frontal lobe in ways that enhance or detract from different types of wine – also a frontal lobe experience.  Clark has demonstrated to countless doubters how Mozart makes a pinot taste better, but Metallica makes a Cabernet taste better.  Then he’ll reverse the music-and-wine combinations and show how the wines taste WORSE when paired with the "wrong" music.

Which makes me wonder… with all the words I’ve dedicated to matching wine and food, perhaps I should give equal time to the matching of wine and music.  I sense some highly enjoyable research ahead.  Though I do wonder if Smith’s theory falls apart when such real-world distractions as conversation are introduced.  When the tasters no longer focus on the wine and the music all bets are off, I’ll bet.

Want more information on this topic?  Check out these resources:
Musicophilia Musicophilia, by brain researcher Oliver Sacks.  NPR recently aired an interview with Dr. Oliver Sacks talking about this new book.  His latest insights into the human brain considers how it processes music and at how music can be effective in therapy and other forms of learning and recovery.

The Mozart Effect – This theory is based on findings that the musical structures used by Maestro Mozart have a short-term ability to make the brain particularly adept at spatial learning.  There is a thorough overview of this controversial theory here at Wikipedia.  Or find books on the topic here.

The Emperor of Scent - by Chandler Burr.  This well-written book makes difficult scientific issues understandable even for those who could get no better than a "C" in Chemistry and Physics.  In addition, it’s well worth reading for the story of Luca Turin, the scientist shunned by an industry threatened by his new theories on scent, theories that could turn the likes of IFF (International Fragrance and Flavors) on its head.

Do Your Own Research And Let Us Know What You Find!

I intend to do some research on this ourselves, and will report our own experiences.  But I would love to hear from those of you who are willing to try this at home!  I first recommend reading the aforementioned article by W. Blake Gray, then (and this part is particularly critical to a good outcome!) making sure you have an ample supply of wine on hand (buy it here).  I look forward to your comments!

Dtwm_color_2Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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Book Review: First Big Crush. Eric Arnold

November 5, 2007 filed in Book Reviews.
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FIRST BIG CRUSH  The down and dirty on making great wine… down under.  Buy or compare prices here.

Not since "The Paper Lion" has an embedded journalist produced such keen insights into the machinations of an industry.  Before writing this book, Eric Arnold was a "self-declared wine expert", acquiring his expertise simply by drinking copious amounts of inexpensive wine.  In other words, he was the perfect "common man" when it came to wine.

But all that changed a few years ago.  Arnold suddenly lost his job.  After evaluating his options he decided to travel to New Zealand to gather the inside scoop on wine production.  Why New Zealand?  He’d been there on vacation and loved it, but rationalized (probably accurately) that "The world needs another book on French or California wines about as badly as it needs another Starbucks"  If you’re going to go into ruinous debt while gambling with your career, why not do it in some place you love?

So Arnold got a one-year work visa and began cold-calling New Zealand wineries.  On each call he asked if they’d be interested in hiring an inexperienced worker without wages so he could write a book about his experience.  And by the way, no publisher had taken an option on the book at that time.  Ya gotta love Arnold’s moxie.

Living off his credit cards, Arnold’s hands-on knowledge came quickly, a necessity if he was to survive.  He shares it generously in a tale that is as ribald as it is insightful.  One must wade through a lot of testosterone-laden stories of sophomoric behavior to winnow out useful nuggets.  But they’re in there – go see for yourself.  I particularly appreciated his view on wine critics and their ratings, a most reasoned opinion served without the pedantic virtue that drips from so many wine writers (me included I suspect).

But I do wish Arnold had left some of his more vulgar bits on the editing room floor.  I’m really not all that interested in his sex life, or that of those around him, or about how many times people drank to the point of regurgitation.  But even readers who find such details unnecessary must admit they add a richer hue to Arnold’s experiences than would have been possible otherwise.

I advise you to avoid this book if you wish to preserve a romantic notion that wine is all about picnics amidst beautiful vineyards while watching a perfect sunset illuminate row after row of vines – and you know who you are!  Sometimes its preferable to protect our ideals than to know gnaw down to the bone of gritty truth that lies behind them.

But for anyone who has ever visited the wine country and thought "Honey, I’ll bet we could do that", this book is a must read.  It’s best to know what you’re in for.  Not that making wine is always as its portrayed by Arnold – he was only embedded at a single winery after all, and there are tens of thousands of others with stories of their own.  But Arnold captures the essence and personality of most of these wineries quite well.

A lot has changed for Arnold since leaving New Zealand.  Not only did Simon and Schuster’s Scribner publish this book last month (Sept 2007), he is also working as a news editor for Wine Spectator.  Let’s hope he stays in the field for a while – I think our industry needs his youthful voice.

Overall Rating, 3.5 stars (with another half star for Arnold’s moxie)
(0 – 5 Stars possible)

Dtwm_color

Cheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

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"Headaches Be Gone!!"

November 2, 2007 filed in Current Affairs, Food and Drink and Wine.
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Headache The Associated Press reported yesterday (11/1/07) that scientists have isolated the chemicals responsible for the dreaded "Red Wine Headache".  This is good news for those who love red wine but abstain for fear of the unrelenting pounding that can ensue the next day. 

The funny part is, the chemicals behind these headaches were discovered by chemists at U.C. Berkeley working with NASA-funded technology designed to discover life on Mars.  I find this headache research a far better use of the equipment, given the low likelihood Mars will yield any life form even close to the fantastic Martian fantasies of my childhood.

The chemicals behind the headaches are called biogenic amines, according to the AP Report.  They are common in chocolate, cheese, olives, nuts and cured meats as well as in wine (mostly red).  Some have suggested using the new test to determine amine levels in wine for publication on the wine’s label.  I tend to think we have enough details with our current back-label warnings about how driving heavy equipment while intoxicated can lead to pregnant women – or something like that.

Sadly, the scientific breakthrough (in the form of a five-minute chemical test) only identifies that the amines are present.  No cure yet exists (click image above to link to recommended treatments from MedToGo).  And as any student of American behavior knows, what we’re REALLY after is the ability to sin and then find instant forgiveness in the form of a little pill.  Could somebody get to work on that please?

Dtwm_colorCheers!

Dave Chambers, Wine Merchant

Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com

Today’s Quote (von Goethe)

"I will not be as those who spend the day complaining of headaches, and the night in drinking the wine that gives it"

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