xlntmommy's Profile

I hav been doing wine tastings now for over a decade. Ihav learned soo much and still I am a fledgling as compared to someof those I am lucky to know when it comes to (spspsp I am sure lol) oeneophiles.

First of course you want to drink what you like so varietal (the "type" of grape ie: cabernet, merlot, chardonnay, etc) is important but to me, any varietal pretty much can be excellent as long as the VINTAGE is a good one.

Vintage, vintage, vintage! The year that the bottle was produced makes alll the difference! A good crop (the right amount of rain/sunshine, etc) produces and excellent wine. Maker is a strong factor as well. (I'd much rather hav a bottle of Premier Grand Cru Chateau Margaux than a bottle of :: shudders :: yelowtail!) but again.. if theres a ~terrific~ year of yellowtail versus a crappy year of Bordeaux..guess which one will moer than likely be better? (tho that was a heinous analogy).

Giving that we are talking of recognizable makers and who across the board pretty much know their craft relatively well.. I Must say Vintage. (Vintage! Vintage! VINTAGE! )

Lastly, I love jewelry, but I hav never been a "girly-girly" besides the jewelry thing. I don't care much about clothes (walmart, JCPenney) or shoes (payless, zappos) or handbags (OK I hav ONE Kathy van zeeland and I was over 40 years old when I got that..butI digress..) but my point is that I can now understand the old cliche' about the girl who has a closet full of clothes and yet "nothing to wear". I feel the same way about my wine! (I hav a 160 bottle cooling storage unit) and yet some bottles I don't want to drink because they are still "aging"..again others I don't want because it's just not the right "fit" for the meal.. and and.. well, you get the idea.. (in fact I initially kept buying bottles and hardly ever drank them and the unit was over-flowing.. I had friends and family telling me "you know you should drink more..") well, it struck me funny when it was said to me.. anyway, I DO now know why a girl can say she has "nothing to wear" because I hav been literally standing before my unit and hav had "nothing to open"!

Wine is like perfume, (which I also don't wear) but it is a very Personal thing..so if it's a bottle a you like, drink it! Everyone else be damned.. but I will tell you, that if you research a particular maker (one that you like) just a little bit..find out the better years (vintages) that they made and try those.. you will be in Heaven! This is also the same reason that some bottles will be a bit "disappointing" when you hav experienced a great bottle and then go back for another and it's not "quite as good". 90% of the time it's because it was made in.. a different year.

One poster mentioned food pairings. This is Excellent! You will almost always enjoy your bottle with food even a light, white quaffer will go better with some appetizers..maybe just some fresh cut up scallions, cilantro and mild cheddar cheese. (yum) but the flavor profiles in food really enhance just about any wine.

I saw on a page on this site in fact, a bottle of Ruffino's Reserva Du Cale... I wanted to yell "DON'T recommend the Tan label!" For this bottle (mostly a nice chanti esp 1997, 99 and 01) go for the GOLD label! For the extra $8-10 it is worth it.

Lastly (didn't I already say that?) remember advice is free and not always worth that. Yes I hav learned a lot from some very knowledgeable and well-traveled "experts" (but I am far far from that caliber for sure!~) but what "generally goes" just might not be right for you.. there are no rules and I hav learned you can find a $14 bottle that outshines an $80 one. (this is the exception) but yes I hav had that experience.

Wine is made to share and enjoy! (and that's all that matters, really).

Just my .02.

~MOMMY