What follows is the current state of the FAQ. I still have to include
the various travel recommendations made (and I anxiously await more) and
there are still a few topics yet to be written. Note to CWDJr: if you'd
prefer me to send you a copy by email simply drop me a line with your
preferred address and I'll send you all upadtes by email.

------- Begin C&P ----------

Alt.food.wine FAQ - Version 0.3

Welcome to the FAQ for alt.food.wine! In this document, we have tried
to compile a list of questions that have frequently been asked on this
newsgroup. Alt.food.wine welcomes all questions relating to wine,
though questions concerning winemaking might get more responses in the
related newsgroup rec.crafts.winemaking.

Table of Contents
1. I have just found a bottle of wine in my parents' cupboard and...
1a. I want to know how much it's worth
1b. I want to know whether it's OK to drink
1c. Will it taste good?
2. I just had an incredible bottle of wine. Where I find some of it to buy?
3. What wineries should I visit (where should I stay? eat?) in...
3a. Napa?
3b. Sonoma?
3c. Paso Robles?
3d. Amador County?
3e. Santa Barbara County?
3f. Burgundy?
3g. The Rhone Valley?
3h. Bordeaux?
4. What is the best way to preserve an opened bottle of wine? How long
will it last?
5. What wine should I serve with this food?
6. Does it matter what kind of glass I drink the wine out of?
6a. Are those fancy Riedel glasses worth all that money?
7. What causes red wine headaches? How can I prevent them?
8. What do those abbreviations mean?
9. Do those magnetic thingies really age your wine instantly?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. I have just found a bottle of wine in my parents' cupboard and...
1a. I want to know how much it's worth

First of all, an all-important question with any wine that's been
stored for any length of time is what the storage conditions were like.
It is generally agreed that wine prefers to be stored in cool, moist
locations, free of light and significant temperature variation. If you
can't guarantee such storage conditions, you're unlikely to get full
price for your wine. If it was found in a kitchen cupboard or garage,
it probably wouldn't sell for much at all.
It's also important to realize that most wine, maybe 99% of it, is
intended for near-term consumption. If your wine is one of those, it
probably won't be worth much unless it's got some sentimental or
historical value.
With those two caveats out of the way, there are several ways you can
get an idea of how much your wine might be worth. You can look for its
retail value on the websites http://www.wine-searcher.com or
http://www.winezap.com. If it's being sold today, you can find what
they're asking for it. However, don't expect to get retail value for
your wine. The easiest way to sell it is at auction, where you'd get
perhaps 80% of the retail price (in a best case analysis). To find out
what that wine has fetched at auction, you can use a database search
tool provided by the Chicago Wine Company (http://www.tcwc.com/ham.htm).
If you do want to sell your wine, there are several online auction
sites that you can use:
http://www.winecommune.com (probably the best for single bottles)
http://www.winebid.com

In some countries, you may be able to sell your wine on Ebay.
Additionally, in certain states of the United States, you may be able to
sell your wine on consignment through a retailer. Since each state has
different alcohol laws, you'd have to check with a local retailer to be
sure.

1b. I want to know whether it's OK to drink
The two caveats to the previous section apply equally to this
question. However, no wine will harm you, no matter how poorly it's
been stored nor how old it is. Also, old wine rarely if ever turns to
vinegar. The only real question is whether it'll be enjoyable to drink,
and one of the best ways to answer that is to open the bottle to see.
However, you can do some research on "drinking windows" proposed by
critics and other wine drinkers. Because most of the published
information is only available by subscription, you won't be able to find
Robert Parker's or the Wine Spectator's advice on the Web. However, a
decent resource is the website http://www.cellartracker.com, which is an
online cellar database for wine lovers. There is a search function on
their homepage that'll give you Cellartracker's customers' comments on
the wine in question, usually with a "recommended drinking window"
included. Of course, asking for advice on the newsgroup might get some
good advice, too.
Be aware, however, that any such drinking window is highly subjective
and based on an assumption of ideal storage conditions. Take such
recommendations with a good deal of skepticism, and open the bottle
earlier than recommended if there are questions about storage. If you
have any doubts about its storage, it's a good idea to open it up with a
backup bottle at hand in case the older wine turns out to not be to your
liking.

1c. Will it taste good?
One of the things about wine is that it evolves even after you open it.
Often an older wine will taste harsh or thin when first opened, but
don't give up on it. Let it sit in the glass for a while and "breathe"
for a while. Over the course of a meal it may "open up" and begin to
reveal its more subtle flavors and even become more full-bodied or
fruitier. Sometimes, recorked and tried the next day, older wines can
be seen to improve. Sometimes not. But don't give up on it based on
your first sip. Also keep in mind that some older wines are fragile and
may not last too long once opened. So, if you open it and like it, keep
in mind that it may not stay that way for long - or it might, depending ;-)


2. I just had an incredible bottle of wine. Where I find some of it to buy?
First of all, make sure that you know exactly what the wine is. That
means knowing the producer, the region it was made in, the vineyard name
(if there was any) and the year. Because there are lots of
similar-sounding names, you want to be sure that you're getting the same
thing you had. If you're not sure of those details and had the wine at
a restaurant, you can call them for a complete description of the wine.
If you had it at some other event, try to track down someone who would
know to ask them. Once you've got all the details, go to
http://www.wine-searcher.com (or http://www.winezap.com) and look up who
sells it in the Internet. Although you won't get all the listings
without buying the Professional version, you'll usually get enough
information to help anyway. If you can't find it for sale using
wine-searcher and it's a recent vintage (i.e., the year on the bottle is
no earlier than 2-4 years ago) you might try the winery's website or
call them to see if: a) they'll sell directly to you or b) they can tell
you who distributes their wine in your area. (You can then get ahold of
the distributor to find out who sells it near to you.

3. What wineries should I visit (where should I stay? eat?) in...
What follows is a compendium of recommendations made in alt.food.wine
over the past 5 years or so. Since they were made without knowledge of
your tastes, they may or may not be useful to you. If you can define
your tastes, you might get better advice asking the newsgroup after
describing your tastes to us.

3a. Napa?
Napa is known primarily for its Cabernet Sauvignon, but Chardonnay,
Zinfandel and Pinot Noir (in the region known as Carneros) also grow
there. Most wineries will charge a tasting fee, and many of them will
charge extra to taste their more expensive wines. These days, it is as
much a tourist destination as it is a wine region and has prices to
match. To avoid heavy crowding, you should avoid weekends, holidays,
the Summer and Hwy 29 by taking the Silverado Trail instead.

Here are the recommended wineries and why they're recommended (asterisks
indicate appointment needed):

Robert Mondavi Winery - informative tour, good wines, historical winery
Beringer Winery - great tour of limestone caves, history, good wines
Milat - good wines, reasonable prices
Sawyer - good wines, reasonable prices
Vincent Arroyo - excellent, unpretentious winemaking
Joseph Phelps* - beautiful architecture and tour, great wines
Prager Port Works - unusual wines, nice people
Schramsberg - Good sparkling wines
Stony Hill* - Chardonnay specialists making very different Chards
Storybook Mountain* - Zinfandel specialists making serious Zins

Restaurants:
The French Laundry - Legendary and nearly impossible to get into; call 3
months in advance (to the day) for a chance for a very expensive trip to
foodie heaven
La Toque - Great French food and good wine list
Bistro Jeanty - Country French cooking
Mustard's - An old Napa Valley stalwart, good food
Domaine Chandon - This sparkling wine maker also has a first class
restaurant
Tra Vigne - Upscale Italian dining

Lodging:
Harvest Inn - hot tubs and view
El Bonita Inn (St. Helena) - cheap
Meadowood - Romantic (and pricey) resort
Deer Run Inn - Romantic and secluded
Vintage Inn - Wood-burning fireplaces, Jacuzzis, fancy motor lodge
Rancho Caymus - eclectic, great restaurant (La Toque)
Maison Fleurie - Nice bed and breakfast

Another attraction of the Napa Valley is that Calistoga, at the North
end of the valley, is also home to natural hot springs. If you're of a
mind to soak for a time in a mud bath, Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs comes
highly recommended. For more tourism information, see
http://www.napavalley.com.


3b. Sonoma?
The wine growing area of Sonoma is far larger than that of the Napa
Valley. Sonoma can be subdivided into three distinct regions: Sonoma
Valley (Cab/Merlot), Russian River Valley (Pinot Noir/Chardonnay) and
Dry Creek Valley/Geyserville (Zinfandel), and it's a fair hike in
between the three. Sonoma is not as touristy as Napa (especially
outside of the town of Sonoma) but US 101, the main N/S artery can get
very crowded during rush hour around the city of Santa Rosa. The
wineries of Sonoma Valley are some of the most easily accessible from
San Francisco for a day trip.

Wineries:

Cline - Good Zins and Rhone varities
Ridge (Dry Creek) - A top Zinfandel producer; they might open an older wine
Gary Farrell (Russian River) - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a
Burgundian touch
Dry Creek (Dry Creek) - good whites and Zinfandel, nice picnic area
Unti - Good red wines
Rafanelli - A top Zinfandel producer
Rochioli - Famous for their Pint Noir, they make many other wines, too
(beware crowds)
Alderbrook - Friendly place, good wines
Domaine Carneros - In the Carneros region of S. Sonoma, good sparkling
wine, Pinot Noir

Lodging:

MacArthur Place - In Sonoma, near the square, nice smaller hotel
Haydon St. Inn - B&B in Sonoma, good breakfasts



4. What is the best way to preserve an opened bottle of wine? How long
will it last?

The primary enemy of wine is oxygen (even though proper aging of wine
requires it). Once wine is opened, it starts changing due to its
interaction with the air. In some cases this is good (a wine "opening
up" in flavor over the course of the meal, or even overnight in the case
of some older reds), but it will always end badly if enough time elapses.
If you haven't finished a bottle and want to save it for later
consumption, the best thing to do is to retard its reaction with oxygen.
Putting it in the refrigerator slows down the reactions, so this is a
good idea even for reds. (they should be warmed up again before
serving). Just corked back up, whites could go for a day or three
(depending on the kind and quality of the wine, the amount left in the
bottle, and your own palate), reds might last a week that way.
Probably the best method is to rebottle the wine in a smaller bottle
(such as a half bottle whose bottle you saved), allowing very little air
between the top of the wine and the cork. (that area is called the
"ullage"). When inserting the cork, put the end of a paper clip, or a
nail, or a wire, partially into the neck of the bottle as you insert the
cork as a spacer, allowing air to escape (so that pressure doesn't build
up). Then remove the object, allowing the cork to spring back. Tilt
the bottle to wet the cork, but then store upright for some time (to
give the cork a chance to fully spring back. Be sure to label the
bottle! Some say that wine rebottled this way could be put back in the
cellar and left there another year. If you have smaller bottles that
have screwcap closures, they are even better for storing excess wine.
There are also several systems on the market to reduce the wine's
exposure to oxygen. One is a hand pump and rubber stopper arrangement
which reduces the pressure in the bottle. They are marketed under
various names, including Vac-U-Vin. Follow the directions and do not
pump the wine down too much, or the volitiles in the wine will also
evaporate, leaving a wine "dead". Opinion is divided on whether wine
preserved with these devices tastes the same, with some people feeling
that wine loses some of its aromatic character when treated this way.
Those who favor its use say that proper use can extend the wine's life,
allowing a red wine to be stored for as much as two weeks in the
refrigerator under some circumstances before it becomes less than
interesting. Your own reaction may be different, of course.
Another wine preservation device is a gas displacement system.
Typically the gas is Nitrogen or Argon; it is introduced into the
bottle, displacing the air that was there before, and then the bottle is
resealed. The cheapest version is a spray can filled with a mixture of
nitrogen and carbon dioxide. It will likely do only a little to
preserve the wine due to the difficulty in removing all of the oxygen
this way. Given a choice, argon is a better gas to use because, since
it's heavier than air it will settle in the headspace of the bottle and
also leach out of the sealed bottle more slowly (it's also much more
costly, though). Even so, don't expect to store wines using canned gas
for more than a few days. More effective devices use a bubbler (such as
is used in fishtanks) to bubble nitrogen through the wine and
incorporate it into a tight seal for the bottle. Such devices are
marketed under the name Winekeeper and are sold online through Wine
Enthusiast (http://www.winenethusiast.com) and International Wine
Accessories (http://www.iwawine.com). You can buy them in one-, four-
and eight-bottle sizes, though the latter two are so expensive and
elaborate that they are more suited for wine bars and restaurants than
home use. Wine stored this way can probably be kept for a few days
without serious degradation.

5. What wine should I serve with this food?

There are no hard or fast rules for wine and food matching. No match
will be successful if you don't like the wine. This section, however,
is intended as a guide to some generally accepted principles, with
pointers to matches both good and bad (to most people's taste). The old
idea of "red with meat, white with fish" is not all that good a rule- it
depends what meat, what fish (and what red, what white!).

There are some matches that are considered classic:
Beef and Cabernet
Oysters and Muscadet or Chablis

There are some matches that very few people would find successful:
sole or other delicate fish with a big red
red meat with a light white (basic Muscadet, Vinho Verde, or Sauvignon
Blanc)
spicy dishes with a big Cabernet

However, the vast majority of dishes and possible wine matches are
in-between. There's no way to cover every eventuality here- we can say
beef and Cabernet is a good match, but a sauce, prep technique, or side
dish might conflict. So please be aware these are very general
guidelines, and feel free to ask specific questions on AFW .

Suggestions:
Meats
Poultry
Seafood
Vegetables/Sides
Cheeses
Herbs, Seasonings,and Sauces
Desserts
Non-European Ethnic Cuisines

Meats

Beef is a classic accompaniment for bigger reds wines. With steaks,
especially if rare, one might stick to bigger more tannic reds- young
California Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux, Australian Shiraz, or young
Northern Rhones. Roasts and braised meat might be more appropriate for
mature Cabernet or Merlot based wines (whether Bordeaux, New World, or
elsewhere), mature Nebbiolo, or other elegant reds.


Lamb is often associated with Pauillac, but is a fine match for any
Bordeaux or Bordeaux-blend ("Meritage") wine. If heavy on the herbs and
garlic you might consider a Rhone (or a wine from Rhone varietals such
as Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah, etc. from California, Spain, Australia, or
elsewhere), Bandol, or Zinfandel. Rioja also is a historic match.

Pork is generally lighter, and does well with lighter reds (Pinot Noirs
that are less heavy, most Sangiovese except Brunello, etc.). Roses also
work well. But many people think that pork is best with whites. Try a
Grüner Veltliner or a dry to off-dry Riesling.

Ham- roses are often recommended. Cured raw hams (proscuitto for
example) do well with whites or sparkling wines.

Veal -recommendations similar to pork

Game- for elk or venison, generally look to powerful wines, Syrah (Rhone
or New World) in particular is a good match, as are bigger wines

from Provence, such as Bandol. For wild boar, consider Brunello di
Montalcino. Rabbit is great with Sangiovese or Pinot Noir (or Riesling
in some preparations).


Individual dishes:
Choucroute - Alsace Riesling is traditional
Steak tartare- crisp whites
Beef Bourguignon - um, Burgundy!
Fondue Bourguignonne - Burgundy works again, but full-bodied reds from
around the globe will also

Poultry:

Chicken- simple roast chicken is a fine backdrop for fine mature reds,
yet can also do well with whites. Coq au vin is typically served with a
wine similar to the cooking wine (though one might use a simple
Bourgogne for cooking and a fine Chambolle 1er with dinner- or a
California appelation Pinot Noir for cooking and the single vineyard
version for the table).

Duck- Pinot Noir is excellent, but this goes also well with mature Nebbiolo,

Syrah, or Bordeaux as well. A vocal minority support Amarone.

Goose- mature Bordeaux or softer New World Merlots or Cabernets. A good

backdrop for most non-tannic reds.

Foie Gras- Sauternes or other sweet botrytized wines are traditional and
fine, but arguments can be made for Chablis Grand Cru, too!

Turkey- pretty controversial. Advocates for Zinfandel, roses, Riesling
Kabinetts, and more.

Game birds: bigger richer ones do well with classic red wines; smaller
delicate birds might be better served with a rich white. Gamier birds
(from long hanging) tend to go with Rhone reds with some spice.


Seafood:

White fleshed fish (flounder, sole, etc) : Soave, Chablis, unoaked
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. If there's a richer sauce then oaked
Chardonnay or bigger white Burgundy.

Salmon: many prefer big Chardonnays, but there is a long tradition of
reds, especially Pinot Noir with good acidity.

Tuna steaks- soft Merlot or other round reds. Less tannic Cabernet can work.

Lobster- big oaked Chardonnay (buttery California or a white Burgundy
like a Meursault) is the traditional accompaniment, but unoaked
Chardonnay (Chablis 1er Crus maybe) and Champagne have their adherents.
Try Grüner Veltliner as a dark horse.

Grilled Fish: If you want red, try a Loire Cab Franc
Scallops: Chablis, Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, lighter Chardonnays
Oysters, clams, mussels: Muscadet or Chablis
Caviar: Champagne or Cremant de Bourgogne
Bouillabaisse- White Rhone or Southern French Rose

Vegetables and Sides
Mushrooms- one of the great pairings for red wine in general. Many types
are a great combo with earthy Pinot Noirs (especially crimini,
cepes/porcini, oysters, chanterelle, black trumpet, matsutake, etc).
Crimini or porcini/cepes in cream sauces do well with Chardonnay based
wines. Creamed morels or morels en croute call out for a fragrant (not
big) Burgundy, though others reach for Cote-Rotie and Temperanillo.
Grilled portobellos usually are a good match for Cabernet, Merlot, or
Nebbiolo based wine. Enokis and straw depend a lot on presentation (true
for everything of course), but more about sparkling or characterful
white (Loire Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Gris or Kabinett Riesling).

Truffles, black or white: Best nebbiolo based wine you can find,
Barbaresco can be even better than Barolo for this match.

Artichokes- can be a wine killer, but try lighter whites.

Asparagus - for some a strange match, but try NZ Sauvignon Blanc or
Grüner Veltliner. For white asparagus, try Alsace Muscat.

Fresh tomatoes- acidic whites

Ratatouille- fresh whites or roses

Salad- vinegary dressings are a wine killer. Drink water!

Cheeses

When in doubt, go with white.

Goat cheese- Sauvignon Blanc is the classic
Munster- dry Riesling
Gouda -lighter reds. Aged Gouda -good match for Cabernet based wines
Manchego -same as Gouda, depends on age. A tangy aged one is great with
Priorat.
Hoch Ybrig -does well with mature but vibrant big reds
Parmigiano Reggiano- Amarone, Cabernet
Cheddar: If we're talking young moist cheddar, fruity Zinfandel or
Merlot. Aged artisanal cheddars deserve a big dry red
Triple cremes- Auslese level Riesling.
Epoisses - some of us like with red Burgundy, almost everyone likes with
white Burgundy.
Stilton- Port (or Tokay)
Roquefort-Sauternes
Gorgonzola dolce needs a bit of sweetness - recioto della Valpolicella
maybe. More mature versions, though pungent, can stand up to drier reds
Mimolette -Bordeaux
Brie and its relatives- better with whites
Cheese fondue- crisp whites. If you're looking for regional matches,
more "alpine" wines include Fendant from Switzerland and various whites
from the Savoie. Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner or more acidic
versions of Chardonnay might also work. If one really wants red, try a
lighter red with good acidity such as a cru Beaujolais.

Herbs, Seasonings, and Sauces

Chiles: off-dry wines (especially Riesling) and sparkling wines are
usually suggested, though this is more in the category of "less harm"
than complementing.

Dill: Good with brighter whites, especially Sauvignon Blanc

Garlic- a good wine match, if cooked. Raw garlic does better with whites

Mint-better with whites or light reds. A strong mint sauce with lamb is
a wine-killer.

Black pepper- better with big reds. Some find an affinity with Syrah.

Sage: does well with whites with body (bigger Grüner Veltliner,
Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc based wines), as lighter reds with good
acidity, especially Sangiovese based wines, or mature reds that have
resolved their tannins.

Tarragon: better with whites than reds

Rosemary: in small doses, very versatile with both reds and whites.

Saffron: bright whites

Oregano: good with Sangiovese, Barbera

Ginger: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris.

Cardamom: Try Rhone or other aromatic whites

Cream sauces- look for whites with good acidity to cut through fat.

Hollandaise: try Sauvignon Blanc

Pesto: bright Italian white (Soave or Fiano)

Aioli: Provence rose, Rhone whites

Bolognese sauce- Italian red with good acidity (Chianti or Barbera for
example)

Fresh tomato sauces- while many folks again look to reds, try a white
with good acidity as an alternative

Desserts

Chocolate: A controversial one, but candidates include Brachetto d'Acqui
or Cerdon de Bugey(sparkling roses), Banyuls, Rasteau VDN rouge, or
fortified Muscats from Australia or CA. A few espouse Port or dry Reds,
but the latter in particular doesn't seem to do well to most.

Crème Brûlée: Sauternes or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise

Tiramisu: Moscatel de Valencia, fortified Muscat

Mince Pies: Botrytized Semillon

Baklava : sweet Muscat such as Setubal

Cheesecake: non-dry sparkling wines such Moscato d'Asti

Lemon pudding : Tokay

Fruits and fruit pies: Apple - Sweet Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Apricot:
Botrytized wines including BA/TBA Riesling, Sauternes, Tokay. Peach or
nectarine: Sweet Riesling.

Non-European Ethnic Foods:

This section will be the most controversial. Unlike European cuisines
that developed alongside wine, there are few "classic" matches. So take
each of these suggestions with a grain of salt.

Chinese: Saying what red wine matches with Chinese food is impossible.
It's like saying which wine pairs with European food. The problem of
course is that "Chinese food" is not even one cuisine, but a group of
regional cuisines. The wine for a Cantonese dish is not
Necessarily going to be great for Szechuan, Shanghai,Fukien,
Peking/Northern dishes. And the same wine is probably not best choice
for chicken, beef, pork, and seafood dishes. Robert Parker I believe is
on record commenting on the affinity of Nebbiolo and dim sum dumplings
with a soy/shoyu dipping sauce. Beef with broccoli can pretty good with
a simpler Bordeaux or CalCab. Fiery Szechuan fare is probably best with
water or beer, but if you need wine try sparkling or off-dry Riesling.
Cab Franc has its fans, too.

Japanese: With sushi, sparkling wines or Sauvignon Blanc tend to get the
most votes. Other stick to sake ("rice wine", though actually brewed) or
beer. Of course, it you're ordering mostly grilled eel you might prefer
a lighter red. With cooked dishes, many find that Nebbiolo and Pinot
Noir do well with the umami flavors prevalent in some dishes.

Thai: Many people like Gewürztraminer. Others prefer Riesling or Chenin
Blanc. Rhone white varietals (Marsanne and Roussane) have their
proponents, too. A touch of sweetness helps if there's a lot of spice.

Vietnamese : Many of the same suggestions as Thai, lemongrass does well
with many aromatic whites (rousanne, viognier, etc). Fusion
(French/Vietnamese) can do well with Kabinett or Spatlese level offdry
Riesling, as well as dry Rieslings and Grüner Veltliner.

Mexican- like Chinese, really not one cuisine but a collection of
regional cuisines. Mole Poblano might call for a Zinfandel or
Sangiovese, while huachinango Veracruz (red snapper w/green olives)
might call for a flavorful white. The usual Tex-Mex we often encounter
in US defies wine -beer is the usual answer. . If you absolutely must
have wine, then go with Sangria or maybe sparkling or crisp offdry white.

Middle Eastern: a little easier. Does well with Rhone whites or spicier
ripe reds- Rhones, Zinfandel, etc. There are some Morrocan and Algerian
wines available, as well as the famous Ch. Musar from Lebanon, if you
wish to stay on theme.

Indian: Again, a collection of regional cuisines. Punjabi cuisine- with
a lot more kormas and cream-based dishes that have a fair amount of
spice and flavour to them, aromatic whites with good acidity tend to
pair well with Punjabi food, vegetarian or not. Rieslings usually work
very well, particularly the more acidic and citrusy ones from
Australia.North-west Frontier/Peshawari cuisine: Dry Riesling works very
well in conjunction with a lot of these, as it's one of the few wine
styles that can stand up to the strong flavours. Gewürztraminer also
works quite well.

Malay/Singaporean cuisine: Riesling and Gewürztraminer both go well with
a lot of food from this area, but I've found that Sauvignon Blanc
(particularly the Marlborough style) works best. Very few combinations
in this part of the world work out as well as Singaporean chicken satays
with a glass of Sauv on the side.

Korean: lots of kimchi calls out for beer! But kalbi and bulgogi both
pair well with aggressive Syrah/Shiraz or other Rhone varietals

6. Does it matter what kind of glass I drink the wine out of?
Although you’ll find that there’s a lot of disagreement among wine
lovers about whose wine glass they prefer, most all agree that the size
and shape of the glass does make a difference in how well they can taste
the wine. If you’ve ever drunk wine out of a jelly jar, you may
understand how difficult it is to taste the wine you’re drinking (this
is because a large part of taste is actually our sense of smell). By
general consensus, you’ll get a lot more out of a wine glass that has a
relatively large bowl and a reasonably small opening at the top. These
glasses are intended to be filled only part of the way to the top,
usually only to the widest part of the bowl (less than half full), which
traps the volatile elements of the wine in the head space above the
wine. That permits you to better smell the “nose” of the wine, which in
turn improves your ability to taste the wine. However, these glasses
don’t necessarily make the wine taste better – in fact, flawed wines
will usually taste worse in such glasses because you can taste them more
intensely. So, keep those jelly jars around for when Aunt Millie brings
her latest batch of dandelion wine around for you to sample ;-)

6a. Are those expensive Riedel glasses worth the money?

Riedel and several other manufacturers, such as Spiegelau and
Schott-Zwiesel, go beyond simply making a single style of wine glass and
sell glasses of various shapes designed for different types of wine.
Not all are that expensive - one can get very nice glasses for about six
dollars (US) a stem, although they do go up from there for those with
the money. When you consider the total value of the wine that will be
poured into these glasses over the course of a year or so, the price of
the glass is very small indeed. Ultimately, however, only you can
decide if they are a worthwhile investment, and how much money you're
willing to spend on them instead of cheaper wine glasses.

Most wine lovers agree that white wines and red wines show better in
different shapes of glass. Many red wines benefit from a bulbous
“globe” shape that permits the accumulation of large amouts of the
volatile elements of the wine. Although white wines will do well enough
in a "red wine" glass, a narrower vessel often helps show them off
better. Beyond that, you find little agreement. Some people find that
Pinot Noir and Burgundy taste better in a very rounded bowl, whereas
Bordeaux and Cabernet seem better in a more streamlined, albeit large,
bowl; others feel that this is overkill and don’t see much difference in
the two styles. Riedel sponsors "blind tastings" of their glasses to
demonstrate their effect on the taste of wine; most who attend come away
believers, for what that's worth. The thinness of the rim of these
glasses is more pleasant to many than a thicker rimmed glass, and allows
the sensations of the wine itself to dominate. The stem of these
glasses is also very thin, leading to an elegant appearance but also
making the glasses fragile and prone to breakage. Most of these fancy
wine glasses must be hand washed.

Some of Riedel's claims for their glasses are hard to take seriously.
The claim that the surface structure of their glass helps release the
flavors of the wine, specifically, sounds like pseudo-science, as does
their claim that the different shapes of their glasses direct wine to
different regions of the tongue. Nonetheless, they are well-made
glasses and are infinitely better than a jelly jar for drinking wine out of.

There is much controversy surrounding the best shape for a Champagne
glass. It is generally agreed that the older design of a shallow, wide
glass doesn't allow you to taste the wine very well. However, the
present-day standard of a tall, thin "flute" for Champagne has also been
challenged by people who claim that Champagne tastes better out of a
standard wine glass than a flute. If you have both at home, try a taste
test and see which you prefer.

For people who don’t want Riedel glasses, there are several lower-cost
alternatives. As previously mentioned, Spiegelau and Schott-Zwiesel
sell lower-cost glasses built along similar lines to the Riedel glasses.
Other people like the glasses sold at Ikea and Beds, Bath and Beyond.
If you have the chance, taste a wine out of several different glasses
and see just how much difference a more expensive glass makes to you.

------ End C&P ------------

Mark Lipton

Mark Lipton wrote:
> What follows is the current state of the FAQ. I still have to include
> the various travel recommendations made (and I anxiously await more) and
> there are still a few topics yet to be written. Note to CWDJr: if you'd
> prefer me to send you a copy by email simply drop me a line with your
> preferred address and I'll send you all upadtes by email.

No email is necessary. I just copy the post and view it on one side of
the screen while I am editing a copy of a web page on the other side of
the screen.

There is one thing that you might like to consider. Look at the meta
tags on the source code of the page at
http://www.cwdjr.info/wine/FAQ2.php. The first meta tag is technical.
However the other 3 give the name of the author (alt.food.wine or
whatever you think best), and data concerning key words and other
things that help the bots from Google and other services to put pages
on their search engines. These are not as important as once, since
most of the bots also now look at some of the text. However the
keywords should be listed in more or less order of importance. There is
no rush to do this as these can always be refined later when the FAQs
are more complete.

I will post the updated page url as soon as I finish.

Mark Lipton wrote:
> What follows is the current state of the FAQ. I still have to include
> the various travel recommendations made (and I anxiously await more) and
> there are still a few topics yet to be written. Note to CWDJr: if you'd
> prefer me to send you a copy by email simply drop me a line with your
> preferred address and I'll send you all upadtes by email.
>
> ------- Begin C&P ----------
>
> Alt.food.wine FAQ - Version 0.3


You will find the web site updated to Version 0.3 at
http://www.cwdjr.info/wine/FAQ0_3.php . Since there were some small
changes made within previous sections, I well could have missed
something. Thus if you find something in this version of the site that
does not agree with Mark Lipton's new Version 0.3, please let me know
so that I can correct it. If, however, you want to change or add
something on Mark's new version, please contact him. I will pick it up
when Mark includes it in his next version. The only way I know to avoid
chaos is to add new or changed material by copying it only from one
source.

Mark Lipton wrote:

>
> 4. What is the best way to preserve an opened bottle of wine? How long
> will it last?
>

There is the story that may merit discussion in the FAQ, that a silver
spoon placed in the neck of an opened bottle of Champagne will keep it
fresh.

I experienced this last month. We have just returned from Europe, having
been there to see the new grandson. One weekend, when Adrian was away at
a Philosophy conference in Leeds, Janet and I, Tammy and the baby,
stayed with Tammy's parents, Michel and Diane. On the Sunday evening,
with another couple coming to dinner, Michel opened a magnum of 1985
Krug - quite a change from the Taittinger Comtes Blanc of the previous
evening - which was not finished. Five days later, we were at their
house again prior to going out to dinner at the Waterside Inn, Bray -
only a few miles away, Michel remembered that he had put the Krug back
in the cellar, with spoon, and fetched it. It had lost a little sparkle,
but was by no means flat, still in fine condition.

Wines with dinner? On the Sunday, it was a light meal, steak with a
variety of vegetable dishes - middle-eastern - followed by fruit and
cheese. Michel opened 2 bottles of 1983 Ch Haut-Brion, showing
considerable variation between the two, and then an 89 D'Yquem.

Michel takes his own wine to the Waterside Inn. On this occasion he took
1978 Roederer Cristal , 89 Clos-des-Mouches, and 82 Vieux Chateau Certan.

(I confess I don't drink wine of this quality every day.)

--brian

--
Wellington, New Zealand

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping
meat fresh."