MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -DRC -Screaming Eagle -Lafite -Margaux -Liger-Belair -Yquem -Krug Critic Matt Kramer recently praised the “contrarian cellar” in his Drinking Out Loud op-ed. He thinks of a contrarian cellar as the opposite of what you’d normally see in a collection; instead of dust-covered bottles of DRC, you’ll find obscure Quarts de…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -2015 Philippe Pacalet Moulin-a-Vent -2007 Santa Duc Grand Grenache 66 -2011 Teso La Monja Alabaster -Chateau Petrus -Joh Jos Prum -2013 Kumeu River Chardonnay Mate’s Vineyard -2009 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume Buisson Renard -Guigal Over the past few years, naysayers have been skeptical over whether sommeliers can actually identify wines from…
A single wine can dramatically change in flavor and bouquet as the years wear on and you develop your palate. The first time you try 2010 Château Lafite, you might only taste and smell wine. But as your palate matures, you’ll learn to find more notes, like the scent of oyster that made this estate famous, or the strong black tea flavor hidden in the wine’s layers. If you train your palate well enough, you might even spot the elusive violet top note that the most experienced enthusiasts struggle to find. Learning how to taste wine requires patience and consistent practice, but it will ultimately make your collection more refined and your experiences with wine more enjoyable.
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: -Beaux Freres -Bryant Family -Opus One -Yquem The last blind wine tasting party that I attended was a casual event, and it was a blast, yet it was also a bit of a disaster. First, the host didn’t separate the wines by style, so I drank a mouthwatering glass of thick,…
MENTIONED IN THIS POST: –2005 Haut-Brion –2011 Pingus –2013 Louis Jadot For his 50th birthday, my friend reserved a table at his favorite restaurant. He brought along his own bottle of 2005 Haut-Brion, and asked the sommelier to uncork it for him. The sommelier poured a thimble-sized splash of it into a glass and offered…
Mentioned in This Post: -Leroy (Domaine) -Georges Roumier -Leflaive (Domaine) I played cello in an orchestra for seven years, and my right hand grew accustomed to holding a bow. Later, when I started collecting wine, I realized that the proper way to hold a wine glass is almost identical to the way I hold a…
This summer, I was enjoying a casual dinner at my favorite wine bar with a good friend. He adores fine wine, which is why I was surprised to hear him say, “I don’t like Pinot Noir.” Our sommelier was shocked too. How could an experienced collector who regularly buys Screaming Eagle Cabernet and Angelus Bordeaux…
A few months ago, I had a hankering for blackened salmon, so I found the perfect recipe and ended up with a beautiful dinner that just needed a good wine to go with it. The only problem was that my white wine collection wasn’t up to the task. As I looked through my wine fridge,…
White wines aren’t the easiest to pair with food; their light, delicate flavors can get overwhelmed by even a simple beef stew. However, in my experience, nothing beats a great pairing of white wine and food. When you get the balance of flavors right, your food appears more complex–you’ll taste every pinch of paprika and…
The summer after I graduated from high school, I stayed at my grandmother’s house for a few weeks to help her with a gardening project. After a long day of digging in the dirt, she’d usually relax on the couch with her knitting and a chilled glass of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay. One evening, her foot…
In 2009, a collector tried a delicious aged bottle of Cayuse from Washington, and immediately signed up for the mailing list. Years later, he finally cleared the list, but his excitement was short-lived. After buying two bottles of 7-year-old Armada and God Only Knows, he found their funky, earthy flavors far too overpowering. The collector…
My grandmother always told me that I should never keep open Champagne overnight. When I got older, I decided to test this theory. Early one evening, I got more than halfway through a bottle of Moet & Chandon (don’t ask me why I opened it knowing I wouldn’t finish it) and since I didn’t want…