We Want to Believe

Questioning Online Wine Sources and Other Matters of Taste

Still Life with Bread and Wine Glass by Isaac Luttichuys 17th Century

In an old-fashioned paper copy of Wine Enthusiast, I read an article entitled “Wine Online in 2009” by Steve Heimoff. One section of the article really resounds with me: the one that raises questions about online credibility.

Wine has many established authorities, from retailers and importers like Robert Chadderdon and Kermit Lynch, to writers like Eric Asimov, to the many, much-maligned wine critics (you no doubt know who they are). All of these people belong to fairly old, established professions, but today there are also bloggers who may be credible, random or, occasionally, both. While the credible have their clear because of credentials, expertise or attachment to trustworthy institutions, the random may know nothing more than how to pop a cork and pour. Heimoff points out the fact that—whether film, art, music or fashion—every industry, as well as those who endeavor to learn more about that industry, values experience and knowledge. Wine is no different.

As a long-time wine connoisseur, I’m of two minds. It’s terrific that more people are incorporating wine in their lifestyles, but I feel that it still makes sense to stick to the authorities when looking for advice. And even if you don’t like a particular specialist in wine, if you know a little about how s/he relates to wine, you can still use his/her writing or opinion to decide whether you want to try that wine. What is oh-so-very-important in judging wine is to recognize quality, even if you don’t personally like a wine style. Most bloggers, and even many people who work in the wine trade, don’t do that—whether they are unable to make that important differentiation or whether they simply won’t.

I’m proud to be a member of the IWM team because we collectively really know wine, and I’m especially delighted to know that our blog—and our eLetters, our Wine Portfolio Managers and our Sales Associates—all reflect the care, experience and love we have for wine. It makes me happy to know that while there may be sources out there for whom, as Heimoff suggests, credibility is an issue, we are not one of them. And I’m even happier to know that we can recognize the beauty in styles of wine that we ourselves may not love. Because that, perhaps above all, is the true mark of a professional.

Wine and Words? Best Wine Quotes, Ever?

What’s your favorite wine quote?

Last week the editor of Inside IWM wrote a post inspired by a long quote from a book, and reading that piece got me thinking about some of my favorite wine-related quotes. I’m not much for reading British novels, but I’m glad to have scrounged up more than a handful of wise, compelling and interesting things that other people have said about wine. Without further ado, here are three of my favorite wine quotes and why I love them.

“How it’s a living thing…. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it’s an old wine, how many of them have passed on by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I’d opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your ’61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline … And it tastes so f***ing good.” –Maya, played by Virginia Madsen, in Sideways

I was in my senior year of college when Sideways came out, and I was religiously studying wine. I was obsessed with wine, and this was one of those quotes that solidified my decision to pursue a career in wine. When I first saw and heard this quote in the film Sideways, I felt the hair on the back of my neck jump, as if a beautiful woman was brushing the nape of my neck with her hand. Virginia Madsen’s character Maya’s quote uses just a few short lines to capture all the important aspects of wine: the harvest, the evolution in the bottle, and the end result. I wanted to jump into the screen and kiss Maya. This scene is one of the most beautiful moments for wine in any film ever made.

Later that year Madsen was on the cover of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. I framed that issue because of this quote. Or mostly because of that quote, anyway.

“Let’s be honest: there’s only one activity more satisfying than drinking good wine with good food; and if you’re drinking wine in the right company, the one pleasure, more often than not, will lead to the other!” –Jay McInerney, Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine

Jay hits the nail on the head, and because of his exactitude, his is my very favorite wine quote. It’s so spot on that I’m very surprised many wine people don’t mention this quote more often. I can remember reading this and saying to myself, “This guy gets it.” Wine is one of those few things that make you feel so warm and cozy inside. It gets the blood flowing. This quote makes me think of two people sitting on a couch next to the fire sipping a glass of their favorite red, each gazing deeply and passionately into one another’s eyes, each savoring the moment and yet looking forward to even more pleasurable moments to come. Kudos to Jay McInerney for giving voice to the sensual aspects of wine and how enjoying it can lead to more than just a hangover.

“Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living.” Robert Mondavi, Harvests Of Joy

The anchor to this quote for me is “family and friends.” There is nothing more gratifying to me than sitting around a table with my family and my friends, enjoying great food and wine. It’s one of the most meaningful, nurturing and special experiences in life. But what makes raises this quote and makes it spectacular is how Mondavi doesn’t just reference family, but the whole of human civilization. He seems to suggest that the art of wine is so important because same type of vine grown in two separate areas of the world, handled by different winemaking techniques can produce significantly different results. And these different results shape the culture that made them. Embedded in these two short lines is the rich history of wine, the way wine affected cultures throughout the history of the world, and how the world’s peoples were touched by wine. Mondavi understood that wine was more than just a beverage—wine brings people together in a wonderful, joyous, historical way!

The Perfect Gift

Gifts fit for perfect friends

I’m an altruistic diner: whenever I’m out at a restaurant with family or close friends, I always look through the menu from all perspectives. I try to spot the dishes I think that each person would like, and I usually find something for everyone—sometimes even before my friend sees it him or herself! I believe that food is elemental to everyone’s personality, and the more time I spend eating with people, the more I learn who they are, what they like, and what they want to eat. For example, I can now confidently order for my father without his even touching the menu. This foodie quirk that I have developed actually translates pretty well when it comes to gift-giving, and my expertise has made Christmas one of my favorite holidays.

Picking out presents can feel very tricky because you want to balance fun with practicality. There’s nothing worse than a response such as “Oh that’s great, thanks so much for the shovel, it’s going to come in really handy this winter.” I hate the idea of my Christmas gift recipient responding with nothing more than politeness. It’s just crushing.

This year, I’m a little late on my Christmas shopping, so I needed to find something quick and easy that still fit well with each person. Working at IWM, I found there was really only gift: wine. To my friend Jennifer, who is very outgoing and ever the instigator, I’m giving Col Vetoraz, one of our signature Proseccos, so that she can start her own party. To Susan, the girly-girl of my group and the woman who takes the longest to get ready, I’m giving the Ca’ dei Mandorli Gavi 2007, a wine that smells just as good as she does. To Stephanie, who is very wise and calm-headed, I’m gifting the A & GN Fantino Barolo Vigna dei Dardi 1996, a wine with a bit more maturity, seriousness and reserve to match Stephanie’s own. I have so many more giftees to go, but I can’t list them all and give away all of my secrets…Happy Holidays!

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