Inside IWM

The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

Date Wines

Deciphering the list

Looking at a wine list can sometimes be daunting task, especially if you’re clueless about wine. So many regions, styles, varieties and prices stare you in the face. Red or white? Cheap or expensive? French or Italian? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether you’re a girl or a guy, choosing the right bottle can earn you a couple of notches of respect. If you’re going on a dinner date, lack much wine knowledge, and don’t want to look like a fool when ordering a bottle, you might want to do a little research first. See if you can check out the restaurant’s wine list online to gain some prior knowledge. Similarly, finding out what type of wine your date likes (fuller or lighter, fruity or earthy, oak or no oak) will make choosing much easier. The bottom line in choosing a “good” wine is taking the initiative—and knowing about what’s available, what your dining companion enjoys, and what all those names on a wine list mean. If you can’t access an online wine list, then you are going to have to wing it.

Step 1/Preferences: Ask your date his or her preference before you place the order. Never pick the cheapest or the most expensive wine; go for something in between.

Step 2/The Wines: I often like to start out with some Prosecco. It’s youthful, fresh and bubbly character is perfect match for conversation and appetizer, and its residual sugar makes it user-friendly; you really can’t go wrong. White wines offer lots of options for you and your date. For a fuller, low acid, creamy wine, look to California and Australia for some Chardonnay and Viognier. If you’re in the mood for an aromatic, expressive, lean wine with sassy acidiy and a natural affinity for food, head to France’s Loire Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc wines or to Germany for their dry Riesling. It’s expensive, but Burgundy’s take on Chardonnay is sexy, seductive, and elegant. Try Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Pinot Grigio from Italy for whites that fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. More expansive than whites are reds, and if you’re date favors wines from the ruby end of the spectrum, you might choose a full, warm and viscous, oak scented wine from California, Australia, or Spain. It’s tough to go wrong with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir. Out of these varietals, Pinot Noir would be the friendliest because of its gorgeous fruit, elegant stature and polished mouth feel. It’s definitely a great date wine, and it’s always a smart way to gauge the tastes of your partne,  because you can always hop up to a Merlot, a Cabernet, or Syrah—or dial it down with a Gamay from Beaujolais.

Spain’s Tempranillo, Grenache, Graciano and Mourvedre are full-bodied wines with higher alcohol and bolder fruit. The Provence and the Languedoc Roussillon region of south France give hearty, full wines with great value. Elegant reds require you to head to the Old World of France and Italy. Generally lighter in body, and higher in acidity and earthiness, these wines are great to pair with food. Italy’s Barbera and Dolcetto will satisfy your tastes for tart, berry fruit, a medium body and a low level of tannin, while the Cabernet Franc grape from the Loire Valley offers earthy fruit and fresh acidity. For optimal pairing with pasta, you don’t have to look any further than a nice, lean Chianti; its typical Sangiovese bite and dusty tannins make pasta sing.

Step 3/Confidence: No matter what you do, try to look confident when ordering wine, even if you are clueless. If lost, you can simply ask the waiter to choose a wine that would go nicely with your meal—there is no shame in asking for help. Above all, remember that drinking wine will help you learn and help you choose. Whether the date goes splendidly well or tanks epically well, you can always count on the wine to teach you something new and tasty.

Bookmark and Share

Finding a Summer Red in Barbera

Finding a Summer Red in Barbera: a wine the people know best

As we slide into the warm belly of the summer, I’m searching for a good summer wine. These hot days call for a picnic in the park, a day at the beach, or a clambake with friends—and wines whose friendly dispositions don’t require reflection, intellect or patience. I want no brooding Barolo or demanding Dolcetto. I want an easy-going bottle whose refreshing zing will take the sting out of the sun, and whose happy palate will make summer food sing.

And yet, there’s a rub. I’m not a huge fan of white wines. I get the beauty of the white, intellectually; I can appreciate the white wine’s crisp lines, elegant layers, and wafts of almond, citrus, lily and salt. But I’m not always in the mood for white, and to be honest, I’m an unapologetic carnivore. Enter Barbera, a red and one of the best underdog wines (and I do love underdogs).

A grape of astounding flexibility and breadth, Barbera is one of the two most planted red wine varieties in Italy (the other is Sangiovese). Barbera grows throughout Italy, but mostly in Piemonte, where it appears in eleven DOC designated areas. Barbera earned the nickname “the people’s wine” because of its high popularity and historically low cost. Low in tannins but very high in acidity, Barbera is a fruit-happy ruby-red wine. Barbera’s structure comes from its tangy acidity; therefore, Barbera complements a wide range of summer food, though it stands up especially well with grilled steak—yummy, yummy hot-off-the-grill, sizzling and delightful steak. An added bonus, Barbera stands on the value-conscious side of the aisle.

A red with jaunty acidity, lots of flavor,and low cost that complements meat? I’m all in.

The Wall Street Journal’s Lettie Teague puts the wine in perspective: “Barbera has always been considered a bit of a consolation drink. It’s the wine most drinkers turn to while waiting for the region’s greater wines to mature—or one’s fortunes to improve. And yet Barbera at its best is charming and graceful.” The people have spoken, and they have said, “Barbera.”

This weekend, I’m lucky to be heading to Fire Island where the sun, the sand, the salt, a gorgeous patio and a fabulous grill await me. I’m not packing much, but I’m definitely bringing a couple of bottles of Barbera, perhaps the Hilberg Barbera d’Alba Per Allesandra. It’ll go great with my vintage Norma Kamali bathing suit and my rack of lamb.

Bookmark and Share