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Learn about the basics of wine each week.
And, get great recommendations for affordable and attainable wines in the weekly Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week.
2014 Old Zin Vines Zinfandel ($12)
This Zinfandel from Lodi comes from 50 to 100 year old vines. And it's a big jammy Zinfandel. Loaded with flavors of blackberries, raspberries, chocolate and mocha, it's smooth with very soft tannin. This is a great value that goes well with anything from a great burger, pizza, BBQ ribs or a steak. If you like Zinfandel, you'll love this one!
Have you ever just ordered glasses of wine at a restaurant to avoid having to deal with the whole process involved in buying a bottle? It can seem a bit intimidating at first. Dealing with your server for a glass of wine seems to be a lot more expedient. But ordering a bottle of wine isn't hard if you become comfortable with rituals involved.
First, ordering a bottle can be a great value. A standard 750 ml bottle of wine will yield approximately five to six glasses of wine. This is usually less expensive than ordering five or six individual glasses of wine at your table. So take a deep breath, order a bottle and you'll quickly learn to deal with the rituals.
Once you've chosen your bottle of wine your server should bring the unopened bottle to your table and present you with the bottle, showing you the label. This is simply done to ensure they have brought the correct bottle that you ordered. You simply need to take a quick look at the label and then let your server know "That's correct" or "That looks good!"
Next, your server will take out a corkscrew, remove the foil capsule covering the cork, and extract the cork. Your server will typically place the cork in front of you. You don't need to smell the cork. But you should do a quick inspection of it. Look to see if there is any evidence of the wine having leaked up any of the sides. This should be obvious for either a white or red wine. A small amount of seepage up the side of the cork is normal in a bottle of wine that has spent some time on its side. You just don't want to see the entire cork soaked or soggy. And don't be afraid to ask your server about any thing that looks unusual.
Next, your server will pour a small taste for the person who ordered the wine. This is not meant to be your opportunity to sample a bunch of wines before you find the right one. The small taste is simply meant to allow you to confirm that the bottle that you order has not gone bad. And, again, you'll immediately know. If you smell strong obnoxious odors of wet cardboard or the smell of a wet dog, the wine has gone bad. But, assuming the wine is fine, simply let your server know that it's fine. They will then pour the wine for others at the table and return to pour your glass. Oh, and remember, a properly poured glass of wine is about one-third full, not to the rim.
The bottle will then be left on the table. If you are drinking a bottle of sparkling wine, the server may provide an ice bucket or you may request one. A good server will keep watch on your table and ensure that everyone's glass remains full and offer to bring another bottle, if necessary. But feel free to pick up the bottle and pour more for those at the table and yourself.
And that's it. It's really quite simple. A wine server should be there to aid you in the process, not make it difficult or intimidating. Here's to your next bottle. Cheers!
Lyeth 2013 Meritage ($10)
This Meritage from Lyeth is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The name "Meritage" was created in 1988 when U.S. wine makers decided to form an alliance and a name for their blended wines. By blending the words 'Merit' for having worth, and 'Heritage' for the Bordeaux style of wine making, they created a new word, Meritage. But instead of making this blend sound like a French wine, they insisted that Meritage be pronounced like the word heritage. This Meritage from Lyeth is a nice example of a traditional Bordeaux blend.
Have you ever come across a wine labeled as Meritage and wondered what it is? It's made in the U.S. where you can dependably know what a wine is because the label will tell you the grape varietal used to make the wine. But this U.S. made wine seems to fall into the category of many European wines; the label does not directly tell you the grapes used in the wine's production. And for good reason.
Old World wines, especially those of France, are named for regions. Regions where only certain grapes are allowed to be grown. Additionally, there are regions, such as Bordeaux, where the wines are blends of these controlled grapes. And, as you may know, these Bordeaux blends have done rather well in the world market.
Blended wines have been made for years in the U.S., but their labels had to say generic things like "Red Blend" or "Table Wine." Not nearly as sophisticated sounding as a Bordeaux. So, in 1988, U.S. wine makers decided to form an alliance and create a name for their blended wines. They decided on blending two words: 'Merit,' for having worth, and 'Heritage' for the Bordeaux style of wine making. Thus the new word 'Meritage.' But, instead of making it sound like it is a French wine, they insisted that it be pronounced to rhyme with the word heritage.
Red Meritage can be blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. White Meritage is produced from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle du Bordolais. So these blends rely on the traditional Old World Noble grapes yet gives U.S. wine maker's their own name for their blends.
Don't skip over this wine just because its label doesn't tell you what it is. The label actually does tell you what grapes may be used. But most importantly, it allows wine makers the freedom to blend their own very unique creations from a common set of grapes. Cheers!
J Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris ($14)
This Pinot Gris (pee-no gree) from J Vineyards has light and delicate fruit flavors of lime, pear and pineapple. Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, has medium acidity for a bit of a mouthwatering finish. In the USA, Pinot Gris is typically described as fruity and dry as compared to the Italian version that has more mineral flavors. Chill this wine and enjoy it with soft, light cheeses, fish and chicken.