A sommelier's musings about wine as it relates to health and life in general.
Alcohol is not a thirst-quenching beverage.
A beverage that has been enjoyed by mankind for as long as water and milk can’t be inherently bad for us.
Wine is healthier than soda pop.
Don’t wear frills to a wine tasting; they end up in the spit bucket.
Spit buckets spit back.
There is no silent majority in wine tasting.
One of the most complicated things about wine is getting the bottle open.
One of the most complicated things about wine tasting is keeping the glasses in order.
If you can taste the difference between an apple and a lemon, between fresh ground pepper and fresh green herbs, between skim milk and cream, you can taste the difference between wines.
If you don’t know what to say about a wine say, “Not bad.”
Just like everyone has fingerprints, everyone has a palate. But each fingerprint and each palate is entirely unique to ourselves.
People who say that it’s reasonable to pay $20 or more for an everyday wine probably don’t pay for the wine they drink.
Most wine has plenty of time to age in your car on the way home from the wine shop.
If a bottle on a retail shelf is dusty, don’t buy it.
When in doubt about which wine to give as a gift, choose a light red.
A wine lover’s most important resource is a trusted wine merchant.
A person who feels that no wine is worth over $100 per bottle hasn’t tasted one that is.
Just like most people wouldn’t put cocktail sauce on ice cream or hot fudge sauce on shrimp, it does matter which wine is served with which food.
Don’t fight centuries of trial and error: if a dish is from a specific region, serve wine from that region.
If everyone had a glass or two of wine with dinner, the world would be a happier place.
If someone thinks they know more about wine than you do, they may be right.
There’s always someone who knows more about wine than you do.
Fine wine isn’t always more enjoyable than everyday wine, just like Wagnerian opera isn’t always more enjoyable than The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
With wine, if you’re not a little confused, you’re not paying attention.
And finally, what I know about wine was summed up by our Founding Father Benjamin Franklin who wrote: “Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.”
Good wine & good health to all from The Chopping Block! We hope to see you soon in a wine class. See our list of upcoming offerings.