Do wine scores matter?

 This seems to be a favorite topic among bloggers and wine consumers, so let me throw ‘what I believe’ into the ring.  You have to love the internet!

What if I like a wine that has been rated poorly?

What if my friends find out?

OMG!  Seriously!  Relax – this is supposed to be fun.  This is wine.  Swirl it, smell it, taste it, and decide one very important thing . . . do you like it.

However, let’s talk about the way wines are evaluated and perceived, and how you can apply some of this to your own wine tasting experience.  The only way to learn this is lots of practice.  I know, terrible news.

Professional wine tasting is based on two things, objective and subjective evaluation of the liquid in your glass. An objective evaluation of wine will provide the taster with information regarding the more concrete qualities of wine (acidity, sweetness, and tannin).  These qualities are roughly measurable and experienced in the same way by most people.  These qualities are measurable when we remember that on a scale of low to high – medium is the norm.

Subjective evaluation of wine will provide information regarding the wine’s smell and taste.  These qualities are interpreted by an individual’s memory.  They are perceived differently by an individual based on their past experiences.

While it is important to note that professional wine critics taste hundreds of wines every year, it is also important

to note that this is done so in a very sterile environment and independent of food and the company of good friends, which in tampawinewoman’s opinion, always enhance the wine drinking experience.

The end game is all about how you interpret the wine, whether you are comfortable with the wine’s value (the enjoyment of the wine versus the price paid for the glass or bottle), and ultimately whether you love or hate the wine.

The thing that wine critics have over us “regular” people, is that they taste more wine then we could imagine (and I can imagine a lot).  Therefore, they are comfortable with the process of evaluating wine.  Learning to taste wine like a professional is a skill, something that with practice you can learn.  Lots of thoroughly enjoyable practice!

One of the things that I love about wine is that there is always so  much to learn.

This passion for learning (some may say obsession) contributes to the rather extensive wine library that I keep at home.

As I was putting some notes together for a presentation I am giving, I  came across one of my favorite wine quotes.

“every single bottle represents a year in the life of  somewhere.” (Matt Skinner)

In addition to being an insightful statement about terroir (more about terroir another time), this statement echoes some of my feelings about tasting and appreciating wine.

1.  Be respectful of the juice

2.  Give credit to the effort that goes into producing every bottle.

and, most importantly …

3.  Slow down

Take the time to get to know your wine.  Smell the wine.  Really get  in there, and not just once.  Great wine will

change dramatically the  longer it is in your glass.  Put away the gadgetry (specifically the Vinturi and other similar aerators) and let the wine do  it’s thing on its own timeline.  Enjoy this experience.  It’s a new year, start it out just a bit slower and appreciate all the aromas in your glass of wine.

Dear Wine Stores:
It is with heavy heart that I write to you during this holiday season.  I must request that you stop staffing your stores with employees who are completely uneducated about wine and have no desire to learn.  Additionally, I must request that if you insist in continuing this practice that you have them refrain from distributing bad information to customers.
Sincerely,tampawinewoman

Dear Wine Consumers:
If I had only one wish this holiday season it would be that you re-evaluate where you are buying your wine.  We are so lucky to have some really great wine shops in the area filled with both knowledgeable staff and knowledgeable consumers that it would only make sense to support such places.  If you live in the Tampa Bay area, please email me and I will tell you where you can visit such a store close to your home.  
Sincerely,tampawinewoman





I MUST RANT just for a second 

So … here’s the deal … I had a fantastic wine dinner at my house this weekend.  All Australian themed.  My friend called me up and said, I would like to buy some wine for the dinner, can you recommend some bottles.  Happily I responded with a list of bottles that I know are readily available.  

As we were discussing the wine selections over appetizers I could not believe the ‘bad’ and ‘just plain horribly wrong’ information that she had received from the ‘wine person’ at the ‘big and large’ wine store.  There are so many people out there handing out incorrect information about wine and confusing everyone, what’s one more, right.  

During this holiday season find a wine store that you love, and a wine person you can trust.  Let’s support the small wine stores, who staff their stores with love and passion and have in place a staff that can truly assist you with correct wine information.

FYI – they do make sparkling wine in Australia! and you do sell it – as I saw it on your shelf just two days before in large supply.

Talk about a ghost of Christmas past. That was my first thought when I went into the cellar to pull out a bottle of red to go along with our take-out pizza the other night. This Christmas apparition, a 1996 Sterling Merlot, was still dressed in the gold ribbon it wore when it arrived at Club Loco back in the late 90s. It was dustier than I remembered.

Over the past decade, I’ve often thought of Merlot as a wine cliche, much like White Zinfandel was to the 80s. Like aphids among the vines, bottles of Merlot started to pop up everywhere. They appeared at weddings and restaurants and especially at our house during dinner parties and holidays as they arrived with guests eager to spread good cheer. Where there’s a party, there’s Merlot.

Eager to jump on the wine train, I poured and drank, and poured again. This went on for years. I just didn’t like it and I gave up. You can lead a girl to the tasting room but you can’t make her drink.

I tried to figure out what the big attraction was. I was left with the belief that it had to be the cool name. After all, it really sounds chic to say, “I’ll have a glass of Merlot.” Leaving that “t” off of the end makes the coolness official combined with the fact that Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit difficult to roll off your tongue after you’ve had a few glasses of it.

As a result, years have passed since my last taste of Merlot. That is, until this past Saturday night rolled around. You see, I really hate to go against the grape. In addition to my conformist tendencies, I have embarked on a recent journey to revisit wine that I have decided I don’t like. After all, tastes change, right? I was off to test the vintage.

Back to the 96 Sterling Merlot. I grabbed my favorite bottle opener and attempted to open it up. The cork broke. The first aphid in the grape pulp. With some assistance, I was able to remove the cork without any further incident and the wine made it into my favorite, stemless tasting glass.

If you look carefully, you can see the “ghost” in the wine.

I sniffed and swirled. Not bad. I liked the color, a deep garnet. The aroma was earthy and rich with a small bite but nothing discouraging.

I tasted. Better yet. I was greeted by a spicy and flavorful wine that had plenty of fruit and a punch of cedar. Ok. It was downright pleasant.

I’m not going to whine over spilt Merlot and will stand by my assessments of the other Merlots I have tried. They do pale in comparison to the 96 Sterling. As a result, I now find myself with even more of a dilemma.

Do I like Merlot after all? Is my new found affection exclusive to the 14- year-old bottle from Sterling Vineyards? I guess only time will tell. In the mean time, I will, once again, take my hat off to Sterling Vineyards. You really knocked this Merlot out of the Valley.

Wine is Everywhere!

I have great news for all of us wine enthusiasts … wine is everywhere.  It’s as if the whole world is saying “cheers!”, all while endorsing your appreciation for the juice.  If you’re as passionate about wine as I am, you have to agree … it’s AWESOME.

It’s being sold at fine wine stores, mega wine and spirit superstores, Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, grocery stores, drug stores, you can even buy wine at gas stations (choose wisely, for selection is limited, but it will do in a pinch).

It’s on television and movies.  All types of movies from romantic comedies to action packed thrillers.  It seems that everyone has time for wine.  I’ve seen it on soap operas and sit-coms.  They are not just drinking this stuff either. They are going to wine tastings.  They are owning vineyards.  They are really involved.

This week I was blown away when my son informed me that he was given a bottle of Pinot Noir in the video game World of Warcraft.  That’s right its even in video games now.  At least it wasn’t any F***ING MERLOT!

So, stop anywhere, buy some wine.  Pour yourself a glass and toast pop-cultures endorsement of your passion for the juice.

Seen wine somewhere surprising lately?  Let me know or comment below.

Barrel 27 Wine Company

This weekend our mission was clear: navigating grey skies and a slippery highway with the ultimate intention of pleasing our palates. Cautiously traipsing through the torrential downpour hammering San Luis Obispo County, a fellow wino and foodie friend and I arrived safely at our Paso Robles destination. Rain-spattered, we slogged our way through the parking lot of an industrial center to the home of Barrel 27 Wine Company, welcomed by blustery winds and the pungent scent of fermenting grapes emanating from 800 barrels of their ageing wine.

Entering the tasting room, beset by a high backdrop of round wooden vats, one of Barrel 27’s partners, Jason Carter, soon greeted us in the cool 56?F cellar atmosphere. Over the course of the next hour, not only did he guide us through a flight of several lovely wines, but also graciously allowed us to explore their barrel room, adorned with stainless steel fermentation tanks and splendid French oak casks stacked loftily to the ceiling. Our expectations for their wine already high (as we had both recently stumbled upon some of Barrel 27’s well-balanced creations), we earnestly sipped, swirled and unlocked the nuances of more of their fragrant wines.

Some of the highlights included their beautiful white Rhone blend, 2008 High on the Hog ($15), a balanced blend of creamy Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Roussane, and splash of Marsanne. Possessing a light golden touch and fresh floral and citrus nose, this silky white left splendid traces of honey and lemon zest, and finished with a hint of mineral essence. Their caramel-blushed 2005 Central Coast Rosé of Syrah ($13) exuded light berry aromas. Our first sip produced a dense acid feel, soon toning down to allow the spicy layers to unfold. Smoky orange and berry undertones brought this food friendly wine to a balanced close.

Our next splash brought us their 2007 Rock and a Hard Place Grenache ($23). With captivating fresh garnet and violet affects and a dense blueberry nose, the flavors changed as our hands warmed up the glasses in this cellar-like temperature. Alluring notes of chocolate, blueberry, and charcoal warmed our palates, leaving a rich finish of orange rind and citrus. Their complex 2006 Right Hand Man, Central Coast Syrah ($18), exuded a deep, luscious plum tone and wafted of dried cherries. Possessing smooth notes of toasted vanilla, plums, currants and mocha, their signature wine left a light peppery and raspberry finish.

The nuances of their 2007 Hand Over Fist ($30), a sophisticated Rhone-style blend of 52% Syrah, 29% Grenache, and 19% Mourvedre, resulted in a beautiful shade of intense black plums, with a light jammy nose hinting of lavender and plum. This lovely fruit medley boasted currants, cherries, orange and chocolate, with a lasting mineral finish. This new release of their first Rhone-style blend proved dense and bold. Their 2006 Bull by the Horns ($32) also attested to Barrel 27’s ability to construct unified, intense blends. This concoction of well-tamed Petite Verdot, Syrah, and Tempranillo grabbed us with its concentrated dark cherry tones, its spicy nose of currants and cocoa, and its perfectly blended layers of chocolate, blueberry, cloves, and vanilla yet peppery finish.
At the end of the day, my fellow wino (who happens to be a former Southern Wine and Spirits executive and has been involved in the wine industry for twenty years) declared Barrel 27’s wines stunning. I couldn’t agree more. In spite of the ghastly weather and feeling stuck between a rock and hard place, we found our right hand man, sipped hand over fist, rode high on the hog, grabbed the bull by the horns and discovered more outstanding well-crafted SLO County wines. Mission accomplished.

Visit http://barrel27.com for more information about their own mission.

Secrets. We all have them.

I’m about to share some of my wine secrets. These are not secrets about my wine expertise. I have none. I am inspired to talk about this by a current discussion over at the Wine Whore’s blog. Don’t worry, he won’t get mad. He chose that name.

The discussion topic comes from a recent study that finds that people are more likely to enjoy a wine if a wine expert reviews it favorably.

I don’t buy it. In my humble, non-expert opinion, I think it’s 6th grade all over again. We all see it in our daily lives. For example, does anyone think Ugg boots look good? Of course not!

I have two pair. They’re comfortable, ok?

As far as wine goes, I no longer waste my time drinking wine I don’t like. On a vacation to Napa, one vineyard’s wine expert made a great proclamation that I have carried with me ever since.

There are two kinds of wines: Wines you like and wines you don’t like.

Since my humble beginnings as a Wine Nerd, I’ve taken this advice. Over the years, I learned that I dislike white wine and recently set white wine aside entirely. I have evolved into a full-bodied, red girl. And don’t go reading too much into that statement.

While I make this assertion, I am guilty of a few indiscretions.

The Wine Whore correctly and delicately pointed out to me that some people may use the wine scores because they don’t know how to select a good wine. I think this is more of the same issue: back to the 6th grade. Like pretending to get the joke when you don’t, people want to look knowledgable about wine when they’re not. They are afraid to admit that they don’t know which wine to serve at dinner and have to feign knowledge like a kid who doesn’t know the difference between Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

I am that kid sometimes. The wine nerd, who, I am sad to say, still has insecurities about my ability to choose a good wine. I’ve resorted to eavesdropping at wine stores which has turned out not to be the best of ideas. I also try to discreetly take note of the labels on the bottles other diners are enjoying at our favorite BYO. It brings new meaning to the term wine thief. I do this with books titles at the beach too. I freely admit to being a book snob but that’s a topic for another time.

Now my wine secrets are out and I feel better about them. In sum, the only advice I can give you is to stop keeping secrets. Be bold, ask questions and allow yourself to make mistakes when choosing wines. That’s how I became a proud wine nerd instead of a pretentious wine snob.

There’s been so many positive responses and requests to write for Wine Time TV since putting it out there that I think the new energy and content from the new writers warrants a brand new website to match. I’m working on it right now and will launch the new site along with announcing at least one new Wine Time TV writer on Monday, December 7th! Stay in the loop, follow Wine Time TV and me…

Kamary Phillips, host of Wine Time TV

Wine writers, that is. As life often does, once again things are changing for me. I’ve got a major move coming up and will have to bare down and focus on making money for a few months, leaving me less time for the things I enjoy doing for fun and community; like WineTimeTV.net.

So, I’m looking for wine writers or people that would like to write about wine and wine culture. I would like to spend what little time I may have on promoting the site and virally marketing the content we’re creating around here. Also, continuing producing the webisodes when interesting people cross my path is high on my list of To-do’s. Meanwhile other inspired writers will be filling in the gaps with their own informative and entertaining takes on Wine and Wine Culture.

At present Wine Time TV.net is a very good visited site with 800-1200 folks popping in daily. It’s a great platform for anyone with something relevant to share and the door is open. Contact me here if you have something to offer. I’d love to hear from you!