I swear I will never do it again. Part I

Beringer White Zinfandel.

Is it possible for white wine to get worse as it gets colder? Ask yourself this as you chill this white devil known as the “world’s most popular wine.” For reasons I will not elaborate on -- suffice to say it involves a limited amount of time, a friend beleaguered by a wig-wearing, wedge sandal-walking cleaning lady (unfortunately, not my Kool-aid to blog about), and non-chilled White Zinfandel -- we ended up drinking this wine on ice. Mysteriously, as it went from room temperature to polar, I experienced equal parts warm, sour strawberry cider and chilled monkey piss* from this wine.

How, might I ask, can this bitter drink be considered so wonderful by so many? It is much better warm because there is nothing to it. A tinge of vinegar bleeds out to nothing on my palate. More accustomed to jammy, spicy, and chocolatey Shiraz, my tongue was thoroughly and unabashedly insulted. (No, I don't have cellar palate! But thank you for assuming!) There is no depth to this wine that so many applaud. I will admit to faint (very faint) notes of freshly picked strawberry, which I’m sure draws many people, as does the price - $5.99 at Cost Plus World Market. Most people can’t afford to drink $50, $30, or even $15 bottles of wine every day and I am certainly not a wine snob who turns up my nose at a decent $10 bottle. But this wine? Drinking vinegar is better than what it tasted like cold. I would sooner not drink wine, than drink something that tastes like chilled monkey piss.* Wouldn't you?

Chilled, Beringer White Zinfandel only gets worse. The flavors became more complex, but they aren’t good flavors! Is it ever a positive thing when you actually gag while quaffing a vintage – let alone start to chug it just to end the misery quickly? Green and nasty is the only way I can describe it. This wine (freshly opened) reminded me of a recent, most unfortunate incident at Colton’s Woodfire Grill involving a by-the-glass (I know! I know…. Lesson learned!) Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2006 that had, quite obviously, been open for more than a day or two and tasted as though someone had sent it around the bar and/or kitchen to be repeatedly spat in by people sucking on cocktail onions. (They probably spat on my steak instead when I sent the wine back.)

The old and stale Cline tasted better (by a very narrow margin) than White Zinfandel does to me. Granted, due to time restrictions, we were only able to try the Beringer, so I am left to pick up another bottle or two of different brands and give WZ one more shot.

Oh, goody! :( In the meantime, I tried “Tears of Dew” by Eos – it is lovely! A dessert Moscato with rich, ripe fruit flavors and a velvety mouth feel, it would be marvelous with cool summer desserts!

* Sadly not my descriptor. This was the opinion of a much more learned, experienced, and sophisticated wine drinker than me. Additionally, while I’ve never tried monkey piss (Thank God!), my imagination and gag reflex agree that it is a most affective comparison, if not an aesthetically pleasing one. If I offend, I apologize, but it is no worse than David Rosengarten describing Sauvignon Blanc as cat piss-like, which still bothers me. A lot.

A Precursory Note*

Visited often in the shop by those who blush and say, “I’m not an experienced wine drinker,” – often after divulging their preference for White Zinfandel - I find that I have developed a fair bit of wine snobbery about “the world’s most popular wine.” After smiling and saying, “Drink what you like!” but hiding a small and secret shudder, I am also reminded that there are people I know and love that enjoy White Zinfandel or have done so in the past.

It is with this in mind, and in the spirit of the season for cool libation that I intend to quaff some wines that I would not normally consider “worthy” and share my thoughts about them with the world.

This weekend I will sample some White Zinfandel with a friend who is not as experienced a wine drinker, but under my tutelage has begun to develop a palate for bolder red wines. She is not as judgmental as I am, but she does know the difference between a good wine and a bad one (If she likes it, it’s good, if she doesn’t, it’s bad!).

I haven’t had White Zinfandel in probably 7 years, so this should be interesting…

* I love the word ‘precursory’ in that it sounds like something that comes before the swearing begins, but actually means something much nicer!

A Wine Novice Six Years in the Making

A Wine Novice Six Years in the Making

By Autumn

Disclaimer: I do hope you will forgive me in advance for my raw honesty and it does not, in any way, shape, or form; reflect on my professionalism or my respect for fellow wine drinkers when I am working at PHG. (When I’m not working at PHG, look out!) Additionally, this blog does not reflect the opinions of PHG-Provisions for Fine Living or its owners and affiliates.

My earliest exposure to wine was sipping Korbel Blanc de Noirs with my mother on Friday evenings and Franzia White Zinfandel (I know!) with my grandparents when they visited my father. Classy, eh? Needless to say, I was not a tremendous wine fan as I began building my “legal” drinking experience when I turned 21. Despite the damage done to me by cheap (bad cheap) wine prior to this time, it was with an open mind and measured enthusiasm that I began my ‘trial by fire’ wineducation. In 2002, when PHG was still PHG located in the Old Market, I began to understand what all the hoopla surrounding wine was about.

Since that spring, when PHG ceased to define itself as just an “upscale general store,” and became the first wine shop of its kind in Omaha, I have picked up a rudimentary/working wine education. Rudimentary in that I am nowhere near expert level, but actually have enough knowledge to make some pretty educated guesses if need be. Though I work with wine, respect wine and its makers, and enjoy wine immensely (I’ve been known to drool on a bottle of Rubicon or even speak gently to a few of the bottles of Rosenblum as I dust the rack), I am painfully aware of my limited knowledge and consistently reminded that I am still just a novice.

In the world of copious amounts of wine knowledge, I do not fit. My memory for the names of vineyards (French ones) is atrocious, I have a very difficult time understanding why people still hold their noses up at red zinfandel, and when there is discussion of first growth Bordeaux, I must admit I am almost completely lost. It isn’t that I don’t care or don’t pay attention, but that I am very non-academic about wine. After all, it really isn’t my job to be the expert. It’s Aimee’s ball of yarn and she does a marvelous job of it!

I know what you’re thinking and, no, I’m not just saying that because she signs payroll! (A little bit.)

This has me thinking though…what is my job here? Aimee is the expert Sommelier, every bit the professional who can match the wine to the food/occasion/individual effortlessly and Tony is the affable people-person with extensive wine experience, both technical and aesthetically speaking. We are all wine “nerds” who philosophize about corks vs. screw caps and why wine makes us so happy – the dire affects of alcohol aside (minds out of the gutter, please!) Who am I, then? I used to joke that I was ornamental – too hilarious, me! But in reality, I write descriptions (sometimes), manage the store (baby-sit), clean the store (occasionally), assist customers (sometimes badly and with stuttering), etc., etc. – I am sort of an Autumn-of-All-Trades. In my graduate Communications classes, I used to argue that I can do many things very well, which is better than rolling all of your efforts into one field. (To my warped sense of meaning, this defines me as invaluable, because I am flexible and relevant for multiple applications.)

Back to it, then - what is my purpose in this wacky world of wine? How do I fit in? It’s an identity crisis of sorts. It has even kept me awake at night! (Sorry – no, it really hasn’t.)

The answer: I am part of what makes PHG different and approachable by all seeking great wine. I am the semi-casual, but seriously respectful wine drinker who truly appreciates the craft and product of wine making (with the exception of White Zinfandel), which loves to try new things, and who, most importantly, is not tainted with any preconceptions (White Zinfandel doesn’t count and you know it!). When I am excited about a wine, I am REALLY excited! And, in the course of my absorption of wine fundamentals, I am learning more about myself than I ever thought possible.

Wines are relatable, enjoyed by the mood and also based on the occasion. They are the embodiment of an environment we may never travel to and what it experienced in a year we weren’t there to witness. Varietals change every year, every season shows a new aspect of its character, either disappointing or with endless potential, even within the bottle. Finally, and most importantly, wines are so much like people; individuality and character are everything! It sounds sappy and overly altruistic to me, too, but it is what it is and I mean it in a very sincere way. (Notice no tongue-in-cheek add-ins here!)

I may not be able to list all of the regions in France or the sub regions in Bordeaux, but, for me, even a novice’s knowledge of wine – six years’ worth and counting – is nearly as valuable as getting to know people and enjoying every character or varietal that comes my way. (Except for White Zinfandel. Boo!)

A Note on Franzia White Zinfandel:
If I had never tried another vintage after sipping this abomination - this perversion of lush and wonderful red zinfandel grapes - it would have been too soon for me. It ruined me until I was introduced to what I now consider decent wine. No offense to Franzia drinkers; it’s just not my style. I don’t care if it IS the “World’s Most Popular Wine.” Since when have the masses been right about something? Well, something that mattered?

P.S. My next blog will be about why people are like the wines they drink. It will be almost all opinion, of course, with some fact and comic relief at the expense of choice celebrities like Rosie O’Donnell and Tom Cruise. Either that, or I will try a decent White Zinfandel and report on how much I still dislike it. Nothing against White Zin fans: Seriously, though? Why?

How to Build a Wine Cellar

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

Pictured are the Vintage View Wine cellar racking system. PHG is now a retailer of these flexible and simple-to-install wine storage racks. Ask for details

How to Build a Wine Cellar
Wine cellar building, made easy.

Do I need to "build" a cellar with a cooling unit or can I just use a spare closet or cool space in my basement?
The answer is that unless you are serious about aging wine very long term (5+ years) typically a cool, sunless, basement location with a natural 55-65 degrees F temperature should be an adequate environment for your wine.

A simple dedicated cellar is advisable for mid to long-term storage/aging. A properly designed and insulated room in your cool basement with a natural 55-65 degrees F temperature is called a "passive cellar". Passive cellars are just like the old-world cellars and are simply rooms that are built below ground level and stay cool naturally. Just as the basement is always the coolest place in your house, the natural ground temperature will be consistent at about 55-65 degrees F to protect your wine for long-term storage and no cooling equipment is typically required if the room is built correctly. Many people find that a, below ground, corner of the basement, free from windows and doors, enclosed and prepared as recommended below, will maintain it's temperature and humidity well without the need for a cooling unit.

Those individuals focusing on longer-term aging of wine or utilizing a space which is warmer or colder than the range indicated should consider a wine cooling unit such as WhisperKOOL, BREEZAIRE, Koolspace, or CHILLR which regulate not only the temperature to an ideal 55 degrees F but also the humidity of the cellar.

Our general recommendation is to plan and build your cellar to accommodate a cooling unit should it be required at a later time, you may find that your cellar naturally maintains a good wine storage temperature without the additional cost of a cooling unit. To plan ahead for a cooling unit, simply frame in a space in the cellar as recommended by the cooler manufacturer including electrical, but insulate and drywall over the space when finishing the cellar. During the first few months you will know whether a cooler is required and can re-open the covered area to install the cooler.

Wine Cellar Construction
A wine cellar must be constructed like a refrigerator, it should be cool but not cold, should be humid but not to humid, should be fairly air tight but not so tight that there is poor interior ventilation, and finally insulated but only in a specific way. Simply installing a cooling system in the wall of a closet without converting the room correctly will not work properly and could cause damage to your walls, ceiling and most of all your wine. All those caveats noted, converting a room or space for wine storage is very straightforward and fairly inexpensive investment in your long-term enjoyment of wine.

Target Temperature
The ideal temperature to store wines is between 50 - 58 degrees F. However, any temperature between 40 - 65 degrees F will suffice as long as it remains constant. The degree and the speed of the temperature change are critical. A gradual change of a few degrees between summer and winter won't matter. The same change each day will harm your wines by aging them too rapidly. The most important rule when storing wine is to avoid large temperature changes or fluctuations. You'll notice damage of this nature right away from the sticky deposit that often forms around the capsule. Over time the continual expansion and contraction of the wine will damage the 'integrity' of the cork. It's like having the cork pulled in and out, over and over every day. When this happens, small quantities of wine may be pushed out along the edge of the cork (between the cork and the bottle neck) allowing air to seep back in. Once the air is in contact with your wine the irreversible process of oxidation begins and your wine goes bad very quickly. At 50 - 58 degrees F the wine will age properly, enabling it to fully develop. Higher temperatures will age wine more rapidly and cooler temperatures will slow down the aging process. Irreversible damage will be done if your wine is kept at a temperature above 82 degrees F, for even a month. At 55F wines will age slowly and develop great complexity and you will never have to worry about them.

Target Humidity
Moderate humidity is important to keep the corks in good resilient condition and thereby preventing them from shrinking. A relative humidity of 50-80% is the acceptable range, but 70% is recommended. Excessive humidity will not harm the wine but will cause the labels and any other paper products, like cardboard boxes, you have in the cellar to rot. Insufficient humidity may cause the corks to dry out, lose their elasticity and allow air to get into the bottle.

Location
Unlike real estate the location of you wine cellar matters very little assuming construction requirements are adhered to and temperature and humidity can be maintained. I know individuals with cellars in their basements, under their garages, first and second floors, and top floor penthouses. I have a friend who's 500 bottle basement cellar, maintains an almost ideal 57-60 degree temperature year around without a cooling unit. His design has a double shut off for the duct work and air vent in the cellar which prevents warm are from being blown into the cellar during the winter and during the summer the vent is opened to blow cool air-conditioned air into the cellar - this works great and he has never had an issue.

Location will play a very important roll if you are attempting to harness the geothermal cooling abilities of good old fashioned dirt and your already cool 56-62 degree Nebraska basement. If you are like me you would prefer your cooling unit not run constantly and that is where an un-used corner or basement wall can be your best wine cellar location from an efficiency perspective. Generally the North West corner is the preferred location (typically it is cooler due to limited sun light exposure externally and internally), however any underground basement wall or corner without windows or doors will work.

Wall & Ceiling Framing
Cellar walls are typically built with standard 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" construction methods and ceiling joists following the guidelines of local and state codes in the area. The general rule for a cellar is the thicker the walls, the better the insulation factor, and the better the cellar remains at a consistent temperature. Interior walls must have an absolute minimum of R-13 insulation and exterior walls must have a minimum of R-19 with ceilings having a minimum of R-19 insulation rating.

Vapor Barrier
Vapor barrier is REQUIRED if a climate control cooling unit is installed to keep the cellar at the correct temperature and prevent potential moisture damage. The 6 mm plastic sheeting (available in the painting aisle of any hardware store) is applied to the hot side (outside) of the cellar walls. The vapor barrier must be either applied to the outside walls and ceiling, or if it is impossible to get to the outside, then the plastic must be applied from within the cellar. The most common method is to wrap the entire interior, leaving the plastic loose in the stud cavity so the insulation can be placed between each stud. All walls and ceiling must be wrapped in plastic for a complete vapor barrier.

Insulation
Insulation is REQUIRED if a climate control cooling unit is going to be used. The R-value or thickness of insulation is determined by the thickness of the walls and ceiling. For example, fiberglass insulation of R13 is designed to be used in a 2" x 4" wall and R19 is used in a 2" x 6" wall. It is important to use the correct insulation for the wall thickness. A minimum of R13 should be applied to the walls of a cellar. R19 to R30 is recommended in the ceiling. Standard "Fiberglass" or "Rigid Foam" insulation is normally used in cellar construction, or in some cases, blown in insulation is used. It is very important that all walls and ceiling be insulated to keep the cellar temperature as consistent as possible during the summer and winter months.

Wall & Ceiling Coverings
The interior wall and ceiling covering is determined by the decor theme of the cellar. If dry walling the cellar it is recommended to use rot and mildew resistant bathroom type green board versus regular drywall. Other options include Redwood and other rot and mildew resistant woods, granite, marble, tile or stone. All paints and/or stains must be water base type and air completely to rid wine cellar of odors. Once the cellar is at the correct temperature and humidity, smells will only get worse, be careful not to use oil based paints for this reason. The most commonly used covering is cedar closet liner or redwood (depending of the racking materials) tongue and groove material applied to the walls and ceiling.

Cellar Doors
If a cooling system is installed, an exterior grade door must be installed as a cellar door. It is very important that weather stripping is attached to all 4 sides of the doorjamb. A bottom "sweep" or threshold is also recommended. The door must have a very good seal to keep the cool cellar air from escaping out of the cellar. One of the most common problems with cooling units running continually is due to not sealing the door properly. Solid core doors or doors with a full glass insert are most often used. Glass doors must have at least double pane-tempered glass.

Flooring
All types of flooring are used in cellars. A simple sealed or painted concrete basement floor will greatly contribute to a nice cool cellar for wine storage however more attractive floor materials are slate, tile, marble, or vinyl. NEVER USE CARPET. Carpet will mold and mildew in the cool, damp climate conditions of a cellar. As with the case of wall coverings, flooring is normally chosen to match the overall decor colors of the cellar. The flooring should be applied to a level surface. It is best not to apply base trim or moldings to the walls behind the racking. Concrete ground floors need a vapor barrier only (sealed with concrete sealant). Any above ground floors need to be R-19 insulated with a vapor barrier prior to flooring being laid.

Lighting
Lighting a wine cellar is an important part of the overall cellar decor. "Air Lock" recessed ceiling lights are the most popular. These should be put on dimmer switches to control brightness. In most cases, these are used as the main lights within the cellar. Also popular are various display lights to accent different areas of the cellar. Some cellar contractors offer display "rope" lighting that is specially designed and built to fit into the display angle of individual bottle racking. Different types of spotlights are used to highlight picture openings, table areas, or large format display bottles. It is recommended that all lighting be on a timer system or motion sensor switch so they can't be left on for long periods of time. Lights cause excess heat and will cause the cooling equipment to overwork itself.

Ventilation
The necessity of dissipating heat away from the cooling system is critical to the units performance. As the cooling unit operates and cools, an equal or greater amount of heat is generated on the exhaust side of the unit. Adequate ventilation is required in order to dissipate heat away from the unit. If ventilation is inadequate, the exhaust will heat up and adversely affect the unit's inability to cool. Also make sure there is a 3 foot horizontal clearance in the front and rear of the unit. This will assure the unit can vent air in an efficient manner.

Other Considerations for Climate Controlled Cellars
For cellars less than 2000 cubic feet in size, there are two main types of units: "Through The Wall" systems and "Split Systems". For larger cellars over 2000 cubic feet, commercial refrigeration equipment is typically used and must be installed by a certified refrigeration expert.

We recommend that the customer consider purchasing a system with a slightly larger capacity to compensate for the design limitations. Care should be taken to understand the mounting and electrical needs of a cooling unit.

Happy Cellaring!

There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005

To hell with the vessel, just show me to the wine

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

To hell with the vessel, just show me to the wine

A man who can only enjoy wine from the perfect glass is a man who does not truly enjoy wine.
By Tony Arnold

The other day I was reading through an un-named national wine publication and an article about the annoyance of "improper" glassware caught my attention and struck me funny, actually it struck me as very pompous. The author of the article proceeds to ridicule restaurants, friends, and acquaintances about the use of plastic, Styrofoam, stemless, tinted, heavy cut crystal, champagne, overly thick/thin, too big/small glasses.

I feel for this guy, the guy has a serious OCD hang-up about wine glasses and confesses to going through friends cabinets looking for a better vessel than a Styrofoam cup. Me on the other hand, I identify with one of the last scenes from the movie Sideways where Miles is pouring a wonderful aged wine into a paper fast food cup and sipping it clandestinely at some fast food joint; while expertly pairing it with some greasy fries and a cheeseburger the size of his head. There is something perversely pleasurable about that scene, after all isn't it about the wine not the glass?

What struck me as utterly hilarious when I saw that scene in the movie was remembering an almost accidental trip to Diamond Creek Vineyards, a few years back. Aimee and I had called so see if we could grab a wine tasting slot and were informed that their annual winery celebration was in process and to simply bring a glass. Unfortunately we were half way up the mountain and almost to the winery. Lucky for Aimee she had the one (unbroken glass), I on the other hand had a rinsed, clean, wax coated 22 oz. Oakville Grocery cup that previously held Diet Coke. Guess who ended up with more wine, the pretty girl with the glass or the fat drunk guy with the paper cup? Yep, I imbibed approximately four (full) cupfuls of some of the best wine California produces. Although I was not the only one with a non-glass container, I will never forget the wonderful graciousness of the winery. They were simply thrilled that people loved their wine, not at all concerned with what you were drinking it out of.

My point is, I don't remember ever seeing the words, "Warning - Serve only in Riedel Crystal on the back of any bottle of wine. In fact I have had more than one wine maker confess that they regularly pour wine right from a wine thief (barrel sampling tool) into their mouth, no glass required. This should put those handy little half bottles in a whole new light. I can see it now, your next party everyone gets their own 375ml bottle of cabernet that they can drink right from the bottle.

Provided the choice, yes, I would rather drink wine out of glass then another material (aside from a solid gold jewel encrusted chalice), would rather have the proper weight, color (clear), and would rather the glass have a bowl suited for the wine being consumed. Would George and Max Riedels glasses be at the top of my list? A resounding yes. And if I had just one glassware wish it would be that every restaurant stock one, good, large bowl, general purpose, wine glass rather than three horribly designed ones, so that my restaurant wine, which costs twice as much as it should, can at least have the hope of presenting itself on the table as a wine rather than a margarita. I would still rather have wine in a margarita glass than no wine at all.

My biggest gripe with fine wine glassware is that most people simply don't study a wine to the degree that those Austrian Riedel glasses permit. Quality wine glassware is like putting an expensive frame on a picture, it simply presents itself better. Daily drinker and party wines simply don't require the beauty or exacting analytic ability of a $15-$100 glass. We simply want a nice wine while we eat dinner, socialize, and celebrate the survival of yet another day and on those occasions, any cup will do.

We Americans are just way to up tight about the whole wine thing. We feel compelled to be pretentious, to be considered educated in the fine art of consuming wine. In Europe whatever vessel is at hand is suitable for an everyday wine or even a more special bottle. In Spain, your basic highball glass is the wineglass of choice. Recently Riedel introduced the casual relaxed stemless glasses. Although we have sold them for over a year, we had not tried them until a visit to a friend's house for a tour of their wine cellar. This casual glass was the perfect container for the stellar wines that were poured and the wonderful easy going evening that followed, including some delivered pizza. But don't those stemless glasses warm the wine and aren't they hard to hold? Actually the glasses spent most of their time on the counter, so warming the wine was not a factor and the glasses also seemed to be easier to hold, especially after the third bottle. Causal, fun, and easygoing, I think Max Riedels stemless glasses exemplify the essence of wine enjoyment.

For the host planning a casual get together, don't sweat the glassware, use what you have and make no apologies about providing free food, wine and great company, just enjoy the party. Should you have any wine snobs present who requests a proper glass, attempts to go digging though your glassware cabinet, or sneer when you serve wine in a vessel dujour, ask them "are you so insecure with your wine knowledge that the vessel itself will impair your enjoyment of a great wine, then laugh maniacally.

To hell with the vessel, just show me to the wine.

There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005

Understanding the Price of Wine

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

Understanding the Price of Wine

Why is this bottle more expensive than that bottle, what makes it so special? The inevitable question which every wine retailer or wine enthusiast loathes from a customer or a friend entering wine. The answer to the question is very simple, well fairly simple - marketing, consistency, and pressings.

Wine Marketing 101 - Selling the One Percent
Since wine naturally contains about 85 to 89 percent water, 10 to 14 percent alcohol, less than 1 percent fruit acids, and hundreds of aroma and flavor components in very small trace amounts, we are really paying for the one percent or less, when we spend $500 for a wine versus $5.

Fortunately that wonderful miniscule one percent can make all the difference in the word between a negative, average, or life altering personal wine experience. Although we all have different tastes, the winemakers of the world believe they are producing some great wines and depending on how "proud" they are of their wine, the winery, the land, the grapes, and themselves, will price the wines accordingly.

In addition to the wine maker's "pride", "prestige and reputation" of the land, vines, and winemaker also influence the price of wine. Would you feel more comfortable buying a first year wine introduction with a new winemaker at the helm of the winery or a first year wine with an old name backing the winery such as Rothschild or Craig Williams (winemaker for Joseph Phelps). I would bet the old name behind the new wine would bring an exponential increase in the price of that wine. Will it be any better, maybe, maybe not, but the marketing people figure that the added insurance/assurance of a name brand winemaker adds extra value (cost) to that bottle of wine on your table.

Consistency - Good this year and... will it be good next year?
The Land - In the words of Stephen Corley (Corley Family and Monticello Vineyards), "Napa doesn't have bad years they have good years, better years, or exceptional years...due to its incredibly perfect geography and soil quality and soil types, Napa always consistently produces at the very worst "good" wine." Because Napa's grape production is consistently good year after year, it gets the big bucks for its' grapes and rightly so.

Grapes - Due to the soil and land, Napa grapes cost more than Sonoma, Howell Mountain Napa grapes are more than grapes simply from the Napa Valley. Tuscan grapes are more expensive than central Italy's Molise region, and so on and so on. More expensive grapes end up making, coincidentally, a more expensive wine. As a general rule taking the price per ton of grapes divided by 100 will give you the expected retail. So if the grapes were $5000 per ton, the wine should retail in the $50 range.

The Winemaker - Although the price of the grapes are a starting point for the price of the wine, how the winemaker chooses the grapes, blends vineyards, vintages, and varietals all play into the consistency, value, and price of a wine. Rather than a consistent style from year to year, some wineries focus on yearly vintage specific releases which express the best that year, its grapes, and what the winemaker could produce - sometimes it will be big and bold, the next maybe a little lighter. Other wineries focus on overall style consistency (such as Silver Oak Alexander Valley - its always big and oaky) from year to year and will blend (sometimes heavily) a current vintage with previous vintages to produce a wine that changes very little in style and taste from year to year. Regardless of style, the skill of the winemaker will be shown over a long term period to either produce wines consistently good or inconsistently good, inconsistency is due largely to the quality of grapes, the rest of the variation really is the winemaker's fault. Both styles can range from very expensive to inexpensive.

Pressings - Squeezing every last dime out of the grape.
Typically the best juice from a grape, is the juice called "first run". "First run" juice is extracted from the grape by simply crushing (breaking the skin) of the grape with light pressure - this was accomplished by hand, actually more by feet, with the stomping of the grapes. Today modern grape presses digitally calculate the exact pressure required to split the grapes for first run juice without over pressing the grape. The next step in fine wine making was to simply collect the juice and grapes to begin fermentation.

The down side from a production perspective is there is still lots of juice in the grape at this point, however the more pressings and pressure the grape is subjected to, more less desirable flavor components, are also extracted from the grape. Although a winemaker judgment call, most wineries today stop after the first or second pressing to avoid the bad stuff getting into the juice and will typically separate each pressings juice for later evaluation and blending prior to or after fermentation. Some wineries will produce their first and/or second pressings and sell the additional pressings to another winery for a less expensive wine or produce a less expensive wine under a secondary label (separately named wine). Over pressing to maximize juice volume, is used by many wineries focused more on quantity than quality.

I have heard some so called experts, spout that "this winery uses the same grapes and winemaker as that other more expensive brand, but it's the same wine for less money." Though possible, this blanket reasoning is false far more than true. What typically will happen is that brand A ,expensive wine, will use the first run and/or first and/or second pressings, and then will sell the third or additional pressings to the other winery or as it's own winery's other less expensive label. Another situation is when the winery has selected the best grapes for their wines from the vineyard and are selling the less desirable grapes to other vineyards. The wines may be close in taste, but they cannot by any sense of the imagination be the same, as they will contain more undesirable flavor components or lesser quality grapes than the best grapes or less "pressed" juice.

You Generally Get What You Pay For
As a retailer of fine wine, our general rule is that higher priced wines have either some long-term pedigree (a renowned winemaker or vineyard) or produce a consistently good wine year after year (high wine rating). For less expensive wines, Aimee and I taste over 1500 wines annually to attempt to find the best wine values, sometimes a winery produces a consistently good inexpensive wine, sometimes we have to cherry pick through vintages and wineries to find a great wine for a reasonable price. Ohh... the pain and agony of wine tasting we subject ourselves to, just to bring you the best wines available, it almost heartwarming.

There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005

How to Taste Wine Like the Pros - Mastering the Six S's.

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

How to Taste Wine Like the Pros - Mastering the Six S's.

Sight, swirl, smell, sip, savor and swallow. Mastering the art of wine tasting requires an understanding of the basics of wine tasting including the six S's -- sight, swirl, smell, sip, savor and swallow.

Sighting the wine reveals the intensity of the grape, darker "oxidized" or "weathered" red colors or golden whites may indicate that the wine is older and has some age.

Swirling allows more exposure to air and oxidation of the wine and in turn opens up the wine's flavors. This is the same idea as those scratch and sniff labels we all had as a kid. You might have heard someone say the wine need to "open up" or "needs to breath" what they were saying is that the wine needs to oxidize a little to awaken some of the scents and flavors of the wine and will release the volatile chemicals of the wine into the air. Generally if a wine needs to "open up" for an extended period, then it is likely that the wine requires further ageing.

Smelling the wine is the most important aspect of tasting wine. You sense of smell is 90% more sensitive than your sense of taste therefore most of "tasting" something is experiencing its aroma.

Sipping is actually a two step process of taking a drink as normal and allowing the wine to roll over and under your pallet for a few seconds. The second sip is more of a slurp where roughly equal amounts of air and wine are drawn in. This process allows the wine to releases additional nuances onto your pallet which normal sipping would not reveal. It is not polite to swish you wine in your mouth like mouthwash.

Savoring the flavor of the wine for a few seconds while it is in your mouth allows you to fully taste and enjoy the flavors of the wine.

Swallowing the wine not only hit any additional taste buds at the rear of your tongue but will allow you to evaluate the finish that remains in the mouth.


PHG's Wine Evaluation Suggestions

1. Inspect the wine bottle before opening. Potential problems may include: the bottle appears to be less full that it should be = leaky bottle, the foil is sticky = wine seepage, the foil is missing = potentially re-corked.
2. Remove the cork and inspect the cork. Potential problems may include: A dry and crumbly cork indicating a bad cork, improper storage, or simple a really old cork. Wine which has leaked through the cork. A noticeable off or musty smell from the wine even before it has been poured indicating a very "corked" or "cork tainted" bottle.
3. Pour a small amount of wine in your glass and briefly sample the wine to determine if the wine is in good condition and ok to drink. Initial observations should include whether the wine is fit to drink, i.e. is it corked (cork tainted - musty/moldy smelling and/or tasting), has an off vinegary smell, or has simply over aged to the point of nothingness. Note the below points on evaluating the wine. If the wine is cork tainted or has gone bad, the wine is probably not something you want to drink.
4. Evaluating the wine and determining whether it needs a decanter is a critical pre-tasting task that cannot be omitted. Remember wine is a living and breathing thing, treat it as such when evaluating it. You probably are not that impressive at 5 in the morning after being jolted awake after a sound night's sleep, it's the same thing for wine - give the wine time to wake up and show you what it has to offer.
   
   Bottle Dumb - For aged wines, there is a term called "bottle dumb" which means the wine has gone to sleep, so to speak. In this state the wine is in a type of hibernation and will have very little if any aroma and/or taste. It can take several hours of the wine being in a decanter with exposure to air to "awaken the beast". It is generally suggested that if a wine displays little if any flavor or aroma, the assumptions can be made that the wine either needs time to wake up because it is "bottle dumb" or "asleep", or that it has been over aged to a point of no return. Only patience, time in the decanter or glass, and intermittent tasting will reveal the truth. A learning experience for me involved recently opening a 1998 Napa Cabernet, which on initial tasting indicated that it had been over aged, however 4 hours later it was rich with aroma and flavor. The older the wine, the longer it can take to fully awaken. Patience can pay big dividends with wine. Harnessed with this new knowledge you may think twice before making a snap judgment about pouring out a wine you think is over aged based on the initial taste.
   
   Tight Wine - You may have heard some of your wine nerd friends mention that a wine is "tight" and needs time to "open up". This wine slang means either that the other un-opened bottles in the cellar need further time to develop/age or the wine you are tasting needs some time to oxidize in the glass or a decanter. This decanting/aeration process, synthesizes long-term aging of the wine and allows all of us to have an rough idea of what a wine will taste like with further aging. Generally if the wine is tight it will taste very tannic with not much fruit, flavors, or aromas. Again patience is the key as this process can take hours. A good learning experience is to sample a wine over a period of 6-8 hours and note how it changes as the hours goes by, this is where the real enjoyment of what a wine can offer is revealed. We recently opened a well known 2001 Oakville Cabernet on vacation which did not fully open until the next morning and was incredible for breakfast. If you are opening some younger wines for guests plan to open those bolder reds at least one hour ahead of serving. Even inexpensive wines can benefit from a little time to open up. Most younger heavier red wines take at least 30 minutes and more likely an hour, aged or age worthy red wines can take several hours.

PHG's Wine Tasting Suggestions

1. Download and print the Wine Evaluation Chart and Aroma Wheel - Wine evaluation kit from the American Enology and Viticulture Society.
2. Tilt the wine glass so that the wine moves to the edge of the lip and look at the color of the wine against a white background. Noting the color and clarity of the wine. Is the wine bright and gem like, in color, or does it reflect some age with a less transparent and more oxidized or weathered color indicating a older aged wine. Is the wine lighter or darker in color than normal for this particular varietal. Check for clarity of the wine. Notice if the wine is clear and free of suspended material - this is termed a brilliant wine. Some descriptions to use include brilliant, clear, dull, and cloudy. Dull indicates haziness, and cloudy indicates heavy amounts of suspended material.
3. Bring the glass down to a normal level and swirl the wine in the glass quickly. This will increase the surface area of the wine by allowing it to move up the sides of the glass and release additional subtleties of the wine.
4. Stop swirling. Insert your nose into the glass fully (without getting your nose wet) and inhale by taking quick full sniffs. Really getting your nose into the glass will greatly aid in evaluating the wine when smelling. Are there any off-odors, does the alcohol balance well with the fruit, or is there an overpowering alcohol aroma. Is there one overpowering aroma, or does the wine smell very balanced. Identify any grape aromas and rank the strength of the aroma. As a beginner, focus on unwanted smells such as yeast, wood, mold, sulfur dioxide, oxidation (brackishness), acetic acid (vinegar) and hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg).
5. Analyze the aroma further. Try to detect the smell of fruity or floral notes. Decide what they remind you of if possible. Next, note the presence of spices, such as pepper, anise, cinnamon, vanilla, tea or possibly nuts. Finally, note the presence of other aromas, such as cedar, oak, dust, moist earth, herbs, chocolate, tobacco, toastiness, smoke, tar, mushrooms, red meat, grass, hay, or asparagus.
6. Sip a small amount of wine as noted above and move it over and around your entire tongue so that all your taste buds around your tongue come in contact with the wine. The trick to tasting wine is to allow the aromas of the wine to enter your nasal passageway at the back of your throat. Inhale by sucking in air over the wine and exhale through the nose. Although it looks weird, you can also chew the wine as if it were food. Both of these methods will force the aromas of the wine through the nasal passage and more the wine around in your mouth and will increase your experience of the wine.
7. Note how long the flavors remain in your mouth after you've swallowed the wine. This is called length or more typically referred to as the length of finish. Wines that linger for a long time have a long finish, those which disappear from the pallet after a few seconds are referred as having a short finish. Some wines can "finish" for several minutes. Also be aware of any overbearing presence of alcohol. A wine should have enough balance that you're barely aware of the alcohol in it. Taste for sweetness or dryness. An acid bite indicates the vitality of the wine and typically indicates that it will handle age well and may need to be decanted. Taste for excessive tannins (bitter and rough) and for vinegar flavor, which is usually not desirable. Note boldness, fullness and richness while tasting. The preceding points tend to indicate a wine with good body.
8. At this point you can either continue to enjoy the bottle one sip at a time and enjoy how the wine changes over several hours or your can chug the wine down knowing that you have a good idea of what the wine has to offer and is fit for your thirsty guests.

PHG Tips:
If you've snickered at people who swirl their wine incessantly, you won't any longer. This is the best way to allow wine to have its intended effect on your senses.

Strong aromas of mold, wet cardboard, vinegar, Madeira, sulfur, fermented kitchen trash, or nail polish indicate a problem with a table wine. The general rule is, if the wine doesn't smell good don't drink it. Even when wines have gone bad, they have only gone to vinegar and are still consumable. Cork tainted wines may taste and smell bad but they are just fine to drink and will still get the job done.


There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005

Blowing your palate...Understanding that nerve covered muscle in your mouth.

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

Blowing your palate...Understanding that nerve covered muscle in your mouth.

Have you ever attempted to enjoy a bottle of wine only to find it was not only completely different from how you remembered, but it was simply awful. I had exactly that experience a couple of weeks ago after enjoying an outstanding scorching hot and spicy dinner of Pad Thai at the Taste of Thailand. The dinner was exceptional and the restaurant would be highly recommended.

Ohh... the Carnage
Upon returning home, Aimee (my lovely wife who had not enjoyed a scorching hot dinner rather a more mild dish) decided she wanted to open a Shiraz with earth moving tannins - a bottle of Two Hands Bad Impersonator fit the bill. Now, I know that wine is outstanding, Aimee sure was enjoying it, my father (Dennis) was enjoying it, but to me it tasted like colored water that smelled wonderful. No tannins, no flavor, nothing, just that wonderful aroma teasing me and reminding me what I was missing. Considering the near illegal hot sauce and Thai spice induced endorphin high I was currently experiencing, I was willing to try anything to seek the full enjoyment of this incredible wine. I tried everything, crackers, milk, raw sugar, vinegar, pickled ginger, and as a last resort, dark, then bittersweet chocolate (which was only mildly effective at rejuvenating my toasted tongue). I was simply out of luck for the next 24 hours until my endorphin high expired. Additionally every taste bud on my tongue was still writhing in pain from the food I had just consumed and even the worlds sweetest Riesling would not be able to come to my rescue. Luckily, most normal taste bud damage is repaired/re-grown in less than 24 hours and even if I had done some very serious taste bud damage, such as shaving my tongue, in only about two weeks everything would re-grown back to normal. Until then everything would taste a little bland,... waiter more hot sauce please.

The Tongue
Taste buds probably play the most important part in helping you enjoy the many flavors of food and are a truly amazing part of the nervous system. The tongue is so good at taking abuse and re-growing after severe nerve damage, that some smart people in white coats are attempting to apply that ability to other parts of our bodies' nervous system. Pretty neat stuff indeed.

Everyone's tastes are different. In fact, your tastes will change as you get older. The tongue, like wine, ages and slowly deteriorates. As a kid we loathed certain foods that we now love, why, because we actually had more taste buds (not more sensitive - just more) than we have today.

When you were a baby, you had lots of taste buds, not only on your tongue, but on the sides and roof of your mouth. This means you were very sensitive to different foods. Bitter tasted more bitter, salt was saltier, sour was as I remember really really sour, and sweet was pure euphoric heaven - guess that's why we all loved sugar so much as a kid. As you grew, the taste buds began to disappear from the sides and roof of your mouth, leaving taste buds mostly on your tongue. As you get older, your taste buds will become even less sensitive, so you will be more likely to eat foods that you thought were too strong as a child. In fact by the age of 70 you will have lost 30% of your taste buds (get out the hot sauce, you are going to need it).

The salty/sweet taste buds are located near the front of your tongue; the sour taste buds line the sides of your tongue; and the bitter taste buds are found at the very back of your tongue. George Riedel, mapped these areas of the tongue and designs his Riedel glasses so that a particular wine is poured onto the pallet to maximize the good tastes and minimize the bad.

The other sense of flavor that few mention is "the sense of pain". When something spicy (capsaicin) hits your mouth, regardless of the other senses, all the taste buds respond, as well as possibly the rest of your mouth's tissue and they generally all scream in unison - PAIN. This triggers endorphins, which further increases your ability to endure pain and significantly decreases your overall sense of taste. This had indeed been my problem.

So what should I have done?
Really there was very little I could have done to save my pallet during my dinner out other than to not order "Thai Hot". Other than pain causing spices, most other poor food and wine spice pairings can usually be counteracted by simply eating a couple dry salt free crackers.

What foods should I avoid pairing together?
Due to the fact that we all like different things and taste everything uniquely in our own way, there really is no definitive book on what you should never do. Some people hate Red Zinfandel with cheesecake, I personally like it, Cabernet with a cheese plate, sure go for it instead of the normal Riesling. Just know that now and then you will hit a combination that is a mind blowing bad food and wine combination.

How about the whole red wine with meat, and white wine with fish thing?
Twenty years ago the answer would have been yes, but the more we've come to learn about food and wine matching, the more the rule book has gone out of the window. I believe wine matching is a little bit about science and a lot about trial and error, and it should always come down to what you like. For example, some red wines work well with tuna and salmon, such as Pinot Noir, but there are always exceptions to the rule. The key is to be adventurous and keep trying something new.

Easy Food and Wine Paring 101
It's no coincidence that Italian wines work with Italian food, and likewise French with French cooking. The food and wine in these countries have evolved together over hundreds of years. I always try to drink and eat regionally but part of the fun is having a good selection of wine stocked in your cellar and/or basement.

Just remember, take special care of your tongue before enjoying wine. Avoid extremely spicy and hot foods before opening a great bottle of wine to avoid wasting a good bottle on a blown pallet.


There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2006

P.S. After finishing writing of this article I handed it to Aimee for review, as she proof read she started laughing hysterically. I thought great, I like a little humor in my writing but I really didn't find it that funny. She finishes reading my article and thoughtfully says "pretty good other than tongue is not spelled "thong". After re-reading the article with that change, I realized what was so funny.

Copyright 2006 - PHG Provisions for Fine Living, Premium Home & Garden,
All Rights Reserved.

The Art of Opening Wine - A Journey into Corkscrew-dom.

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

The Art of Opening Wine - A Journey into Corkscrew-dom.

As you know the history of wine is very old, dating back to BC days. Since the beginning (of wine that is), storage of wine was historically held, very short term, within terracotta amphoras (clay pots of various sizes) and later in wooden barrels. Due to the fact that an air tight seal was very un-likely in these types of vessels of yore, wine could not be "aged" reliably or safely. Wine would oxidize quickly, go bad, or turn to vinegar. As a result the wine had to be consumed within a very short period of time and this was also the reason why local pubs and restaurants around the globe, during that period made wine and beer in house - it was simply a method of guaranteeing freshness of this perishable adult beverage.

Glass-blowing technology matured in the early 17-18th century to the point where wine and beer bottles with small bottlenecks made airtight wine storage and safe aging possible. The English were the first to seal wine bottles, using cork imported from Spain or Portugal. Cork comes from the wood of the Quercus Suber or cork tree, a species of Oak native to Spain. Currently almost all wine is aged to some degree. That Arbor Mist "wine" (and I use that term loosely), is aged very little (probably all of about 2 minutes), the better quality wines are typically aged at least six months. Some wines are aged much longer, such as our friend Keith Nichols' wine, who ages his wine 5-7 years and are ready to drink on their release date. Great now we have a sealed bottle with cork, how are we going to get that bugger out so we can imbibe in that fantastic aged wine. Ahh, my kindom for a corkcrew.

Who invented the first corkscrew?

A soldier's tool was the first corkscrew. The first corkscrews were derived from a "gun worm", a tool with a single or double spiral end fitting used to clean musket barrels or to extract an unspent charge from the barrel. I have seen warnings about not drinking and handling firearms, this heed probably originated about the same time. By the early 17th century wine corkscrews were widely made by blacksmiths. During Napoleonic times, valiant soldiers would uncork a bottle of champagne with their sabers, however that method does not work to well with a wine bottle and is another story altogether.

German Carl Wienke was the documented inventor of our current trusty single lever waiter's type corkscrew called the 'Butler's Friend'. Wienke was granted a German patent on May 26, 1882, a British patent on April 20, 1883, a French patent on May 7, 1883 and an American patent on August 21, 1883 (busy guy). Wienke's corkscrew design remains in common use today and is my favorite infallible wine bottle opening gadget even with those new fangled synthetic corks that tear the heck out of more complex corkscrews. The corkscrew was nicknamed the 'Waiter's Friend' or 'Butler's Friend' because it could easily remove and easily replace a cork. This design feature continues to be one of the few corkscrews which allow removal/re-cork functionality and also allow the easy removal of a partially inserted cork. This design is so functional and elegantly simple that Laguiole's (the original French culinaire not the place in France) corkscrews are famous and highly sought after for their refined style and ease of use (PHG carries these by the way and they are absolutely gorgeous).

Anatomy of a Good Corkscrew
I am often asked what makes a good waiter's style corkscrew - there are three main components. Heavy duty construction, a sharp foil cutter and ergonomics.

The corkscrew should be constructed with a heavy gauge grooved worm or screw with a full five turns approximately 1/2 inch in total width and 2 inches in length. This type of of corkscrew with a longer and wider worm is called a Bordeaux style corkscrew and will penetrate more deeply into the cork. Inexpensive corkscrews usually have 3-4 turns, are narrower, smaller gauge, and tend to have a high failure and breakage rate during use. The longer worm with grooving, will grip the cork much deeper and better than a smooth worm and will almost completely eliminate centering a cork (tearing out the middle of the cork) during extraction. This type of corkscrew also allows for much easier extraction of even stubborn, tight, or synthetic corks. The structure for the handle should be made of metal and should snap open and closed tightly with authority. The foil cutter knife should be very sharp and preferably serrated to easily cut through any type of metal or plastic foil on the bottle, as well as being stout enough to pry any wax off the top of the bottle. Finally the corkscrew should feel natural and comfortable in your hand. At the Laguiole factory in France, you can order a personally fitted corkscrew, a service which is considered a right of passage for wine snobs all over France.

How to use a Waiter Style Corkscrew
Although my favorite bar trick is removing a cork with the blade of a pocket knife there are safer alternatives. After cutting around the lip of the wine bottle and removing the cap (you can also remove the entire foil), take the pointy worm and start it as closely to the center of the top of the cork as possible. Slowly twist the worm in. With practice you�ll know when to stop (so as not to pierce the bottom end of the cork and possibly force some of it into the bottle). Once you�re ready to pull the cork out, let the lever out so it can touch the lip of the bottle. Using your non-dominate hand, grasp the neck of the bottle with a firm baseball grip with part of your hand holding the "level" on the lip of the bottle (so it doesn�t chip the glass by slipping off). Firmly lift the other end of the corkscrew with your other hand, drawing out the cork. Piece o� cake. ...What? The cork did not budge... must have a really tight cork. To get above the bottle for a little more leverage, one of my tricks for those tight corks, is to place the bottle on the floor holding the bottle between my feet and use the some technique as above (make sure you are still holding the bottle with one hand and levering it open with the other). The other - other method for opening wine, which Aimee uses often, is to glare at the bottle and to firmly ask your spouse "are going to open that bottle or just stand there?"

Other Corkscrews Styles

The double winged lever design is another common corkscrew design found in households today. The first double lever can be traced to H.S. Heeley, who was granted a British patent on April 23, 1888. Heeley's corkscrew was called the A1 Heeley Double Lever; it used pivoting links to "gain an improvement in mechanical advantage to pull a cork".

The first double winged lever patented in North America was created by the Italian designer, Dominick Rosati (see illustration left). Rosati was granted a U.S. patent on April 1, 1930 and a Canadian patent on November 25, 1930.

Ultimately there are four major problems which designers/inventors have historically attempted to solve - Cork Removal/Re-corking, Simplicity, Speed of Extraction, and Required Strength. Our favorite design remains the "Butler's Friend" with the Laguiole and Kersaw KAI, being the ones which have found a place in our drawer. Today there are thousands of cork screw designers, all claiming to be the absolute best way to pull a cork. From simple corkscrew designs to ones which the inner workings would mystify an MIT professor. Here are a few designs that I have found over the years.

There are few things in life that compare to good food, good wine, and great company. Eat, drink, entertain, and enjoy! - Tony Arnold 2005

The Side Bar
by Tony Arnold

About Port - That Lovely Fortified Wine

As the Nebraska weather cools to typical Antarctic temperatures, one drink comes to mind for me - port. That wonderful fortified wine with a flexibility that pairs as well with fine cheeses as it does with deserts and the occasional cigar. One of my yearly rituals on my birthday includes opening a half bottle of vintage 2000 port from my collection and reflecting on the last year. In theory, should I live another thirty years, that last bottle in the cellar should be at its projected peak and should be absolutely fabulous.

Being a port lover, I am often asked what is the difference between all the various port types. I will omit the more rare styles of port including Vintage Character and Colheita.

Quintas are the actual grape farms. Quinta Da Agua Alta mean the farm of Agua. Grape farms are call quintas because 1/5 of thier income was paid in taxes, 1/5th in Portuguese is a quinta.

Ruby port is a blend from several harvests, different years and different "quintas"
It spends a minimum of two years in very large vats before being bottled. The large vats minimize the amount of air that comes in contact with the wine, which reduces oxidization so the wine retains its bright red hue. Ruby is ready to drink when it is bottled and has a rich red color and a full fruity taste.

Tawny port is also a blend from several harvests but is aged for two to seven years in casks. The smaller storage vessels allow more oxidization than the vats used for Ruby ports. It is ready to drink as soon as it is bottled. As its name implies, Tawny port has a deep mahogany color, with a drier and nuttier taste.

Aged Tawny is the best Tawny port. It can have an age of 10, 20, 30 or more than 40 years. The age will be indicated on the label and describes the average age of the wines in the blend. In a twenty year old aged Tawny, there may be some ports 100 years old added for additional complexity to the wine. Aged Tawny port has a refined, subtle taste.

White ports have a lighter taste and vary from quite sweet to very dry. The sweetest are called lagrima. These wines are made from a blend of juice from white grapes from different vineyards and different quintas and may have a small amount of juice from red grapes. The wine spends two to three years in casks and is ready to drink when it is bottled. White port is usually served as an aperitif with club soda and makes a very tasty and refreshing drink called a "port splash", which is a drink we have made for everyone who attended the port tasting earlier this year.

Crusted port is a type of Ruby and spends three years in a cask but most of its aging is in a bottle. It is a blend of wines from several different years and gets its name from the sediment that appears in the bottle as the wine ages, since the wine is not filtered. This crust is mainly tiny pieces of grape skin plus bits of seed and stems that settle in the lowest part of the bottle. Sediment does not taste or feel good so the port must be decanted. Crusted port resembles a LBV port but with added fruitiness.

Single-Quinta ports are made with wine from one vineyard. They may be Tawny or Vintage styles. After aging two years in wood they are bottled and spend from 5 to 50 years maturing. The label will indicate the Vintage year and bottling date. Single quinta port has a complex, and refined taste similar to an vintage port.

Late-Bottled Vintage port (LBV) is made from grapes grown in a single year.
The port is aged four to six years in wood before bottling. The label will indicate the Vintage and bottling date. The LBV port is ready to drink earlier than Vintage port and when labeled "Traditional", it may have some sediment. For this reason, L.B.V "Traditional" ports, like Vintage ports, need decanting.

Vintage port comes from a single harvest of exceptional quality and is bottled after two years in wood. The wine then spends many years aging in the bottle (in glass) and the label will show the year of the Vintage and the year the wine was bottled. This is one of the most sought-after wines in the world. From 1901 to 1999, only fourteen port Vintages have been declared.

My overall favorite for an everyday port? LBV - great price and tastes very close to an aged vintage port.

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Tony Arnold is a food lover and freelance writer.