The Wine Tribune Blog

By Carolyn Evans Hammond March 2, 2010. 

You don’t need to know mechanics to drive, love, or ogle cars.  You don’t need to be a chef to talk about, swoon over, or savour a great meal.  And God help us if we needed to know basic anatomy to walk, talk, or have sex. 

And so it is with wine.  Wine appreciation is not the privilege of the comfortably-moneyed, properly-schooled, or biologically blessed with great palates.  It’s in us all.

Sure, knowing the finer details of why a sophisticated bottle of wine is so fabulous interests some—there are certainly reasons that pertain to soil, winemaking, pedigree, grape clones, and so forth—but quite frankly, many people find the fine print tedious.  You don’t need to know a lot about wine to appreciate it.  You only need to know what tickles your fancy, and how to find those bottles you like at a price you can afford. 

You may hear about a great Napa Cabernet from your uncle, taste a fabulous German Riesling at a cocktail party, or read about a yummy little Pinot Grigio that costs just $10 in a local newspaper and they become starting points.  

For me, drinking my first white Burgundy in my early twenties at Cin Cin restaurant on Robson Street in Vancouver, was one cork-popping moment.  Back then, quite wet behind the ears, I was astonished to learn Burgundy could be white—still assuming he name referred to a colour not a region. 

Years later, I picnicked impromptu in the vineyards of the Côtes du Rhône with a bottle of mixed leftover red poured into a plastic bottle and given freely by a generous winery.  Incredible.  Best red I had ever tasted. 

And then there was my first taste of Krug Champagne, poured by Remi Krug himself in London.  Remi is the latest scion of the Champagne house’s dynasty who talks about the wine as an “orchestra of flavours” with hand-waving enthusiasm.  Granted the metaphorical soliloquy would sound hideously hyperbolic from anyone else and if it were any other wine.  But Remi managed to make the whole thing utterly believable, with a few demonstrative bottles to punctuate his panache.  To this day, I think I would gladly spend my last $245 on a bottle of the house’s lowliest offering–a bottle of Krug’s non-vintage “Grand Cuvee”.  Incredible stuff.  

Without a doubt, fine white Burgundy, great reds from the Rhône, and Krug Champagne are a few of my favourite things.  But these touchstones, like yours I’m sure, act as springboards to new vinous adventures.  I’ll leave you with a three wines I’ve appreciated lately.

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2008 (LCBO#427088 $12.95) from the Rapel Valley of Chile is such a steal with its pronounced aromas of black cherries and coal that lead to an incredibly sumptuous and utterly seamless palate.  Smooth, rich, mouth-coating flavours of black plum, cedar, and black cherry, as well as a plunging mineral depth that gives the wine quite a grown-up feel.

Rodney Strong Pinot Noir 2008 (LCBO#954834 $24.95) from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California, is nothing like a red Burgundy—just in case you were wondering.  It’s a generously-fruited, complex wine chock-full of black raspberry, tinned strawberry, black cherry puree and violet flavours laced with warm toasty oak and a pumpkin pie spices.  Then it finishes with a long, lingering black licorice hummm. 

Satisfaction 2005 (LCBO#148098 $49.95) from Napa Valley, California, is a fine vinous tribute to the Rolling Stones.  This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, seasoned with Petit Verdot, Malbec and Petite Sirah, is delicious.  And not unlike a great Bordeaux with its powerful flavours and aromas of cigars, cassis, blackberries, leather, blackcurrants, and stewed plum with a final lick of aniseed.  The price may seem steep but it’s less than seeing Mick gyrate live.  And the experience may well be just as riveting.

Carolyn Evans Hammond’s latest book, Good Better Best Wines, A No-Nonsense Guide to Popular Wines, hits shelves in April.  Her critical articles and reviews have appeared in such eminent magazines as Decanter and Wine & Spirit International in the United Kingdom, as well as Maclean’s, Taste, and Tidings in Canada and her first book, 1000 Best Wine Secrets, earned critical acclaim and international distribution with the distinction of being a best-seller by Canadian standards.  Qualified sommelier and seasoned journalist, Carolyn holds the Diploma from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and a BA from York University.  Carolyn has lived in many cities in North America and Europe, and now resides in Toronto, where she was born.

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