Another One About Wine

Because why not?

This is an amended substack article originally posted in 2022 with yet MORE useful and endlessly entertaining information for you, dear subscriber, re: WINE a.k.a. Vino a.k.a. Fruit of the vine a.k.a. plonk a.k.a. Jesus Juice a.k.a. Mama’s Little Helper.

If you wish, you can leave me a comment with your personal fav flavor and color of wine if you have one. I’d love to chat about it. In the meantime, please enjoy this little funny while I’m still tolerating Meta products in my de-masculinized (and happy) life.

All previous, column-based beer and bourbon (lol ok and Gin) evidence to the contrary, I’m a big fan of wine. Always have been. One of my favorite English ex-pat stories is when my kid’s private school told me that for “sports day” we should “bring a picnic lunch for ourselves and our kids.” Sports day is a day in which each house competes with the others in weird games like “rounders” (funky baseball), “netball” (kind of but not really basketball—only for girls, btw), and to my surprise games that were more or less PTO’d out of existence in the U.S. like Red Rover and Dodgeball.

“Cool,” I said. I packed accordingly. You know, string cheese, PB&J, apples, juice boxes all around and hooray for mom. **Remind me to tell you someday about by one of my least favorite ex-pat stories and the packed lunch inferiority complex I got in Japan.**

I get there. I spread out the blanket. I watch some of the bizarre-o games. I think my kids’ house wins (FWIW at least then, sibling were all in the same house). The kids show up and I open the super cute plastic picnic basket I got in Japan and pull out the juice boxes. Then I get that funny, tingly feeling. You know, the one you get when people are staring at you in horror-slash-sympathy. I slowly poked the straw into the top of the box and put my lips on it as I watched all the other (and I mean all) moms pull out bottles of white and rosé and champagne and pop those suckers open.

No lie. We are on school grounds. And boozing it up. Someone smiled and passed me a glass, while simultaneously plucking the offending juice box from me with her thumb and forefinger as if handling a dirty diaper, before handing it to one of my kids.

I had found my people.

Wine is a great social lubricant at almost every event. It’s cheaper than hard liquor, and less gassy than beer. You can always find it at wedding receptions, art gallery openings,, and, apparently, school picnics. I used to sell wine and beer for a living. I’m was almost a legit expert on beer, which is what prompted the name of this here substack thingie. Let’s say I’m a Serious Appreciator of Wine but have the advantage of living in Europe a while I got to experience really great French and Italian and Spanish wines in situ, as it were plus I’ve had a bit of low level introductory sommelier workshops.

But honestly, I know what I like. Just like you do, I’m guessing. I drink wine according to my moods and, to some extent, the season. I learned this in (again) England—a country that averages four pubs per block. This is not an exaggeration. It’s the booziest country I’ve personally experienced. Work lunches almost always involve a beer or glass of wine.

At that same school, you know, the one with the white wine picnic, our Christmas Pageant included mulled wine punch. I guess you could say that I got into some…erm…habits during my two years as trailing spouse, mom of three in my pink stucco house in Billericay, Essex. Habits that I only fully grasped once we’d repatriated for good at the behest of my oldest who said, at thirteen and after 7 years of various international school experiences, that he was sick of being the only American kid at school.

My first reunion with friends was a lunch at – I will never forget this – Zingerman’s Roadhouse and the waitress asked for our order and I said without hesitation: “Bloody Mary.”

At eleven forty-five in the morning.

On a Wednesday.

The glances of “oh, so that’s how it is now, is it?” brought me crashing right back to U.S. soil I can tell you. Mind you, I didn’t get polluted on a regular basis in England. Drinking was simply somehow more naturally incorporated into the tapestry of society. A glass or two of wine was expected with dinner every night. Bloody Mary lunches with one or two of my fellow ex-pat wives were de regueur. It was what we did. It was what I got used to. It’s different here and the only way to understand that is to experience it first-hand.

But I digress and anyways, all that’s coming in the Liz Overseas and Beer Wenchie Memoir soon.

Wines are fun, to be honest. Experimenting with different varietals and new-to-you blends is even more fun. I have a few suggestions to make, if you’ll indulge me. As we plunge headlong into winter I will admit that for the last couple of years I’ve been more interested in various whites wines. Those who know me best will be all “whoa, recommending whites much? Really?”

And to them I say “Yep. Now pay attention. Take notes.”

When asked, I used to always choose a red wine over white. Cabernet or a big fat Italian Valpolicella or a spicy Zinfandel were my go-to’s for years. Spring and summer, I’m reaching for a fruity Pinot Noir or smooth, perfumey Malbec

But lately, and for reasons on some level related to a sudden tannin sensitivity plus my poor, aging esophagus, I’m going for a grape-fruity Sauvignon Blanc or an un-oaked Chardonnay. I’ll rarely turn down a glass of bubbly prosecco and am recently into a few of the fruitier whites—even (yes, I’m saying this so just remain calm) a nice rosé.

But to take a Sauv Blanc detour for a moment, I firmly believe that the ones out of New Zealand’s Marlborough region are the best mainly because they are the most citrusy (grapefuity). Of these, you can never go wrong with a Kim Crawford, or even Nobilo and those can be obtained for around $15 a bottle. It has been said (and I agree) that Sauvignon Blanc is the world’s most reliably good white–and ** Bonus ** you do NOT have to break the bank for a decent bottle of this dryer option that goes with almost anything on your plate. If you want to venture into higher price points for it to see what changes, I’d venture “not much” BUT please, be my guest. Grab this bottle of Merry Edwards, and enjoy! Russian River Valley Sauv Blancs are my second fav. Napas tend to be more $$ but in my humble opinion, less tasty.

I’m a total fan of a white blend from the Wagner family vineyards. “Conundrum” is a great name for it. It means riddle, puzzle, quandary, dilemma. And these blends (there’s a red one too that’s meh) are just that—both good, and yet hard to pin down. The white blend is a nice, refreshing option, perfect to pair with spicy foods or to sip with friends. It’s an expert blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat Canelli and Viognier which means it’s fruity, but not sweet. It’s interesting enough to make you say “wow” when you taste it but complex enough to be a puzzle, an enigma. I highly recommend it. You can find it at most wine shops. If not, just ask.

The “white Zin” trend has morphed into a “rosé” one that frankly, I welcome. Rosé wines have a sort of cider-like, fruiter taste that’s more interesting than white zinfandel. And there are plenty of options these days. Some of the best Rosés come from France but I tried one that’s pinot noir based out of Oregon that if you can find it, you should snag it. Gran Moraine comes from an area famous for hops growing—the Willamette Valley that’s also famous for the heart break of pinot noir growing. I had the 2017 vintage. It was well balanced with the sort of dry finish I prefer. Ask your favorite wine shop to find it for you. You won’t be sorry. Portugal makes some great Rosés as well.

Rieslings are enjoying a resurgence in popularity lately. The grapes are still grown mostly in the Old World as the wine snobs call Europe—primarily in Germany but also Austria and France’s Alsace region. Some New World-ers (a.k.a. New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and the Pacific Northwest U.S.) are becoming contenders, at least according to one of my go-to recommenders, Decanter. What’s interesting about the style is there’s a Riesling wine for most every palate. The one characteristic that strings together all Rieslings is its super high acidity. Beyond that, Riesling can be light or full, dry or sweet, delicate or powerful.

I’d recommend a New World to try first, Kung Fu Girl out of Washington State. If you’re going for a more traditional German version, see if you can get your mitts on a bottle of Dönnhoff Estate Riesling Trocken. It’s got a seriously dry bite with a sort of peach and citrus thing going on that is spot on with fish, chicken or, you know, by itself in a glass of your choosing.

As long as we’re talking whites, do not sleep on Grüner Veltliner. I’d call it as if a Marlborough region Sauv Blanc and an un-oaked Chard had a baby, a baby named, you know, Gruner. It’s got some citrus, but it’s also a tad peppery with plenty of minerals and (some of them) with a poprocks sort of acid kick. It is definitely NOT a sweet Reisling. Here are some nice options sort of all over the price point range..

The bottom line with wine is, regardless of what the experts might tell you or what you read online, you should find a flavor profile that you like whether it’s a full-bodied, coat-your-tongue, Italian or Cabernet, or a sweet, acidic Sauv Blanc or are going off the deep end with a new-to-you Austrian varietal, wine isn’t about what you should or shouldn’t drink. It’s about what you like to drink. Sure, there are pairings that will highlight the various features of both food and the grape varietal. And rest assured, we are going to talk to an expert about that soon. But that self-same expert (a.k.a. Sommelier) was the one who taught me: drink what you like. Try something new every now and then to expand your horizons.

Then, drink what you like, the way you like, and with the people you like.

xoxo

Liz

No P.S.’s I’m too busy editing my new release and cheering for my Louisville Cardinals and Detroit Lions!!