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The Grapevine
Hosted by Michael Franz
Special to the Washington Post
Wednesday, May 22, 2002; Noon EDT
Every other Wednesday at Noon EDT, Washington Post wine columnist Michael Franz was online for The Grapevine to talk about the art of wine and his latest column.
Franz, who says he's been "drinking wine for 20 years and intently studying it for 13 years," regularly conducts public tastings for the Washington Wine Academy. You can find his column on alternating Wednesdays in The Washington Post Food section.
The transcript follows -- enjoy the oenological banter.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Michael Franz: G’day mates! Welcome to The Grapevine, an interactive forum on all things vinous. The basic idea for the show is that you submit any question plausibly related to wine, and I do my best to shed some light on the matter. Anything from the growing of wine grapes, to the craft of the winemaker, to the workings of the wine trade, to issues of buying, storing and serving the stuff is fair game, so the range of potential discussion points is very broad. I’m always especially interested in questions regarding the pairing of wines with food, so let me help if you’ve got a question along these lines. Please don’t be offended if I can’t get to your question during the hour, as there are almost always more than I can manage. Generally speaking, I try to respond first to those questions that may be of most general interest, or at least those that I can answer with information that will be useful to participants other than the questioner. However, I also take questions to help individuals, so please be patient and keep trying!
Some of you may have seen my column on Muscats in today’s Post, and if you intend to try to track down a few of the wines, here are the D.C. wholesalers:
MOSCATO:
Cascina Fonda Moscato d’Asti 2001 ($12, Dionysos)
Cantine Aurora Tortona Piedmonte Moscato Vino Frizzante 2001 ($11, Baltimore Vintage House)
Michele Chiarlo Moscato d’Asti “Nivole” 2000 ($11, 375 ml, National)
Elio Perrone Moscato d’Asti 2001 ($15, Franklin)
Golan Heights Winery Golan Moscato 2001 ($10, Washington Wholesale)
Tualatin Estate Willamette Valley Oregon Semi-Sparkling Muscat 2000 ($19, Washington Wholesale).
MUSCAT TABLE WINES:
Heimberger Alsace Muscat Réserve Particulière 2000 ($12, Country Vintner)
Joao Pires Terras do Sado Muscat 2000 ($9.75, Dionysos)
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Alsace Grand Cru Goldert Muscat 1999 ($40, Winebow).
SWEET DESERT WINES:
Domaine de Coyeau Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2000 ($15, Bacchus)
Domaine Bouletin Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2000 ($14, Country Vintner)
Bonny Doon Vineyard California “Vin de Glaciere” 2000 ($19, DOPS)
Tobin James Paso Robles Late Harvest Muscat “James Gang Reserve” 2000 ($19, Baltimore Vintage House)
Beaulieu Vineyard California “Muscat de Beaulieu” NV ($9, National);
Bodegas Guttierrez de la Vega 1999 Alicante “Costa Diva” 1999 ($22, 500 ml, Franklin)
Chateau de Jau Muscat de Rivesaltes 1999 ($12, 500 ml, Washington Wholesale)
Finally, I want to follow my usual practice of giving you Grapevinistas a special tip on a hot bottling or two, and today’s pick is:
Mantel Blanco (Rueda, Spain) Sauvignon Blanc, 2000, ($9): Spain is one of the most exciting countries in the contemporary world of wine, with excellent wines being made in both traditional and international styles. Sauvignon Blanc is a relative newcomer there (by comparison to Verdejo, about which you’ll be hearing more from me before long), but this bottling can hold its own with wines from other countries costing much more. A round, softly textured wine marked by vivid citrus, fig and melon flavors, this has all the zest you want from this grape but in a ripe, medium-bodied format that will prove satisfying even with moderately robust dishes like grilled fish or chicken. Delicious, versatile, and a bargain to boot!
So, on to your questions…
Abuja, Nigeria:
Michael--
Enjoying the forum from afar. I have a food and wine question. I have noticed at the leading restaurants of Abuja and at dinner parties that people tend to take a bite of food and then chase it with a sip (or gulp) of wine. Is there a protocol or "best practice" on the proper sequence of food and wine? While anticipating your sage reply, I conducted my own experiment: my wife prepared a lovely pork roast, and I supplied a 1997 Hamilton-Russell Pinot Noir. First we tried a bite and chased it with the wine: basically just eating and drinking. Then we took a prodigious sip of the HRW and followed directly with a bite of pork roast. Wow! The food and wine were dancing around each other like two long-lost lovers! Based on these results, it seems to me that this is the way to go. Is everyone missing out?
Michael Franz: Hi! Coming to join us from that far away, you get to go first! I almost always take a bite of food first and then, just as that is heading down the hatch, send in the wine to do its thing. However, this is just what comes naturally to me, so perhaps the issue warrants further study...which I will commence tonight! Anybody else got a take on this?
St. Louis, Mo.:
Hi Mr. Franz. Hope you'll take my question. I am taking my boyfriend to a very expensive restaurant this week and I have NO idea how to order wine at a restaurant. Is there a book I can peruse to learn the basics (in less than a week?).
Thank you.
Michael Franz: Hi! If you're headed to an expensive restaurant, chances are good that they will have a pretty extensive wine list, which maybe daunting. However, it is also likely that they'll have reasonably experienced staff, and perhaps even a sommelier, to help. If not, just try to stick to the tried-and-true rule of selecting wines that are roughly equivalent in robustness with the dishes you select. That is, if you get appetizers that are light and delicate, order a couple of glasses or a half bottle of a light, delicate wine (like, say, a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio). Likewise, if you order something big and robust for your main course, go with a big robust wine like California Chardonnay or Syrah or Cabernet. If you order something moderate in the way of food (like chicken or light pork or veal), you really can't go very far wrong. In any case, just relax and have fun!
Washington, D.C.:
Hello, Michael. I love your chat! I drink mainly red wines. A friend suggested I try a Gewurztraminer or a Viognier. I have no idea what vineyards to select. Are there any mid-range choices of these varietals that you can recommend? Thanks so much and have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Michael Franz: Hey there,
To stick a toe in the Viognier waters, a very affordable option is pepperwood Grove California Viognier 2000 or 2001, which is rich and delicious and costs a mere $8. Gewurztraminer will cost a bit more to get a good example of the breed, but try either J.B. Adam, Trimbach or Hugel from Alsace, which are heady and rich and exotically perfumed. They'll run about $12-$15, and are great with spicy Asian foods.
Arlington, Va.:
Michael,
I can't be alone in having this question: as a recent victim of the Internet economy and realistically expecting to be unemployed for at least a few months, I am on a fairly tight budget. Among other things, this means that I can't go out and every week buy several bottles of wine in the $10-$20 price range as my wife and I had been in the habit of doing. So (please don't laugh) I was wondering if you had any recommendations in the $5 price range, or suggestions for how to find wines that cheap that are drinkable. We've bought a few at Trader Joe's that were OK, and it seems to me that we do better with whites than reds, but it is very hit or miss.
Thanks!
Michael Franz: Hey, I've been there! As an impoverished graduate student, I made the rounds of cheap wines for years. About 18 months ago, I did a story on wines priced at $8 or less, but not having headed into these treacherous waters since that time in any systematic way, I'm not well positioned to help at the moment. However, since you're in the area, I'd head to Calvert Woodley's ad in the front section of Monday's Post and look to see what is in your affordability range. They are ultra-competitive in the stuff running down the left side of their big ad, and the wines they include are really quite solid. I don't mean to single out any one retailer...except that their selection is so strong for your particular needs. Once you've found a few favorites, see if retaileers closer to you will match the prices....
Missouri:
Re wine & food -
I first learned about the joys of comingling food and wine in France with the cheese course. A small bite of chevre (like rocamadour) or bleu cheese combined with a sip of red wine makes both flavors come alive, to be savored as long as possible. After having done this for awhile, I can't imagine one without the other.
Michael Franz: Thanks...other views out there along these lines?
Washington, D.C.:
I was wondering about your opinion of Loudon Valley Vineyards.
This past weekend, some friends and I visited this vineyard, along with a few others. The way we were treated was astounding. Four of us asked to do a tasting of the dozen (!) or so wines. Now, if a winery three or four tastings per person or anything), you would think they would want their patrons to taste responibly, right?
WRONG! As we tasted the wines, we poured what remained in our glasses into the dump bucket they provided. As we were -- theoretically -- going to taste up to 12 wines, we also opted for spitting and not imbibing the wine samples.
When the person who was pouring for our party saw my husband spit -- politely and discreetly of course -- into the dump bucket, she chided him as if he had spat on her shoes! She immediately said "OH NO! Do not spit into that because of health reasons!" She then proceeded to bring us a huge white plastic bucket (probably used to collect grapes, from what I could tell) so that we could us that as a real dump bucket.
Doesn't this seem absurd to you? Isn't that what a dump bucket is for? The dump bucket we had originally was clearly intended to be a dump bucket, considering she mentioned that we could pour the remains in there, so what gives?
I'll not be re-visiting Loudon Valley Vineyards EVER after the way we were treated.
Were we in the wrong?
Michael Franz: Great story! I have tasted there only one, and arrived with no appointment and did not tell them my name. All but one of the wines were quite poor in quality. In your case the issue is the knowledge level of the person staffing the tasting bar...which seems problematic, but is perhaps not representative of the usual situation there. My question is, what the hech were they intending to do with the wine they were trying to prevent you from spitting into? Yikes! Don't give up on Virginia, though, as the wines are getting better very quickly.
Somewhere, USA:
Complete ignorance here: I have a bottle of Moscato. It was given to me, and I haven't opened it because I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it. (duh, drink it, I know). I was told it was a "sweet sparkling wine" - for dessert? How sweet is it?
Michael Franz: Moderately sweet, and it is best before dinner on a hot, lazy day, or after dinner with some simple sliced fruit. I hope you haven't been keeping it for too long, but if it is 2000 or 2001, you'll love it!
Chantilly, Va.:
Hi Michael,
I actually have an "general alcohol" question for you -I don't drink alcohol save for wine and the occasional beer, and I know there's like a rule on drinking highly alcoholic drink first or last, to avoid being getting sick. "beer before liquor" or something like that - can you refresh my memory on this? Thanks!
Michael Franz: Hi there...thank you for your question. The fact is that there are all sorts of urban legends about imbibing techniques that will help stave off unpleasant after effects, and I'm convinced that almost every one of them is total hooey. Clearly, drinking too much of anything will make you sick. Also, drinking beer and wine and spirits and sweet drinks isn't going to help your chances. However, drinking almost anything or any combination of things SLOWLY, WITH FOOD, IN MODERATION, AND WHEN ADEQUATELY HYDRATED will keep you from getting into trouble, whether at the time or the next day. It really is that simple!
Washington, D.C.:
Any opinions or suggestions on Virginia Wines?
Michael Franz: My opinion is that they are interesting and rapidly improving, and I'm putting my time where my mouth is on that one by writing a book for University of Virginia Press on the subject. If there is a particular region you're intending to visit, I'll be happy to help with a couple of recommendations on places to visit.
Loudoun, Va. V.V. poster :
It's me again.
Oh, I'd never give up on Virginia wines. There are quite a few I'm fond of.
Also, I entirely agree with your assesment of the wines at Loudoun Valley Vineyards - they weren't worth mentioning in my rant!
And you bring up a scary point - what the heck could they be using that discarded wine for? Scary!
Michael Franz: Hi there...glad you're not scared off easily!
Washington, D.C.:
How are 1996 champagnes turning out?
Some rumors tell me it might be the best vintage of the nineties, and I wonder if you could confirm (or dispel) this rumor.
Michael Franz: Not many are out yet, as the bbust that the millennium turned out to be left wholesalers and retailers in possession of lots to clear out of the pipeline. But yes, those are clearly wines to watch, and indeed all across Europe...from Champagne to the Mosel and Rhine vineyards in Germany down to Spain and Italy, 1996 was a dynamite vintage for white wines, and the vintage Champagnes are the last to hit the market.
Washington, D.C.:
An odd question for you -- I had my annual eye exam yesterday. I mentioned to my doctor that I had a rather spectacular allergy attack this weekend after drinking some wine. (The attack was not life threatening, just pronounced.) The doctor said that wine exacerbates allergies and the real culprit may have been the flowers on the table or something else. Have you heard/read that wine has this effect? Thanks.
Michael Franz: Hi, this is a complex subject that I've addressed here many times. A quick question first: Do you drink wine with enough frequency (i.e., one every week or 10 days) for this to be regarded as an abberation, or was the consumption of wine very unusual for you and thus a plausible culprit?
Washington, D.C.:
State of Wedded Bliss: Michael,
I just wanted to thank you for your excellent advice regarding wine transportation. My husband and I just returned from a FABULOUS honeymoon in Napa (with a one day pop over to Sonoma that convinced us that we need to do a longer trip there someday). We purchased a sturdy packing box for 12 bottles of wine for a mere $8. They had them for sale everywhere! We got ours at a little grocery. A few stray bottles were of necessity packed in our luggage (our rental car was too small for 2 boxes) and we checked the case through without incident.
Now we can sip and dream about our honeymoon. ahhhh.
Michael Franz: Congratulations! Thanks for getting back to me, and for helping get the news to others.
Alexandria, Va.:
At most restaurants, wine prices are two to three times inflated. When figuring a tip, should one deduct the wine price (as well as the tax) from the total bill before figuring tip? That is, why pay tip on both (too) high wine price and tax? Obviously exceptions apply.
Gordon
Michael Franz: Hi Gordon,
If you do that sort of deduction, you're taking out your displeasure on your server, who is clearly not to blame for the restaurant's pricing practices. I just flew back into the country last night, but know that my colleague Ben Giliberti was going to run a story on this general issue last Wednesday. Did you see it?
Somewhere, USA:
5-dollar land: There are some Tempranillos from Valdepenas, Crianza '96 and '97, that are available in NoVa for 5-6 bucks that go great with a variety of foods.
Michael Franz: Yes, southern Spain and Italy are two great regions to consider for true table wine (as opposed to jug plonk or bag-in-box stuff) in that price range....
Washington, D.C.:
Michael:
The food and wine question from Nigeria raises a larger question - does wine complement the food or does food complement the wine? I recently drank a glass of Marjosse (sp?) Bordeaux. At first it seemed moderately pleasant. When I began the meal, however, the wine seemed to take on a new character and became, in my opinion, a much "better" wine. I have noticed this with several wines. Is drinking wine with food a fundamentally different tasting experience than drinking it alone? Are certain wines designed to be "food" wines? Should a great wine properly be tasted without the distraction of food? I assume your professional tasting is never done with food. Would the results be different if it were?
Michael Franz: Hi Great question(s). According to the American Heritage Dictionary, which I have on hand in my office here, "complement" is "something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection." That pretty much says it: The answer is that great matches are ones in which both the wine and the food are enhanced in the interaction. As for your other good questions: Yes, drinking wine with food is seriously different than drinking wines alone. Second, it is wise to evaluate wines without the _influence_ of food, but I'd never call it a "distraction" because the true and highest purpose of wine is partnership in synnergy with food. Finally, my tasting are--whenever possible--done both with and without food. That is, I initially taste a cluster of wines with no food involved, but then check all the best bottles with food to see their performance characteristics in that important context. And yes, results and placings do change as a result. Food wines? Yes: Moderate wieght with elevated acidity really helps wines work well with foods, and with a wider range of foods. There is more I'd like to say on this...but at least there's a start!
Washington, D.C.:
Michael -- a somewhat wine-related question: Do you get seasonal allergies, hay fever etc.? I get terrible allergies each year during the spring and really notice that my sense of taste and smell are dulled. Do you ever have to abstain from evaulating wines due to allergies or perhaps a common cold? I've never read much about it, but I would guess that it's a significant issue for wine critics. Thanks for the chats, wish you could do them every week!
Michael Franz: Hi there,
I hope that the worst is over for you. Clearly, one's capabilities are impeded seriously by colds and allergies, and yes, I do abstain from doing evaluative tastings when affected. Under some circumstances, if I'm traveling in a wine region and have no ther choice, I'll use Sudafed or a generic equivalent, since there is no alternative. I use a prescription drug to ward off allergy symptoms on a daily basis, and go to rather elaborate lengths to avoid problems of this sort...but they catch up with all of us periodically. Have you asked your doctor for advice?
Baltimore, Md.:
So I'm going to a friend's party this weekend and I thought I'd bring over a bottle of wine. I know she likes Shiraz. What would you recommend in a reasonable (under $30) price range?
Michael Franz: Widely available and always delicious is Peter Lehmann Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, which is either 1998 or 1999 at the moment, and should ring up at just under $20. Cheers!
Washington, D.C.:
Michael -- I'd love to get your thoughts on the new issue of the Wine Spectator, whose cover story is value wines priced $40 or less. I think it's they've helped mush up the market enough with all the stories on wines like Gaja or DRC that mortals can't afford, but now making $40 wines "values" (and that's $40 retail!) is irresponsible!
Michael Franz: I've yet to see the issue, and wonder whether they are really teming these "value" wines. Even if they are, it is certainly true that there are good "values" in every price category if the quality is in excess of what is typical on that particular tier, even though one might only say that "bargain" wines can be found at low prices. Having said all of this in the interest of fairness, let me support the gist of your comment this way: The Wine Spectator consistently harms the cause of the popularization of wine in the United States by depicting it as a luxury product, which they apparently do as a way of being able to sell advertising space to those selling luxury products. If they were to depict wine as an everyday pleasure rather than showing people in tuxedos holding up auction paddles and clutching bottles of $1,000 wine, they'd have a much harder time selling ad space to Rolex and Jaguar and the like.
Anybody want to take issue with this opinion? Let's have it out here in two weeks, when we next crank up the Grapevine...same time, same site. Until then, cheers!
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