wine's a mystery to me

by Sue Reddel, Chief Ambassador, PoshPorts

It's no secret that I like wine. I'm definitely not a wine snob. I'd much rather drink a wine that I enjoy than a popular or expensive bottle that I'm not that crazy about. I confess that what I know about wine is fairly limited, but the good news is I learn more everyday. I find wine fascinating. It's not just the taste or the warm fuzzy feeling you get from sipping. It's the history, the traditions that grab ahold of my attention and don't seem to let go.

I've had the privilege of tasting wines in and from some of the world's best wine-producing regions. There are several that have made an indulable impression on my brain. One of them was in Burgundy, France. When planning the trip I admit I was a little tentative about the wine we might be tasting. The region is known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Pinot Noir? No problem. I rarely find one I don't like. But Chardonnay was never my friend. I simply did not care for it, or so I thought. So off we went and sure enough at our first meal on our barge cruise we were brought two Chardonnays to sample. Terrific. I carefully took a small first sip. To my delight it was delicious. I immediately called over our wine expert so I could learn more about the wine. I learned then something quite amazing. Many Burgundy Chardonnays are un-oaked or not stored in oak-barrels. We all have heard folks proclaim that the Chardonnay was "oakey." Well, the oak barrel is what provides that flavor. Simple, yes? I had no clue. We also learned that many California Chardonnays are stored in oak barrels, which explains my dislike of Cali Chards. Oakey is not something that my palette perfers. This, for me, was a revelation and changed the way I looked at Chardonnays. I now enjoy un-oaked Chardonnay whenever I see it on a wine list.

Another thing I became familar with on that trip was wine and history. In France, the history of many vineyards was shared with us during our trip. I'm sure that our tour guide quickly tired of the many questions I asked. He mentioned at one point that the next town we were going to had a very good bookstore and since he saw my interest he recommended Wine & War by Don & Petie Kladstrup. When we arrived I quickly made my way to the store and purchased the book. I spent any down time I had on the trip reading this book. It was just fascinating. I had no idea how much the wine industry had been impacted by the many wars that raged through the vineyards of France. I was also intrigued by ingenuity of the vintners, who often created secret caves or vaults to hide their finest wines from the lootings of the wars.

Reading this book made me want to learn more. So I moved onto to Don & Petie's second book Champagne: How the world's most glamorous wine triumphed over war and hard times. This book also thoroughly held my attention. Champagne by far is my favorite wine so reading the history truly brought the tiny little bubbles to life. When I later made the trip to the Champagne region it made that trip even more spectacular. It also interested me that so many women made such an impact on the champagne and wine industry. By now everyone has heard of Madame Veuve Clicquot and how she revolutionized the champagne business. Her wiley business skills helped turn around the business that her father-in-law was set to abandon after the widow Clicquot's husband's untimely death. Her business savvy turned Veuve Clicquot into a successful worldwide business. For the full account check out the book The Widow: Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman who Ruled It by Tilar J. Mazzeo. There are many, many more women who were and still are contributors to the wine world.

You can imagine my surprise and delight when while reading Fine - The American Wine magazine I stumbled across an article about a discovery of 168 bottles from the 1830's aboard a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea off the coast of the Aland Islands. It was later confirmed that several bottles were from Veuve Clicquot. The story has all the elements you'd expect from the telling of a ship sunk by a German U-boat during WW II. It's an intriguing story that I hope you'll take the time to read.

Another fine book on the mysteries of wine is The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace. This books takes you inside the world of high-end wine collecting, Thomas Jefferson's love of wine and the deceitful ways of wine counterfeits. This story would certainly make for a terrific movie.

If you're interested in learning more about wine from an expert while studying at your own pace you won't want to miss the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. We've just begun our journey through Kevin's book but I can tell you that it's easy to read, very informative and takes a wine education step-by-step approach that you enjoy in the comfort of your home. This would be a great book to read with a book club or wine club and explore the different grapes and regions as you learn.

Looking for a few recommendations while reading about all that wine history? As far as champagne is concerned my personal everyday favorites are Moet & Chandon Imperial and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. If you're looking for something sparkling from France but not from the Champagne region (and with Champagne region prices), try De Chanceny Crement de Loire Brut, which you can find at some of the larger Whole Foods Markets or a Crement du Burgogne, available at Trader Joe's. They are just as tasty and a lot less pricey.