Tuesday, December 4 2007

Beer, Wine, and Learning

Prost! Wine is a playground, not a prison--as our guest blogger learned.

Guest blogger Andy Fargnoli, our representative in Ontario, tells his tale of learning to enjoy wine.

I used to think of myself as a bit of a beer man. I was the kid of guy who always had a nice variety on hand of ales and lagers from all corners of the planet, who not only could identify the style but probably the hops in it as well.

Now, thanks in large part to being a part of Winexpert for over 3 years I would actually describe myself as a beer man who has come of age. Gone is the wonderful variety of beer and its simple pleasures. In its stead - a vast assortment of wines – both red and white and generally pulled out to accompany a dish or evening I have planned.

Scary thing is I didn't even see any of this coming. Even scarier I did not know it had happened. That moment of clarity took place a couple of weekends ago. We were having a dinner party and one of the guests called to inquire what they could bring. I told them for a starter we were having grilled eggplant, roasted red pepper and red onion with toasted cumin seed and pomegranate dressing and for this a nice South African Shiraz would be great. Or for the main we were going to be serving rack of lamb with fresh rosemary mustard crust and reduced lamb jus, for which a Merlot or Malbec would be grand. When I got off the phone, I heard my wife utter – you have changed.

Like so many other things, I did not know what she was talking about until the next day. I was looking forward to watching a little football – the manly gridiron variety and not the so dubbed 'beautiful game'. I had some brats coming off the Q, opened the fridge and realized I had only 1 beer for the game and kick-off set to happen in mere seconds. Did I panic...no I did what any self respecting man of enlightenment would do- I handed the beer to my wife, went to my wine fridge, pulled out a German Riesling and enjoyed the game .

It was at this point I realized it had happened. I had spent hundreds (actually a few thousand) of dollars learning how to appreciate wines and how to read a French wine label. A whole world of choices and opportunities had opened up and suddenly became clearer and more understood.

So it got me to thinking about Winexpert's Limited Edition and how I might appreciate these wines and also how I may aid another in the pursuit of self-discovery. To simplify I have put my thoughts into a handy little chart.

Limited Edition Wine Possible usage

CHILEAN CARMENERE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Calamity wine. The dreaded 'drop in' has just occurred and this wonderfully rich wine will be great on its own. Also great with burgers, rack of lamb or even chocolate.

AUSTRAILIAN RIESLING This wine can put the grrr into your gridiron experience. Its steely freshness will be great with a variety football foods – namely sausages, or perhaps a curry.

SICILIAN NERO D'AVOLA SHIRAZ Rediscover your primal urges with this one. Simply put this is a carnivores wine.

PACIFIC QUARTET Guy's night in –most anything spicy. Also The Multi-Tasker's special. Great with pizza or Asian foods, so you can walk through the door after a rough day at the office and have dinner sorted out – your feet up and a great glass of wine in your hands - all within a few minutes of getting home.

ITALIAN BRUNELLO The showpiece. Invite your friends over to show this off. Like a work of art it
Will only get better with age. As an added bonus-dinner with your in-laws, this will be so good it will take their breath away.

Andy, and his lovely wife, sharing their enjoyment of wine.

Posted by Tim AT 5:20AM

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