In spite of what you may have heard, wine lovers are not perfect. We need New Years resolutions too. Here are mine:
· I will lose 30 pounds (OK, that’s out of the way).
· I will taste every wine I come across that I’ve never heard of before. This is a very rewarding resolution. In 2008 I learned about grillo, a delightful, light, crisp wine from Sicily that tastes a little like green tea. Couple of years ago I tasted a cabernet sauvignon allegedly made in Cuba. One out of two isn’t bad.
· I will try wines from every new wine area I learn about. Ever have a syrah from British Columbia? It’s by Mission Hill, and it tastes of black plums, tobacco, black pepper and red meat. Yes, all at once.
· Speaking of that, I will adopt the philosophy of illegitimati non carborundum (look it up; they won’t let me say it here in English) when people get on my case about my enthusiastic wine descriptions. It’s my hobby. As Billy Joel would say, I have been a fool for lesser things.
· In hard economic times, I will become relentless in pursuit of really nice wines under $10. Last year’s winner was the 2007 Bodega Norton Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina: chocolate-cherry aromas and flavors; soft, ripe and mellow; $9.
· I will take with a grain of salt those medical studies that say wine prevents heart attack, stroke, glaucoma, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. I will take comfort that those researchers are raising some of the healthiest mice on the planet.
· I will taste an English wine, if I can find one (and work up my courage). The British press says that, due to global warming, there are more than 200 wineries today in the sceptered isle. And if English wines are as good as English food, well….
· Oh, don’t write in. There’s nothing I love more than strawberries with clotted cream. (I just wonder how they clot it.)
· Even though Chateau Mouton Rothschild’s price has plummeted by half to less than $600 a bottle, I will not urge a federal bailout of the wine industry.
· I will try not to lose my taste for expensive wines. I will try to cultivate richer friends. (If they have a boat, so much the better.)
A wine for anything you want to grill
OK, so despite the heat, I’m reconciled that the Fourth of July holiday is the peak grilling weekend of the year. So here’s my list of a wine to go with almost anything you might decide to grill.
· Grilled oysters, clams, shrimp – a muscadet from France’s Loire Valley; it’s light and dry, so it’s the perfect shellfish wine.
· Grilled vegetables, from onions to eggplant, summer squash, carrots, scallions, fennel – sauvignon blanc; it has an herbal, even vegetal taste that’s a nice match.
· Grilled fish -- pinot grigio; it’s crisp and light, just the thing.
· Grilled chicken breast, skin off – pinot grigio here too; for lightness.
· Grilled blackened fish or chicken – a fruity red shiraz; here you have to match the spices rather than the meat.
· Pork or beef ribs with barbecue sauce – zinfandel; it’s American and patriotic, and it's spicy to go with the sauce.
· Grilled hot dogs – champagne; I always remember that Jimmy Buffet’s restaurant in Key West used to offer a hot dog for $100, and, for another dollar, a bottle of Dom Perignon; can’t beat that.
· Grilled hamburgers – a fruity merlot if you use ketchup, a high-acid chianti if you use mustard; if you use both, have a glass of each. I’m sort of kidding here, but I’ve seen wine writers seriously propose that you have to match the condiment rather than the meat.
· Grilled New York Strip – a big California cabernet sauvignon; the king of wines with the king of meats.
· Grilled fruit – for dessert you can grill slices of pineapple, plums, peaches, even bananas, as long as you keep a close eye so they don’t burn; pop a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re in heaven; the matching wine is a sweet, late-harvest dessert wine made of sauvignon blanc and Semillon.
