From Wino to Wineaux

Going a bit tongue in cheek today, we're going to talk about the transformation from wino to wineaux. But, first we need to define the terms. For purposes of this post, a wino is a person who grabs the bottle closest to their right thumb, hopefully screw cap because it's easier to open and hopefully low-priced and high in alcoholic content, doesn't actually look to see what it is and frankly doesn't care, pours as much as they can fit into any old glass, and guzzles it quickly. A wineaux, on the other hand, might be a person who chooses their wine carefully, wants to drink it to savor it, and wants to understand what they are drinking and why. But, you don't have to be one or the other. More than likely, you are somewhere on the spectrum.

We all tend to start much closer to wino. And, then something happens to begin the transformation. Perhaps it is that moment when somebody serves you a wine that is just markedly different from anything you have ever tasted. And, you realize that there is a difference, there is a purpose beyond just the effects of the alcohol. For many people that I know, it was that first glass of other than truly mass-produced Chardonnay; that is, the first bottle they had that was fermented in barrel and went through malolactic fermentation (not to say that either of those is a requirement by any means as many great Chardonnays never touch oak). For others, it was the first time they had a red wine that was old enough for the tannins to have softened and rounded. For Thomas Haden Church's character Jack, it was when Paul Giamatti's character Miles introduced him to fine Pinot Noir.

For me, the journey was a bit different. As I tasted wines with the same name as each other (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc), I noticed they were not all the same. Even at very similar price points, there were major differences. I also noticed that the temperatures at which they were served changed the taste, sometimes the glasses in which they were served made a difference and so on.

What did I do? Well, I drank more wine and perhaps my heart thanks me, but my liver does not (in all seriousness, I do not drink wine to extreme). And, I asked questions about wine and I read about wine. I listened to what people had to say. So, when I heard that one wine was aged in new French oak and another was aged in neutral American oak, I needed to understand why one was chosen over the other and what difference it made. And, then I heard a winemaker talk about southern exposure and I wondered what difference that made. If I had thought about it, I suppose I would have worked it out, but I was lazy, or perhaps opportunistic and just asked. 

I found all this interesting. So I read. A lot. In my casr, I have the gift of a sponge for a brain. I read things or hear things and I remember them. Probably way more than is useful, but I do better with things I care about than things that I don't. Today, often, even when opening the cheapest bottle I could find wherever I was buying, I taste and sip with all that in mind. No guzzling for me.

I suppose that's part of what made me start this blog. That and the realization that with COVID becoming more widespread, I was going to be locked down for a few weeks (wow, were the experts wrong on that one) and needed something to replace all my time in the air. 

But, it is what has allowed me to do this blog. And, to repeat, most of the places I have "taken you to, " I've never been near. Most of the wines we have tasted, I've never had. But in transforming into a wineaux with a little bit of help from my memory, I have a good enough sense of what should be the right answer to do all this vicariously and hopefully get you there in an enjoyable way.

Next week, we hit one year and I think I am going to celebrate by trying to answer the question I always resist answering. If I can figure it out, that is.