General Rantings

[wondersofwine]

I am a Burgundy fan (both red and white Burgundies though I may be harder to please with the whites). Pinot Noir and Riesling are my favorite varietals although I also enjoy Syrah/Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurtraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Corvina, Scheurebe, etc. I think terroir is more important to me with Burgundies and Bordeaux and Riesling than with other varietals. With Zinfandel I prefer "old vines." (And that is true to some extent with red Burgundies as well). I like some Sonoma Zinfandels because they come from vineyards that survived Prohibition and go back many decades. But in Bordeaux, if I want a wine that is approachable, even pleasurable, without a decade or more of cellaring, I may look for a St. Emilion rather than a Pauillac, and that has to do with both grapes and terroir. The Merlot in St. Emilion wines softens them for earlier drinking. In Burgundy I have a partiality to Morey-St. Denis, Nuits-St-Georges and Volnay--all of which express different terroir. (On the less expensive side I can enjoy Beaune wines, Santenay, Beaujolais Cru, etc.). In Germany my favorite region is Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (where slatey steep vineyards come into play) and the Rheingau. There are some exceptional producers in Pfalz, Rheinhessen and the Nahe regions, but overall I'm not as drawn to those wines as to the M-S-R and Rheingau. In Germany the terroir doesn't always dictate the cost of the wine as it tends to do in France. You can find inexpensive Kabinett and Spatlese wines from the Mosel or the Rheingau and expensive Auslese wines from the Pfalz, etc.

I agree with Stevebody about not everyone is going to care about understanding and appreciating wine on a higher level. I did a winetasting fundraiser at my church in October and while it was fun and successful, several of the participants would have been happier sipping on beer or "sweet tea." Four of the more popular wines served were a Marsannay Rose', a Chinon Rose', a Charles Wiffen Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand (about $10-$13) and Wynn's Coonawarra Estate Shiraz (an inexpensive Australian red). I like all four of these wines or I wouldn't have served them, but prefered the Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, and the Pinot Noirs (California, Oregon and a Burgundy 1er Cru).

I started out with Riesling (and in a sense did end up with Burgundy), but I still love a good Riesling and have enjoyed many other varietals along the way (and hope to experience many more).