Different Tongues - Power of Suggestion

[Randy Caparoso]

Well, foodie, even I really can't totally condemn scoring. What we really need is a total team effort -- writers, retailers, restaurateurs, the entire production and distribution industry, friends, neighbors, countrymen -- to help get the enjoyment of wine to the point where it's accepted as a food and a civilized part of everyday life that it is. At that point, I have a feeling that it will be easier for people to understand that a huge, opulent, 90+ point oak infused Napa Valley Chardonnay is NOT for drinking with normal white wine food. I'm sure, for instance, that the latest Beringer Private Reserve could be just fine with veal, sweetbreads or whole stuffed organic chicken in viscous, buttery, Chardonnay-laced natural juices. But this is the kind of knowledge that should come as naturally as knowing that you don't drive a limo onto the beach, let your daughter take the Lexus to a Marilyn Manson concert, or check into the Oscars in your lovably beat-up Deadhead van.

There's a time and place for all wines, from the cheapest White Zins to the most Parker-ized Cabs and Chards. I think we'll get there yet.