CHARDONNAY SEDIMENT

[Randy Caparoso]

Bucko, are you saying that you're 100% certain that the wine is 100% bad? Surely, you can't mean that. You must mean that you're certain that it might not be as good as it could be. With "might" being another operative term.

Were you in Hawaii when Ed Osterland MS was teaching his Grape Escape Wine School? He used to run experiments, leaving commercial premium wines out in the sun for a week or two, and comparing them to wines left inside. Generally, he found that people couldn't tell the difference, the wines were so sturdy. His buddy, Ronn Wiegand (who went on to be the first person in the world to attain both an MS and MW degree), was just as curious about the durability of wines. Besides heat trials, he used to FREEZE wines for several weeks -- sometimes it would come out just as good as a control... sometimes better! Talk about sacrilege!

But you can see what I'm getting at. Wines are a lot tougher than you often expect. I once forgot a bottle of plain Franciscan Chardonnay in the back of my damp closet, (complete with fluctuating temperatures) here in the islands. By the time I opened it, it was ten years old -- and it was knocked-down gorgeous! Who'd a'thunk?

So when it comes to wine -- ESPECIALLY high volume production wines (like Turning Leaf Chardonnay) made for the rigors of supermarket and corner liquor store treatment -- I, for one, would never say that six months on a well lit kitchen shelf would guarantee that it's worse, let alone completely bad.

CrazyJohn: Obviously, you know how a wine SHOULD be stored. But don't lose heart. Your '94 just might be better than a fresh bottle of a more recent vintage from the store. And if you're as curious as some of the more inquiring professionals I've known in my life, buy another one and see for yourself!

[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 10-29-99).]