White Wine

[stevebody]

Actual exchange between me and one of my female customers at Esquin:

Me: You'll notice a strong aroma of apricot in there...

She: They use apricots?

Me: No, that's...

She: 'Cause I want a wine made from grapes. I told our friends I was going to buy wine and they asked what grape I was going to get.

Me: They're all grape wines! Nothing here is made from anything else...Well, we have a little mead over there but...

She: I saw a cranberry wine.

Me: Yeah, that's made locally and it's got cranberries in it, but...

She: So I want a wine without anything in it but grapes.

Me: I got you confused. Flavors and aromas in wine are caused by the characteristics of the grapes. Other flavors just emerge when you drink them. Blackberry is a common flavor in Syrah, black currant in Cabernet, but they don't put the actual fruit in there. It's something you want in wine, those layers of flavor.

She: No, I just want a wine that tastes like grapes! I planned dinner around having wine and that's the flavor I need to match the salmon.

Me: (picking up a Promessa Rosso Salento) Here's one of the best salmon wines I've ever tasted and you see how inexpensive it is. It'll match up perfectly.

She: My friend told me that I should ask if it was stored in wood.

Me: Pardon?

She: Wood...you know, like in a barrel.

Me: Well, yeah. It was.

She: (making a face) So it tastes like some old nasty barrel?

Me: No, no! The barrel gives it a kind of smoky flavor and a little vanilla taste. And the barrels are clean...even new, most times.

She: They put vanilla in it?

Me: No...Vanilla is a natural flavor in wines aged in oka barrels.

She: Well, somebody had to put vanilla into the barrel, didn't they? Wood isn't vanilla.

Me: The same natural essence that makes vanilla taste that way, vanillin, is also in oak. It's just a complement to the flavors. You'll hardly notice it.

She: Flavors? I really need just grape.

Me: (struggling) Ma'am...all wines have more than one flavor in them. Wine is very complex. It sometimes has a dozen or more flavors in it and can develop more as the air works on it. Most wines DON'T taste like grapes. Trust me, your guests will love this with salmon.

She: Oh, now I'm confused...

Me: Do you like beer?

She: Oh, we all love beer.

He: How 'bout a beer with the salmon? Something light. It'll work just fine.

She: Oh. Okay. What kinds do you have?

Me: Well, we don't sell beer. But there is a state liquor store right up the street.

She: Oh, no. Liquor won't go with the salmon. Although, maybe vodka...

Me: They have beer.

She: They do? I thought it was just liquor.

Me: Well, maybe they don't...Now, I'm confused.

She: They said they could get the wine if I didn't want to fool with it. They know wine.

Me: Great! Want to use our phone and call them?

She: Thank you so much! You're such a help!

Some paraphrasing but not much. Perfectly sweet lady but I had to go lay down with a cold rag on my head...