When people find out that I’m in the wine business, I am usually peppered with questions ranging from the very basic to the very obscure.  Also, I do wine tastings and seminars for wait staff and consumers, and I encourage questions at these.  Most of these questions have fairly simple, understandable answers. After all, wine is just grape juice, with a twist - no ostentatious mysterious hoopla, just juice.  Some of these questions are asked more frequently than others, so I thought repeating a few of these with brief answers might make for interesting reading.

 There is so much information out there about wine; where do I start?

            There’s a ton of information about wine available, from the ABC’s to the trivial details.  The internet is a great place to start your search.  There are videos and pictures from different regions, grapes and wineries that are available right at our fingertips.  I am such a “Google nerd” that when I type in any question, wine-related or not, I seem to get lucky and find plenty of answers.

            If you’d rather sit in a chair and read, I’d suggest my first wine book, “Windows on the World” (the restaurant that used to be located on top of the World Trade Center NYC) by Kevin Zraly.    Updated many, many times, this a great read with information in nice digestible chunks; none of the sections are long and boring.  I would also recommend “The Oxford Companion to Wine," edited by Jancis Robinson.  With information listed in alphabetical order, it’s a great reference book from a reliable source and I use it as my personal wine encyclopedia.

            My last bit of advice is to have a glass of whatever wine you want to learn about at the same time you’re doing your research.  Learning about Cru Beaujolais with a glass of it in your hand connects that taste to the knowledge – just don’t have too many glasses.

How long will a wine keep after it’s opened?

            Reds will be fine for a couple of days if they are recorked and left on the shelf.  You can increase a red’s drinkable life if you use a vacuum-style wine saver (not too pricy – about $12.)  If you don’t think you’ll finish it in a couple of days, put it in the fridge.  When you are ready to drink it, pull it out for a couple of hours to bring down the temperature.  You’ll get about four to five days this way.  Opened whites should be put in the refrigerator and will also last four to five days. 

How do you chill a white wine or champagne quickly?

            Fill a bucket with half ice, half water and add a tablespoon of salt.  Your wine will cool down in a half an hour.  Don’t be tempted to stick it in the freezer.  I have cleaned up way too many pieces of exploded glass in my day.

Is it Syrah or Shiraz?

            This is one of the most frequently asked questions.  Syrah and Shiraz are just different names for the same grape.  The homeland of Syrah is in the northern Rhone region of France.  It was brought to Australia in 1832 and given the name “Shiraz” to honor the Persian city where the grape was believed to have originated. However, recent DNA tracing has found that it actually originated in France – sorry Aussies.  California and South Africa are now experiencing considerable success with the grape.  They call it Syrah or Shiraz depending on the thought process of the marketing department and what they think will sell most.

Why are some wines so expensive?  Does that mean they are that much better?

            This is one of those yes and no answers.  Like the prices of all products and services, the law of supply and demand determines what the market will bear.  Some wines are made in “perfectly situated vineyards” such as those in Napa that are listed in real estate magazines at up to a million dollars an acre planted.  Some are made in very small amounts; some have centuries of fame; some have cult followings. All of these factors may drive up the price.  Many of these high price tags are well deserved, but many are not.  Sometimes the price points are set by a winemaker’s ego, an over-priced, elitist marketing scheme, or simple greed. 

            I get a lot of pleasure out of treasure hunting for wine.  Finding a great bottle of wine at a lower than expected price makes my day.  How does one find these treasures?  Ask your wine merchant; research the internet; and always be willing to try something new.

Which is better:  a cork or a screw cap?

            Since cork is a natural, organic material it can go bad.  It is estimated that up to ten percent of all cork-finished wines can be affected by cork taint to some degree.  This is a huge concern for winemakers because the taste of the wine changes when the cork is bad (musty and moldy.)  Screw caps offer a solution because they have no effect on a wine’s quality.  The problem with this is that in the past only cheap jug wines used them, and the stigma associated with this shady history still remains.  Also, the jury is still out as to whether the wine will age the same way with a screw cap as it does with a cork.  Personally, I never hesitate to buy and drink a screw cap wine.

            These are just a few of the many questions that I frequently asked.  My advice to you is to keep on asking, keep on learning, and keep on drinking a variety of wines.  Keep an open mind and experiment with new countries, varieties, wineries and blends.  Wine is a fascinating topic and an adventure to be lived and loved.