A Bottle of Red...

“A bottle of white, a bottle of red, or perhaps a bottle of rose’ instead” is one of my favorite song lyrics.  Short and simple – it comes from the Billy Joel song  “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”.  It really defines the choices you have in wine in the simplest way you can.  All of us who love wine have had unique experiences trying all these wines and finally deciding which type we will drink. In reality, it is that simple--you will either drink a red wine, a white wine or a rose' wine. 

My first experience with wine was as a young 18-year-old (18 being the legal age at the time) with a bottle of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill. Now I wouldn’t call that a rose’, but it was delicious at the moment, sweet and cold. I tell you this so you will know that my wine life started simple and cheap and over the years has grown to include so many more choices. And here is a little secret, on a really hot night during the summer I still like to have a sip of that Boone’s Farm! Please don’t tell!

Good girlfriends and myself with a bottle of Pinot Noir (which at the time we called pee-not nore) was my first experience drinking a bottle of red wine. My friends had convinced me that “friends don’t let friends drink white zinfandel” and I needed to broaden my wine choices. My palate, which loved the sweet taste of the white zinfandel, did not react too well with the luscious pinot noir.  In fact, I think my exact words were “yuck!” I did grow from this first experience and now reassure all wine drinkers I talk to  - you have to say a lot of yucks before you say you love it! My palate became used to that taste and now craves it.

When I became a full-fledged wine chick, my first goal was to show everyone how they could drink all the wonderful wines out there, even if they had never had a sip before in their life. There is a wine for everyone out there and I am determined to help everyone find his or her bottle.

September is a great time to try a new wine! It is just like starting school with that new class, full of new faces and new subjects to learn. Here are two suggestions for a great autumn wine experience:

• The red wine is Barista Pinotage from South Africa. Pinotage, (pronounced pee-no-tahj), is a grape that is well known in South Africa. This one has the aromas of coffee and chocolate – it is a tri-fecta of food items – wine, coffee and chocolate! I will admit I have even tried to drink this for brunch on Sundays with my bacon and eggs. This wine is one that will fill your mouth with big flavor and can be enjoyed by wine drinkers who normally drink big red wines and for those adventurous white wine drinkers. If you like things a little sweeter or fruitier, give it a try, but be prepared for a different taste.

• The white wine is Conquista Torrontes from Argentina. Torrontes, pronounced (tor- RON- taze), is a grape that has a floral feel to it, which means when you smell it you may be reminded of a certain flower. It is a great wine to drink with pork or spicy foods or even with a little goat cheese.  In my opinion, every wine goes well with goat cheese. Getting a slice of goat cheese from the St. Paul Farmer’s market with some bread is a Saturday afternoon highlight! This wine will hit parts of your palate you may not know are there and can be enjoyed by the wine drinker who likes Pinot Grigio. All of you red wine drinkers should give it a try too; it is a good change of taste for your palate.

I challenge all of you to try a new wine this month, break away from your old favorites, walk into a liquor store or restaurant and just pick the first bottle that calls out to you! In my world of wine that’s what I do whenever I am looking for a little fun! Cheers!