When you first start to really think about the wine you are drinking and to take it a little more seriously there is a huge temptation to become a wine ‘geek’ and dismiss anything that is not to your personal taste. I take the view that there is no such thing as a bad wine (unless it’s corked, of course) just a wine that is not to my taste. We had a classic example of that at our Wine Society meeting the other week when one of the members presented a Chilean Wine which some of our members thoroughly enjoyed – indeed it would not have been chosen unless it was a favourite of the lady who presented it. However it did produce something of a shock because, for the first time in all the years I have been a member of this group I actually spat out a wine because to me, it was horrid.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the wine. It was well made, just not to my taste. Much like a friend of mine who has an eclectic taste in wine – as long as it’s not Malbec, she can spot even the tiniest percentage at a thousand paces, yet she would tell you she can’t differentiate between grape varieties. There is nothing wrong with it, she just doesn’t like it. Like any food or drink there are some we like and some we don’t. Wine is no different so don’t be tempted to dismiss a wine just because someone else doesn’t like it – it might not be to their taste – but it could be just the wine you have been searching for all your life!
I love Champagne, it is absolutely delicious - crisp, dry, slightly toasty with a soft mousse of bubbles that stimulate your palate. Just wonderful! There are many sparkling wines which are equally delicious but there is something special about Champagne, what makes it so is difficult to say, undoubtedly the terroir has a huge part to play in it.
Currently the world demand for Champagne is such that the area defined by the AOC is struggling to fulfil the demand. When the original area was set up in the 1820’s some communes elected to stay outside the boundaries and despite several attempt to reverse that decision they have always been turned down - until now. The boundaries have been redrawn and some around 40 villages whose soil and weather conditions have been deemed appropriate, have been included in the newly designated region.
The current production is some 330 million bottles, about half of which is exported with the UK being the biggest importer. Quite how much production will increase, and what the effect on prices will be, remains to be seen. I’m looking forward to tasting some of the new champagnes to see if they live up to my favourite!
Wine has long been one of my great passions, ever since I was given my first glass at a very early age. It is a passion that is meant to be shared and in sharing it improves. So I am sitting here with a glass of excellent Pinot Noir, one of my favourite types of wine, and looking forward to sharing my passion for wine with you. Let’s raise a glass together and look forward to a long and interesting relationship, discussing and sharing our favourite wines. Cheers!
