It’s said that this is a time when respect for real expertise is on the wane, its reputation as a source of solutions for whatever ails us under assault. Heaven knows experts have often got us into terrible fixes. In hindsight, we may blame bad outcomes on the work of ‘so-called’ experts. But this could only add to to the nicks, dents and scratches marring the once bright paint of expertise the concept.
Don’t believe it, reader. Rumors of the demise of expertise are greatly exaggerated. Look around. The expert industry is in the pink. In the professions, general practitioners are few, narrow-gauge specialists the thing. Consultants of every stripe are thick underfoot. At Formaggio Kitchen, you can ask our buyers almost any question about a product they’re responsible for and receive detailed, accurate, reliable information about it. It’s an important reason you shop with us.
So it is in the Wine Corner, where your correspondent and his able colleagues spend their days calling on their store of knowledge and experience to answer your many, often penetrating, questions. Brows furrow. Beards are scratched.
Of course, we can’t answer every question our inquisitive clientele come up with. This is, admittedly, because occasionally our expertise is not sufficient to the task, but more often it’s because the question asked is of the sort you and you alone are in a position to answer. Among such queries we number the following.
Which wine is better? The assumption (not a safe one) is that a more expensive wine, by default, will evidence more quality than a less expensive one, so this question normally arises when two bottles of more or less equal value are in the balance. The problem here is that troublesome word ‘better’ which in this context generally translates to ‘the one I will prefer/enjoy more.’ We might venture a guess, but otherwise, your subjective experience with a given wine is not one any retailer can reliably predict. Which wine is better? Only you can say.
At what temperature should this wine be served? The answer is, of course, the temperature you find pleasing. For any wine of any color, underground temperature — about that of a cool glass of water drawn from the tap — will be a good starting point. Adjust from there to suit your taste and circumstances. We’ll gladly share our thoughts on the subject, but you’re the boss of your wine.
Red, white, or pink with salmon/chicken/pork? Frankly, it’s almost impossible for anyone in our position to say with certainty. What we are sure of is that on our shelves there will be more than one red, white and pink that will work beautifully in each case. Thinking about how the dish will be prepared — grilled? poached? sauced? spiced? — rather than just naming an animal is very helpful, and we’re happy to share our thoughts. But really, the red, white or pink question is an item for your todo list.
Is this wine ready to drink? Our policy is not to have any wine on our shelves that we think needs additional time in bottle to be pleasing and drinkable. You may have other ideas. Some love the vividness and energy of younger wine, while others prefer mellowness and maturity. Is this wine good to go? You tell me.How long will an open bottle keep? Truly difficult to say. If you favor fruit presence over secondary or tertiary flavors, a shorter time. If you prefer the peek into the wine that is offered when the curtain of primary fruit is raised, a few days more. Drink or toss? Give it a think.
Should I decant? Quite often a good idea, but exceptions are frequent enough to advise caution. Our reco: Begin by tasting an ounce or so straight from the bottle to see what you’ve got. Then taste another ounce you’ve thrown back and forth a few times from one glass to another. Which do you prefer? If the former, skip decanting and hop right to it. If the latter seems more composed and expressive, give the wine a splashy decant into a roomy pitcher or carafe and serve from there. To decant or not to decant? Safe or out? You’re the umpire.
Is this wine dry? We can tell you if the wine is analytically dry, meaning that it harbors very low detectable amounts of unfermented grape sugars (no wine has zero). But since some people understand dry to mean ‘not fruity’, this can be a challenging question. How much fruit is too much? When is dry too dry? Submit the question to your inner Judge Judy.
Will you always make the right call? None of us do, but interrogating your own preferences is the surest road to becoming a more confident wine buyer and a more satisfied sipper.