My (Wine) New Year’s Resolutions
Come to grips with Riesling. I resolve to do this every year — along with losing weight and keeping the garage clean — and fail utterly. My problem is with the something-less-than-mellifluous German language. Who thought it was a good idea to convert whole paragraphs into single, polysyllabic words? When did the Germans decide that random word order was a good idea? How sensible is having three genders — male, female and “going through a process of self-discovery.” Anyway, I will overcome my aversion to German (caused largely by watching too many World War II movies) and submerge as best I can into the world of Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete and Prädikatswein, from Anbaugebiet to Einzellage, this year. Maybe.
Organize the basement. Put the wine boxes in some sort of order. Start a cellar book so I can keep track of what I have in my re-organized boxes. Include in the book information about when, where and at what cost all my wine is acquired. Hide the book from my wife.
Drink all those bottles of wine that are past their prime but that I’m holding onto because they’re the last bottles of that wine I have. Sentiment be damned; the wine isn’t getting any better, so just fucking drink it.
Be a pain in the ass to my state representatives. I’ve put a prompt into my Google Calendar reminding me to call or write once a month to see how they’re doing on liberalizing Kentucky’s direct shipment laws, which are among the most restrictive in the country. My particular representatives are State Senator Tim Shaughnessy and State Representative Mary Lou Marzian, and by June I want to be well known in their offices as a crank. I will call or write, because that is harder to ignore than email, and when they have public forums I will attend and ask them in person.
December 28th, 2010 at 9:33 PM
Why the German thing? Why not learn everything to know about something like, um, washers? Oh, that’s right. So you’ll be informed and ready when the one sweet riesling in a thousand that actually is worth drinking shows up.
December 29th, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Anyone in the wine business or writing a wine blog who has yet to discover Finger Lakes Riesling needs remedial training. You, too, Wally
December 29th, 2010 at 8:33 AM
Uhm… if *I* can come to grips with Riesling, then ANYBODY can come to grips with Riesling!!!
December 29th, 2010 at 9:36 AM
I’m all about Riesling. It’s the only thing I drink with sushi. But DRY Riesling, Alsatian, Aussie, some NZ. The German wine with enough acid to balance the residual sugar and finish dry enough for me is so rare that I only drink it with unicorn burgers.
Thomas, I have had New York wines I really enjoyed, both Finger Lakes & LonguyLand. But, man, are they a tough sell in Iowa. And the rest of the US, too.
To those of you in retail, congratulations on getting through Xmas. I hope it was good. But as the sign used to say on the highway coming out of the Sierras, “Truckers, You are not down yet!”
Three more days. Hang in there.
December 29th, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Wally,
It’s too bad you can’t get some Finger Lakes Dry Rieslings out your way, from producers named Sheldrake Point, Hermann Weimer, Heron Hill, Anthony Road, Fox Run, and many more.
Maybe you can get some of them to send you samples for the shop.
December 29th, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Thomas, Finger Lakes Riesling is the only Riesling I understand. Dr. Frank and I are long-standing friends.
December 29th, 2010 at 9:56 AM
Tom,
The next time you visit Dr Frank, let me know. You can walk to my home from that winery.
December 29th, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Thomas,
NY wineries are indeed making a valid claim when they say their wines match up with the best. Heron Hill is available here but as I noted, a really tough sell. Since I lack the visceral connection many of you seem to feel for NY wines I choose to fight my battles for other regions.
December 29th, 2010 at 11:36 AM
I won’t argue with you about the “hard sell” Wally. I know that animal well, having spent many years selling New York wine as well as other wines.
I also know that when customers trust the retailer, and the retailer knows the customer’s taste, things can happen–with effort. The real antsy thing is, why should one make the effort? That’s personal.