It’s 9:26 p.m. Saturday night, and I’m deep into several bottles and a lively conversation around the grill with friends — one of my favorite pastimes. Then, a sudden pang of anxiety hits. My phone lights up, notifying me of a new text and, somehow, I immediately sense the need to pour myself another glass. My suspicions are confirmed when I unlock my phone to reveal a picture of a bottle with a caption that never fails to kill my buzz: “Is this a good wine?”
As someone whose livelihood is connected to the curation of wine, I need to come clean. The truth is: I don’t know.
If I had tasted it before, I have a general idea how much enjoyment I derived from it. If I haven’t, which is likely the case — there are more than 11,000 wineries in the United States alone — I can usually infer based on my past experiences (with the grape, place, etc.) how much I might like it; but none of that actually matters. The only thing that matters is if you think it’s a good wine — you’re the one drinking it.
A wine can be a “good” wine, made from “good” grapes by a “good” winemaker and sold for a “good” price, yet, be undrinkable to someone who simply doesn’t like the way it tastes.
How do you avoid that problem? Know what you like, and why you like it. Take a picture of the bottles you really enjoyed (or hated, which is equally helpful) as a reference for your next shopping trip. Just don’t text them to me when I’m three bottles deep on a Saturday night.
These are two prime examples of “good” wines, which I stockpile and enjoy frequently.
Domaine Champalou, Vouvray Sec
This wine is my starting point for every wine list I write and is quite possibly the most versatile white wine when it comes to food pairing. “Sec” is a term used in France’s Loire Valley that indicates this chenin blanc is “dry” (no sugar). There is a suggestion of sweetness, though, as well as lush stone fruits and honeysuckle, with a refreshing wet stone minerality, and Vouvray-typical waxy and almondy vibe. A new vintage is coming soon. This magnum-sized wine is available now via special order at fine wine retailers.
Cost: $24/bottle
Neyers Vineyards, “Sage Canyon” Red, California
Overall, I can’t think of many producers I love as much as Neyers Vineyards. Their commitment to sustainability is only matched by their commitment to excellence, and it’s evident upon the first delicious sip. Carignan, from vines believed to be 140-plus years old, is the lead grape, and grenache, mourvèdre (125-plus years) and syrah make up the remainder. They are all foot-stomped, a traditional process used to press the grapes more gently than a machine would, thus limiting the potential tannins and bitterness that these sturdy, full-flavored grapes already innately exude. The result is a complex mix of vibrant red fruit, dark spice and warm smoke, that is downright crushable. Chill slightly.
Cost: $22/bottle
Chris Ramelb is an award-winning sommelier, and director of education and restaurant sales manager of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Hawaii. Watch him on the “Wine & …” podcast, and follow him on Instagram (@masterisksomm).
