Don't Be Afraid!

I have just finished reading a Wine Enthusiast Magazine article about how it is OK for you to ask the Somm for a different glass. This comes on the heels of teaching classes in Colmar (one of which was about marketing to the American wine consumer) to young Gen Zers and I now feel the need to share with all of you my thoughts on this subject.

One of the things that I talked to these fresh faces about was the generational marketing strategies we need to employ to sell wine. For those in the booze biz Gen Z has been a point of contention with worry about their lack of drinking and its effects on the industry, however when they DO drink we make fun of them. We were horrified when they put jalapenos in their glass of Sauv Blanc, and in the UK there are ancestors rolling over in their graves as kids put ice in their beers. These topics are not new, but I think have resurfaced at a crucial moment in time when we really need to make changes before all us Somms are out on the street. 

The WE article starts with the topic of the glass, well they actually start with a comment about ice in wine and how we should all get over it if someone does that. As a person that wants more people drinking wine, if putting ice in it makes you order a wine or buy a bottle instead of something else, then I will get the ice bucket for you! Also, I have done this myself on a hot day while sitting on the patio and fully loved the experience. Now as to the subject of the glass... this is something that is actually always evolving. This is why there is a new shape or size or this, that, or the other happening. Technically the way to enjoy sparkling wines is in a bigger bowl than the standard flute offers. This shift is due to a need to smell the wine itself more accurately and the larger glass allows for that. This is also a shift from the focus being on the crystal glass maker's ability to streamline your bubbles in a beautiful way to a focus on what art the winemaker created. The problem is that Champagne has done such an amazing job marketing themselves as the wine for special occasions and the glass it should be drank in that if it isn't Champagne and it isn't in a flute, you shouldn't even be celebrating. In fact the impression is that you are a dumbass and in the edited words of a famous Seinfeld episode "NO BUBBLES FOR YOU!". But here is the kicker, the person dead set on the flute is going to enjoy that wine so much more having it the way they want it! So why does it bother us so much to let them?

The Somm Secrets at the end of the WE article also reminded me of some of the student questions I was asked. These young wine curious people shyly asked if I had a favorite wine (y'all read that previous post of mine), if I ever added fruit or ice or soda to my wine, and of course, the question of the hour, what glass do you think wine should be drank out of.

As a quick note, my answer about fruit these days is to say I am now a resident of Spain and the Tinto de Verano is a staple at my house. This wine drink has lemon and lime wedges. I would say it is more of a wine cocktail because it also has a splash of Gasosa (sorta a soda and sorta just flavored mineral water). I've also been known to throw blueberries or raspberries in a glass of bubbly.

For the record, I am a passionate Riedel science fan and DO believe there is a perfect glass for each grape/ wine, but I also think that is far too complicated to carry out (or store) especially for the average wine enthusiast. I personally only have 2 kinds of wine glass in my cabinet, a small white wine glass (sometimes called a Riesling glass) and a large white wine glass. This is usually super surprising to people, but I think most red wine glasses are far to large. The small glass I use for white wines, bubbly and lighter bodied reds like Alsatian Pinot Noirs. The larger glass I use for full bodied whites and reds. I do also have a third glass... sorta. It is a tumbler or rocks glass that I use for Tintos and when I have a cheap wine not needing attention. 

I do have preferences even in my simple daily glasses that I find hard to compromise. I believe in a cut rim to avoid the speed bump dump of wine a rolled lip creates. That sloppy intro to your palate can ruin a nice wine. I do also prefer the hips in the glass shape, but I stop there with advice because I have drank my wine out of paper cups, often out of these recycled Sitges Film Fest plastic glasses as I walk around town or sit on the beach, and I have even enjoyed wine out of the cut apart plastic water bottle or soda can (be very careful not to get cut!). Other frowned upon things no one thinks Somms do, but we definitely do do, is shove the cork in (pen works the best) more times than I can count, had the wine get too warm, accidentally froze the wine, and we have ALL definitely drank it straight out of the bottle. 

My point is, I want you to enjoy the wine in your glass, no matter what the shape is or if it has ice in it. I want you to be having fun and making sure that WINE be a part of that fun. Most Somms these days feel the same way! So don't be afraid to ask for a different glass, ask for ice, ask for help selecting the wine you will like from their list and do it with confidence.

Next up... price and how to find that magic bottle for a good price on a restaurant menu or in a wine shop.