Next reunion - 27 April 2003 |
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Wines and stuff.John Morley |
Wine and Food.
This edition we’ll talk about what wine should be drunk with what food. Whenever this subject is brought up, most people quote the old adage, "you drink red wines with red meat, and you drink white wines with white meat and fish". This, of course, is absolute rubbish.Those that do not sheepishly follow this urban myth know that you drink whatever wine you want as long as you think the wine goes best with the food you are eating. "There just ain’t any rules when it comes to selecting wines, only guides". Who said you can’t drink a nice Shiraz with a sea food platter, or a chilled Chardonnay at a bar-b-q…..
It is interesting to discuss where this old myth stems from, and like all myths and fairy tales, there is a certain degree of truth in it. Try this experiment. Set aside a glass of your favourite wine, then get two full glasses of cold water, into one stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt, and stir a ¼ teaspoon of sugar into the other. Take a sip from one of the glasses of water then take a sip of wine. Wait a few minutes, then repeat the process with the other glass of water. Unless your taste buds are completely stuffed from smoking a million cigarettes a day, you will be very surprised with the result.
Food can alter the way a wine tastes, and this is why the same wine can have a different taste at different times. Everyone has bought a bottle of wine at a tasting or because someone had introduced them to it previously. When last drunk, you thought it a good wine, only to find that when drunk the second time it doesn’t taste "quite the same". Most of the time, the reason it tastes differently the second time is it is drunk with food or the food taken with the wine second time around is different. Foods can radically change the way a wine can taste which is probably where the old rule stems from. Keep the food the same and the wine will taste the same.
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As we’ve said on previous occasions, the real test of what wine to drink with what food is governed entirely by your palate. You drink what you like, and as we’re all individuals, we probably all like a different wine, which is why there are so many different varieties on the market. Some people like deep heavy reds, others lighter reds, some roses, while some people can’t drink reds at all, and drink whites only. But here there are differences too-one person’s idea of a dry white might taste like a sweet wine to someone else. So, if you like Ben Ean, the Kraft Cheese of Australian wines, with a good thick rump or well done T-bone, or perhaps you prefer to scoff down a glass of Cold Duck with a Queensland muddie, then don’t be scared off by what others say, if you like it, then drink it.
And! Don’t be put off by the silly descriptive names people give to different types of wine. You’ll hear a wine described as having an ‘acid’ taste, which usually means it has a sharp taste. A wine without an ‘acid’ taste will not keep, a young wine without an acid taste will never improve, so should be drunk as soon as you get it. Acid tasting wines will mellow as they become older, they call this ‘softening’, and usually they will keep for a long time.
Wine drinking, which should be an enjoyable and pleasant social past-time, can at times be a very pretentious affair. Don’t get caught up in the pretentiousness of wine, drink it to enjoy it. Remember, there are no rules, though good, clear drinking glasses are a help, mainly because they enable you to enjoy the sight of the wine, [we know blokes that reckon anything will do as long as it doesn’t leak-g’day Spacky tb.]
So remember, the rules to do with wines are - "there are no rules", apart from "drink to enjoy".
And, when ever you are in the Tenterfield area, call in and make your self known, we would love to see you and please visit our web site. http://www.willowvalewines.com.au
| The Value of Beer.
A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo, and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells, but naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers. |
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