New Year's Resolutions for the Wine Lover
Posted by: Catie McIntyre Walker in Wine on Jan 11, 2010
New Year's Resolutions do not have to be boring or demanding. Wine is a great topic to put on your New Year's list. Drink wine and learn something new at the same time! In fact, you can walk downtown Walla Walla and visit shops and tasting rooms to assist you in not breaking these five easy resolutions.
1. Open Your Mind to Wine: You may give the impression to your friends and co-workers you are a wine connoisseur, but are you really if all you are drinking is red wine? So, you didn't care for the $3 bottle of California chardonnay or rosé you tasted back in the 80's, but have you recently tasted chardonnays or rosés, or any of the white wines, produced in Walla Walla? Rethink them. Retaste them.
2. Step Away from the Flintstones Jelly Jars: Wine glasses do not have to be expensive. Look for glassware that is thin. The rim of the glass should be a clean cut and not a rolled lip. It may be pretty, but save Great-Grandma Esther's chunky hand-cut crystal for water glasses. Also, look for wine glasses with a large bowl and fill the bowl no more than a third allowing plenty of air space for the wine to breathe. If you want to invest in the best, check with Providence Fine Living on Walla Walla's Main Street for Riedel fine crystal wine glasses.
3. Glug Less - Taste More: Wine should not be all about the alcohol. In fact, wines with lower alcohol often show off the essence of the bouquet, flavors and the craftsmanship of the wine more than those with higher alcohol. Sniff the bouquet and savor the flavors. Take notes. It took a while for the winemaker to produce and age the wine - so what's your hurry?
4. White Wine with Fish - Yawn: Get adventuresome! Pair a merlot with salmon and Champagne with popcorn. How about chocolate chip cookies with a vintage port? Think chenin blanc with spicy chicken wings. Get bold and pair a local syrah with a cheeseburger deluxe from Walla Walla's Ice-Burg Drive-In.
5. Learn Some Wine Speak: Show your inner wine-geek. Yeah, the word "bunghole" really is a wine term and not just a slang name from MTV's Beavis and Butthead cartoon.
I guarantee these are resolutions you will keep and enjoy keeping them. Here's to a healthy and prosperous year in Walla Walla!
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