In a world where we are told, by the best marketing campaigns, to want more and more of everything, this cultural marketing push has even captured segments of the wine producing world. The result of this “big is more” approach is that many wines appearing in our markets contain so much fruit, so much oak and so much alcohol that the character of the wines becomes solely “Big” or “Huge” or one fun term I have heard, “flesh-eating-monster”… this is not always a bad thing, as some wines are comfortable with bigness, and balance their largeness with equivalent finesse and flavor. But for those who enjoy tasting food and wine together, without one overpowering the other, the market seems to deliver few popular choices. However, with some diligence on our part, we consumers may seek out interesting and alternative choices that simply deliver character, without palate-busting flavors roughing up our dining experience.
In this wine column, we will try our best to find wines that deliver character and food accompaniment, especially in conjunction with a good price for the value delivered. This may lead to examining unusual grape varietals from unusual regions or to consider old favorites in new vintages. Either way, we hope the discussion will be interesting and fruitful for all involved.
