Because I am fortunate to drink and talk about various expensive wines, I am sometimes accused of being an elitist. However, I feel I learn so much from wine appreciation so I thought I'd share some things that I have learned from drinking wine over the last three decades:
One of the nice things about wine is everyone has their own opinion about wine and we can all be right because our individual palates are different. I have learned to listen to others' opinions about wines and not to immediately argue with them. In my earlier days, I tried to convince people to share the same viewpoint of wine as me, but wine appreciation has allowed me to realize I need to respect other viewpoints. More often than not, I've learned some new facts or gained a new perspective on wines. I can still disagree but I feel that my appreciation of the wine is enhanced when I hear other opinions that differ from mine.
When I drank my first bottle of Chateau Petrus (which now costs close to $4000) at a tasting, I broke out in a cold sweat and thought that would be the pinnacle of my life. But then I had other magnificent wines and I learned to take things in perspective. Every time I drink a magnificent wine, I think about how blessed I am to have the opportunity to drink that wine and to have good health. I have met many people who have drank and collected many more bottles of wine than me and at least on the surface, they don’t seem that happy or healthy. So while you should appreciate great wines, it is not only the wine that makes you happy but the circumstances surrounding why you can drink that wine (your health, your friends, your life) that are essential.
There are times when people get caught up in the point score a wine has achieved. We have to remember that the most important thing about wine appreciation is how much pleasure it brings you. I can remember a very influential person disclosing to me that he actually made his own wine. I was shocked. He then asked me if I would like to try it. I don’t think he had ever disclosed this fact to anyone else and I was so touched he shared this fact with me. We opened the wine and although I have tasted many wines that would merit better wine scores, I had so much fun opening and discussing that wine that it is still in my memory today. This is true for the most memorable wines that I have drunk ... the wines are typically exceptional but I also remember who I drank them with and what we talked about that night.
What do all the great wines of the world have in common? They all have an attention to detail that is beyond comprehension. They typically hand-pick and individually sort grapes and control every detail in the production of the wine from the pickers, to the barrels, to the corks to who distributes their wines. They have continued to do this for decades if not centuries and most great wineries have had very little change in ownership for hundreds of years. It is this commitment to quality and the consistency of vision which leads to these wineries always producing great wines year after year, which is why there are some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the world.
I try to take this wine wisdom and find application in my everyday life so hopefully this will also enhance your understanding of wine appreciation.
Now for my wine recommendation for this column, I am recommending the St. Francis 2019 Old Vines Zinfandel. Zinfandel is a very popular grape varietal with many wine drinkers as it has bold fruit flavours and high alcohol content. This Zinfandel drinks nicely right out of the bottle but can also be aged to allow the tannins to mellow. St. Francis has a 50-year history of wine-making excellence in the Sonoma Valley. Reduced this month from $38.99 to $33.99 at BC Liquor Stores. Until next time, happy drinking!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, a food and wine lover by night, Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
