Debunking Wine Myths (Part 1)
The world of wine is riddled with myths about its history, its production methods and how to enjoy it as a beverage. Some of the misinformation is innocent as everyone makes mistakes. Some of it is intended especially if it is marketing driven as stretching and/or inventing the truth is often part of the game. Then some of it is a matter of sometimes misguided subjective opinion proffered by winery owners, wine makers and experts, such as Masters of Wine, sommeliers, and wine writers. Consumers, too, can be perpetrators of misconceptions. After all, a little knowledge for any of us can be a dangerous thing.
For the next two weeks we will discuss some of the most frequently accepted myths and fallacies about wine. A posse of wine pals has generously agreed to share their pet peeves. Hopefully you will find their revelations informative as well as entertaining.
Allow me to take the first stab at a historical myth, one I innocently promoted until recently when I discovered my “facts” were wrong. For years I fostered the notion that in 1697 Dom Pierre Pérignon—the blind French Benedictine monk and contemporary of Louis XIV—discovered the “méthode champenoise.” (This refers to the process whereby wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to produce carbon dioxide which then, dissolves into the wine and forms bubbles.) This purportedly took place at the abbey of Hautvilliers in the Champagne region.
When you work for a wine importer, as I did, who promotes Dom Pérignon champagne, you naturally tell the story that the Dom himself was the father of those luscious bubbles in the bottle. Imagine my surprise then when I learned Christopher Merrit, a Brit no less, bested the good monk by some 35 years. In1662 Merrit delivered a paper to the Royal Society where he described in great detail how to add sugar to a finished wine in order to create a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Not only that but it was another Englishman, a scientist, who discovered how to create a bottle strong enough to withstand the extreme pressure built up in the bottle from the secondary fermentation. Sacré bleu!
Whether or not Dom Pérignon ever said “I am drinking the stars” is also up for discussion as perhaps that could also be a marketing myth, albeit a good one! Now that I have that admission behind me, let’s see what other wine myths deserve debunking
1. White wine for fish and red wine for meat
Wine marketer and author, Tony Didio, has this to say on the topic of pairing wine with food:
I think the biggest misconception is white wine fish/red wine meat…how limiting! After extensive research for my last book, The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing, meaning we ate a lot and drank more…..we concluded there are tons of red wine possibilities out there for fish. Simple rule: don’t overpower the fish with a bold or heavy wine and don’t underwhelm a meat dish with a simple light wine.
Gastroenterologist and wine writer Dr. Michael Apstein agrees with Tony. When selecting a wine to accompany a specific dish, the choice is all about balance. That, in addition to not being afraid to break rules.
It’s common today to ignore the ancient myth of white wine with fish, and reach instead for Pinot Noir, when grilled salmon or tuna is on the table. Indeed, in Oregon, where there is plenty of both salmon and Pinot Noir, it’s unusual to see people drinking white wine with salmon. How about other fish? I happen to love red Burgundy and living on the East Coast, would be happy to eat fish five nights a week. So, when salmon is not on the table, can you still enjoy a red wine with whiter-fleshed fish? An emphatic yes, especially if you sauté shiitake mushrooms with the fish. A light red Burgundy does very well with swordfish, red snapper to name just two. Same goes for bacon-accented sautéed scallops. Sole meunière, probably not, but you need to drink white Burgundy, too.
2. "ABC" - Anything but Chardonnay!
This describes the popular misconception that by dissing Chardonnay a consumer reveals a certain level of wine sophistication. Karen Goodlad, CSW, and associate professor at New York City College of Technology who teaches wine and spirits, thinks differently.
To “ABC" or anything but Chardonnay, I say, NO WAY. Most ABCers are talking about over extracted, overly oaked, mass-produced Chardonnay and I agree that those wines can be overbearing. Look for Chardonnays from cool regions like Chablis, Sonoma Coast or Margarette River in Australia.
OK, if you are holding true to your ABC rule, fine, but have fun. Go past Sauvignon Blanc and seek out other crisp wines like Vinho Verde (preferably 100% Alvarinho), Torrontes from Argentina (Salta specifically if you can find it), and Sicilian Zibibbo, which is as fun to say as it is to drink.
3. Proper glassware is needed to fully appreciate a wine
Wine and travel writer Marguerite Thomas has a strong opinion on this fallacy.
I realize several of my friends and colleagues, many of whom know much more about wine than I do, disagree when I insist that we don’t need a whole lot of different sizes and shapes of wine glasses to get optimal pleasure out of most wines. For various reasons I have at least six different sets of different shapes and sizes of glasses (taking up valuable storage space) that are designed for various types of red and white wines, but I am planning to pare this overflow down to just one, at the most two, different simple, basic styles in the near future.
The first of my glasses to go will be the wretched Champagne flutes! I have a few dear friends, respected wine experts all, who still love flutes (or maybe just can’t bear to part with them) but I simply don’t get the point. Can you put your nose inside a flute to savor the heavenly aroma? Most, if not all, people cannot.
And to me, the mouth-watering display of Champagne’s bubbles looks pinched when they’re trapped in a flute. Yes, I agree that the bubbles may not last as long when swirled in a proper wine glass but by that time you’re probably ready for the second glass anyway.
4. Never chill a wine with an ice cube
Dr. Michael Apstein disagrees that by adding an ice cube it will dilute the wine.
Nonsense. Picture this. It’s hot. It’s humid. You’d like a glass of white but forgot to put a bottle in the fridge. A bottle you get from the cellar—or closet—or wherever you store it is not quite cold enough by itself and you don’t want to wait a half hour or so for it to chill in an ice bucket or the fridge. A wine-knowledgeable Frenchman, who formerly represented the Champagne industry in the U.S. as well as major Bordeaux properties, taught me this trick, which I have now used on many occasions. Pour a glass of wine and drop a large ice cube into the glass. Swirl the ice cube for about 30 seconds to a minute and remove it with a spoon. It chills the white beautifully without diluting it. Repeat with another glass until the bottle is cold enough.
5. A screw top closure indicates an inferior wine.
In a wine article for Forbes, John Mariani—who gave permission to use this published quote—had this to say about this misconception:
The debate over how often corks cause a wine to taste “corked”—a smell and taste caused by a chemical called TCA that may as easily come from a wine cask or even moldy cardboard boxes in a winery—continues year after year and one cork producers are constantly trying to remedy. Arguments in favor of using a cork stopper run from cork’s allowing a small amount of oxygen to enter and inspirit the wine, which is not a proven virtue, to silly notions that popping a cork is ineffably romantic. But the secret is, just about every winemaker I’ve ever spoken to, in the U.S., Europe and the rest of the world, would prefer to switch to a screw top or glass closure rather than risk a five- to ten percent failure that corks may cause.
While many people find wine confusing and intimidating—as illustrated by some of these misconceived notions—it is important to remember that wine is basically just a byproduct of grapes. At the risk of insulting many serious wine makers, I am reminded that wine has been made for thousands of years to be enjoyed, not necessarily to be revered except for a few rarified bottles.
Yes, the infinite choice of wines available today can be daunting. However, if you approach the process as a delicious, fun, and rewarding adventure, then the world of wine is your oyster. If you’re still a bit hesitant, there are always informed retailers, sommeliers, and other wine authorities to help guide your purchase. In the end, however, it is what your palate enjoys most which is critical to the entire process of wine enjoyment.