Press
“Wine School, Take Two” (excerpt)
By Eric Asimov, New York Times
The first session of the Dining Table Wine School is nearly finished, and I’m about to declare recess. But before we pack up the glasses — “close up your books, get out of your seat, down the halls and into the street” – I have just a few things to add.
First, I’ve learned a lot and I’m grateful for everybody’s participation. I’ve offered some final thoughts about this first round in my column in Wednesday’s newspaper.
Second, it’s been so much fun that I’m already looking ahead to continuing the exercise. As you may recall, the purpose was not to stop after one case but to build on your reactions to the first set of wines. In that first case were wines that you liked and wines that you liked less, or maybe even disliked. By reporting your reactions to the wine shop where you bought that first case, you are supplying them with information to construct a second case that will help you explore further different styles and flavors. Building on my own reactions to the [case] of wine I’ve had, I’ve asked our friend, Joy Land of Sherry-Lehmann, who did such a good job picking out [that first case], to select a second set. Here’s what [she] came up with:
JOY’S SECOND CASE
- Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis 2006 $24.95
- Christophe Cordier Macon Blanc Bois d’Allier 2005 $22.95
- Domaine des Baumard Savennières 2002 $21.95
- Domaine de la Petite Cassagne Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2006 $8.95
- Gramona Gessamí Penedès 2005 $15.95
- Mulderbosch Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2006 $19.95
- Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Wintzenheim 2004 $31.95
- Château Clarke Listrac 2003 $23.95
- Cortijo III Rioja Tinto 2005 $8.95
- La Roquette Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2003 $24.95
- Melini Chianti Classico Riserva La Selvanella 2001 $23.95
- Salomon Estate South Australia Finniss River Shiraz 2003 $21.95
I love [this case]! And I expect that [it] will provoke as much reaction as the first set, but remember: The idea isn’t to offer a complete tour of the entire wine world or to offer deference to any particular regions – other than the olfactory bulb and the medulla oblongata, the aroma and flavor centers of your brain.
Like the first [case], I think [this one reflects its] source. Sherry-Lehmann is the ultimate established wine shop and can be expected to offer more widely available and conventional bottles. Even so, Joy offers some unusual selections, like the 2005 Gramona Gessamí from the Penedès. I had to google this wine – mostly muscat with sauvignon blanc — and I can’t wait to try it. Sounds perfect for summer.
She offers some wines that should be very easy to like – or dislike – the Rioja, for example, and the Bordeaux and the shiraz. But she also includes some wines that will demand close attention, like the Savennières and the Arneis. I think it will be hard to drink through this case without forming some definite opinions about these wines.
Anyhow, I haven’t actually purchased this case, because I need to get away from my own dining table for a little bit. But I look forward in the not-too-distant future to plunging back into study. Meanwhile, if this has been a rewarding exercise for you, I hope you will continue on your own. You don’t need [this particular case] – let a trusted retailer near you have the fun of designing a mixed case. Don’t hesitate to report back to me. I’d love to hear about what you’re learning.
- Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company