Let's Talk Wine

"In Europe we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary." - Ernest Hemingway, "A Moveable Feast"

Agreed! I love wine too. I think that most people who truly love to eat, are also lovers of the grape. It is such a natural pairing, isn't it? A great glass of wine can complement your meal by accentuating foods' flavors and seasonings like nothing else. Am I a connoisseur? If quantity was a determining factor, I might be, but unfortunately it is not. For all my exposure to wine, countless explanations about how it is made, matured, how is should be tasted, etc. I simply have no retention of the facts. I liken it to Alex's feelings about cooking. It is not a matter of ability, but of desire. I guess I'm just not that interested. I don't want to talk about it, just pass the bottle man, I want to drink it! Despite all my efforts to the contrary, my mom did a pretty darn good job instilling manners in me and I can feign absorbed fascination convincingly well. While the experts are going on and on about the color and clarity, aromas, and flavors, all I really hear is "blah blah blah blah blah". Sad isn't it? Once I taste a wine, I know if I like it or not, and I am fairly good at remembering the label of a favorite wine. (Not the name, but the picture on the label...again, sad, I know.) It is with this background that I found myself entering the "Let's Talk Wine" store a couple of Saturdays' ago.

First, I have to say that I am not a fan of the store's name. No surprise there, since I already revealed that I don't really like to talk about wine! Further, it doesn't seem catchy to me. Just my opinion. When I entered there was one other customer who was just completing a purchase, so I browsed around the bins. The store is fairly small, so it is impossible to be unobserved. Once his customer left the person behind the counter, who I found out later is the owner, Ian, approached me and offered his assistance and a tasting of Riesling. As I said before, I know what wine I don't like, and I am not a fan of Rieslings. They just aren't my thing. On the other hand, I am not going to decline an offering of wine at 4:30pm on an errand laden Saturday. We chatted a bit about what wines I like and don't like, what I was interested in getting, spending, etc. Buying wine can sometimes feel like buying an appliance, or car, or furniture. There's a screening process involved. If I only put as much thought into every $20 dollar purchase! After a brief chat, Ian started his recommendations.

Of course, I got every one he suggested. I really am a soft sell in a wine store. He gave me detailed descriptions of each wine, its origins and flavors. I have to admit I liked Ian. He describes wine as "rock star" good, which made me smile. We have progressed from rock stars of the 70's stumbling around with bottles of liquor, to rock stars of the millennium sipping Ian's favorites! Here's what he suggested:













Atalaya Mourvedre 2007-Spain
Santa Martina Rosso 2005 - Italy
Maipe Bonarda 2008-Argentina
Marco Polo-Pinot Grigio - 2007
Domaine Sainte Eugenie Recolte 2004-France


The only bottle remaining untasted is the Santa Martina, which I am sure will be popped this weekend. We enjoyed all of them. Of course, I am not going to give you professional reviews, but I will tell you that the Argentinian wine was so heavy that it turned our teeth purple! HA! I loved it. I thought The Domaine Sainte Eugenie Recolte was 'just okay'. I would definitely buy the Spanish wine again, it was very interesting. One suggestion Ian made that I actually remembered, was to save my receipt. It prints out the names of all the wines you purchase. If you bring it back on your next visit, it will help him make new suggestions, based on what you liked/did not like from the previous batch. Of course, I want him to keep all that information in his computer database. I mean, I bet Google knows what wine I buy, they know everything else about me. But, since he seems like such a nice guy, I actually still have my receipt.

So, the next time you are in Great Bridge, or on your way to the Outer Banks for the weekend, please stop in and see Ian. Whether you want to talk about wine or just drink it, I'm pretty sure he can hook you up on both accounts. Or, as a rock star once said, "Never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink his wine…and he always had some mighty fine wine." -- 3 Dog Night

_Laine

Let's Talk Wine
Located right off the 168 Bypass
Take exit 8A, Hillcrest Pkwy
Hours are 10:30am-7:00pm
Friday and Saturday
usually till 9:00pm
Closed on Sunday