Choice of wine largely a personal matter

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 14

Choice of wine largely a personal matter

Sometimes I feel that the burden of responsibility placed on these frail shoulders is a little too much. A few weeks ago, for example, a lady told me that she intended entertaining a few of the girls at a luncheon. She was going to serve a Greek salad, accompanied < by other dishes which I now forget but, since the salad was to contain a generous quantity of black olives, that would be the predominating flavour. “What wine,” she asked, “should I serve?” That question, I thought, was a bit of a rib tickler and my mind began clicking over like Bunny Rigold’s in “Stumpers.” Luncheon. . . ladies. . . medium palates. . . black olives. . . fairly pungent. *. . who eats olives?. - « Greeks. . . Italians. . , Spaniards. . . Spain. . . Alicante. Alicante? Medium dry; light, yet strong not to be overpowered; not too heavy for lunch. So that was my recommendation: Cooks Alicante, which could be lightly chilled on a warm day. It is always a tricky business recommending a specific wine for a specific function when one is unsure of the palates in= volved and my tendency is therefore to choose a medium which sweet palates can accept and which dry palates will appreciate. I am always consequently relieved when those who ask for a recommendation return, as this lady did, to tell me that, for them, the choice was ideaL

Note the deliberate use of the phrase “for them.” Undoubtedly many people would have chosen something quite different for themselves. I think I would have had a full bodied, very dry white but I would nave had to be very sure of my guests’ palates or the meal could have been spoiled. Flushed with the success of this recommendation, I could perhaps have been tempted to launch into a dissertation

on the correct wines to drink with the various foods which comprise a traditional part of our Chirstmas fare. And, for many readers, I would be so much off beam that it wouldn't matter. It is important for me to remember that you are the world’s best expert on your own palate.

As an example, it has always stuck in my mind that, when baron Phillipe de Rothschild, the producer of some of the world’s finest reds, was in New Zealand a few years ago, he chose a New Zealand sauterne to drink with cold beef. The moral is that you drink what you like with what you like. Nevertheless, although that means that the old maxims of years ago have gone by the board, there are certain basic principles which it pays to observe.

These simply say: “Serve dry before sweet, white before red, young before old.” If you try them the other way around you will get the message. All I wish to do before we shape up to the festive board is to try to help make your wining and dining as enjoyable as possible by offering a few words of advice on your handling of your wines. Beginning with sparkling, the most consumed wine at Christmas, this style of wine may be served as aperitif before the meal, and right through the meal to dessert.

Chill it well. No availkling is produced by the true champagne method and the bubbles tend to disperse more quickly as the wine becomes warmer. And don’t overlook the fact that the carbon diox* ide in the wine will distribute the alchohol through the blood stream much more quickly than with still wines. Chill all whites and roses also; the sweeter they are the more chilling is required. But dont overchill the dry wines, such as dry Riesling, Chasselas and Pinot Gris.

Overchilling kills all the delicacy of character and bouquet and you might as well drink water for all the flavour you will obtain. About 30 to 45 minutes in the household refrigerator is all they need. Above all, don’t try to chill them quickly in the deep freeze.

For quick chilling put them in a container with plenty of ice, bring the water level as far up the

neck of the bottle as possible and add two teaspoons of salt to slow down the melting of the ice. 30 minutes will do the trick.

Open red wines a matter of hours before serving, if possible decanting them into a carafe, and leave them in the room in which they will be served to ensure correct temperature. A red wine should never be cold to the touch when you place your hand around the glass. I have, finally, just one specific recommendation. When either the plum duff or the fruit salad is served, do try a well chilled sauterne with it. It was never intended, as some may think, to be a main course wine but a dessert wine and is the ideal accompaniment to fruit.

With the correct course it is quite delightful, and deserves a better fate than it has met in the past. May I wish you al! enjoyable drinking and a very happy Christmas.

ON THE GRAPEVINE

By Maurice Hunter