I’ve run into this particular problem more than a few times, and I should know better by now. I drank 3 wines way too soon. I’d done my research and was familiar with the pedigree of the wineries, and wines, but I got caught up in the moment. The wines were good, but down the road, they would have been much, much better. Needless to say, these wines currently are only getting 3-Star ratings. Fortunately, I have 5 more of the Stag’s Leap to test down the road, but none of the others.
*** Easton Estate Bottled Zinfandel 2004 – Vintages 281501 – $39.95
*** Inglenook Cask Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – Vintages 29553 – $89.95
*** Pine Ridge Vineyards, Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 – Lifford Wine Agency – $115
This backslides me into what I’d like to discuss today.
When sharing a bottle or 2 with my wife, I can gauge the level of the wine(s) we are about to drink and plan accordingly. Meaning that, if we are having more than 1 bottle in the evening—we start out with something that has a lighter flavour profile and then follow it up with something a little bigger, bolder, fuller to round out the evening.
When we’re with more people, it’s hard to gauge where an evening will go – who will be drinking, how much will everyone be drinking – making it difficult to plan what to open next. This is particularly the case when everybody brings something different, and you’re not quite sure what they brought or what to expect.
Early in an evening of drinking when you drink something that has a big flavour profile, it’s hard to go back to something lighter. You, at least we, try to go bigger. And that’s where the recent problem occurred—and like I said, it’s happened before.
One solution—drinking the same wine all night, but that stifles my adventurous spirit. And I just don’t like doing that. To me, opening each new bottle is a discovery; it tells a story and becomes part of the narrative of the evening. Plus, different bottles fuel my imagination and spirit.
The second solution—plan better. That’s the hard part.
With that said, here is a general serving order to keep in mind for future evenings: start with sparkling wines and champagnes, then rosés and blushes. These should be followed up with white wines, light red wines, then stronger red wines, and dessert wines. You can end the evening with higher-quality, higher-alcohol ports, Sherries, and after-dinner wines—assuming anyone is still standing by this point, of course!
Grape Stains by Jimmy 