Littleton resident Francis, 43, wants to make wine buying an easier task. She just launched a website, redwhite
androse.com, in March, with plans to review and feature wines, dinners and tasting events specific to Colorado.
– Kat Valentine, Special to The
Denver Post
Why does Colorado need its own wine reviews? Say you go to dinner in Chicago and have a fantastic bottle of wine. You go to a retailer here with the cork, and chances are they don’t have it. And with national magazines, they review thousands of wines, but I’d say only 5 to 10 percent of those are available in Colorado for sale. My objective is to kind of eliminate that. If people like to read reviews and broaden their horizons, then now they can find them in Colorado.
How much does the average person need to know about wine? The cool thing about wine is that you don’t need to know the history of all the chateaus and vintages but that you just need to learn a few vocabulary words and decide what you like. “Tannins” give wine that astringent flavor, like walnuts or strong tea. “Acidity” is what makes your mouth water. “Fruit” or “jamminess” is that sweet, fruity flavor. The “finish” is how long the wine lingers in your mouth. If a wine is hot, it tastes like rubbing alcohol, and if it’s “corked” it has a damp, musty flavor. It’s really simple if you just know a few basic terms.
Say you’re at a new restaurant. When asking for a wine recommendation, how do you know if your server is clued in? That goes back to the vocabulary. If you ask for a wine that is not too acidic and pretty jammy, they should be able to recommend something. If you get a totally blank look, well, then you know what you’re dealing with.
How do you recognize a good wine value? I don’t believe there is any bad wine. I love finding a $5.99 bottle of good wine. I’m not jaded like some of my peers! There are also $35 bottles that you won’t like. But it’s a matter of taste, really. I think Spanish wines are an incredible value right now, and a $100 bottle of Spanish wine will be a better value than the $100 bottles from rock-star regions like Napa.
Worst wine experience? I got savvy about wine tastings after dribbling red wine all over a white blouse, so now I wear black and put my hair up. And I’ve realized that you just can’t spit and look dignified, so you have to get over that.
GET YOUR WINE NEWS
Need to brush up on your wine knowledge? Hit redwhiteandrose
.com to sign up for the free newsletter. While you’re there, check the March 23 online archives for “Wine Tasting Vocabulary 101” and learn about these terms: “legs,” “nose,” “long hang time,” “structure.”
