Bargain White Wines Revealed
Join Nina Simonds and Wine Writer Ann Trieger as they showcase two bargain white wines from Austria and New Zealand that Gary Vaynerchuk, the star of Wine Library TV, would love!
Don’t get me wrong, I am a great wine enthusiast and I first started studying about wine when I lived in Paris in 1976. Then, I was honored and thrilled to be working with the famous British wine expert Steven Spurrier who had started a small, special wine bar and school called L’Academie du Vin right off of the Rue Royale in Paris. (I lived around the corner.) The classes were small, fun, packed with information, and ones that I will always treasure. But as I delved deeper into finding more abut about wine, I noticed (even then in Paris) a kind of snobbery and pretentiousness that made me uncomfortable. So it is with great joy that I welcome the recent relaxed and casual approach to the enjoyment of wine that we are seeing today, especially among younger people.
It was in this spirit that I sought out my friend and colleague Ann Trieger, who has always been enthusiastically celebrating the new pioneers of wine here and abroad. Ann was the first one to enthuse excitedly to me Chilean wine LONG before other wine experts were singing its praises. And there are so MANY new, and exciting wines in the market that are delicious, unique, and NOT expensive!! We will explore this more in the upcoming weeks on Spicesoflife as we continue our quest to have fun, pleasure, and enjoyment, and (Dare I say??) LEARN!!
Onward and upward to MORE affordable wine enjoyment!!!! (Stay tuned for next week and Part II) !!!
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Wines:
2006 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
2006 Gruner Veltliner, Austria
Health:
For the Health-Giving Properties of Wine, we turned to our good friends at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Wine Saver:
Vacu Vin Vacuum Wine Saver
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I’ve seen Oyster Bay SB at the stores but have never gotten it - can’t wait to bump into it again and try.
Nina-question for you - would love your opinion. In Chinese cooking the quality of rice wine really doesn’t matter as much as Italian/French cooking. Mom and I have our fav brands, but they are not more than $5 a bottle. In fact, the Asian markets mostly feature bottles from $2.99 to $6. You’d never drink the stuff, but in European countries its almost a sin to cook with a bottle that you wouldn’t drink. People are that passionate about it. Not so much in Asia. Even in Japan, the sake used is more like cooking sake, not the good stuff.
Does it really matter? I don’t think it does, but have a hard time explaining it.
Thanks!
Jaden