WineSpectator.com: Q&A's

At what age should I stop collecting wines that should be aged for years? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, I just hit my early sixties, and it caused me to consider whether I’ll be able to enjoy new vintages by the time they reach their drinking windows. It’s not an issue now, but realistically at some point it will be. In essence, as far as collecting younger wines goes, when is it time to say when? —Joe, New York Dear Joe, This is a pretty deep question, and the answer is very personal. I don’t know how many wines you have in your cellar, how well they are stored, how regularly you drink a bottle, and if you have family that would be interested in inheriting your wines. But I think it’s very normal to wonder such things, especially if you have a taste for well-aged wines. I think it would be wise to take an inventory of your cellar to give you some clarity. This might help direct any future purchases. If you think you've already got a surplus, you could try to sell them or consider donating them to a charity. I also have some good news for you: Many of the wines that show well with age will also drink well when young. If you start slowing down your purchases and start drinking the wines in your cellar earlier, you might be pleasantly surprised. Good luck figuring it out, and I’ll raise a glass to your health. —Dr. Vinny
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What does it mean if a wine has a "bolt of iron"? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, What does it mean if a wine has a "bolt of iron"? —Jean-Baptiste Dear Jean-Baptiste, Sometimes wines have a metallic note to them. It’s neither a positive nor negative attribute (unless you don’t care for that type of flavor). How did the taster come to the conclusion it reminded them of iron and not another type of metal? We don’t typically go around sucking on pieces of iron. But if you’ve ever tasted blood, blood tastes like iron. Other irony things you may have come across include raw steak, the smell of a butcher shop, or water that comes from old iron pipes. Sometimes athletes can have a metallic, bloody taste in their mouth after a workout, and some vitamins and medicines leave a similar aftertaste. A related descriptor is “sanguine,” which is a nice way to say “bloody.” I’ve also seen wines described as “steely” and “tinny” (“tinny” usually carries a negative connotation). Metallic notes sometimes overlap with minerallity. As far as the “bolt” in this descriptor, I don’t think the taster was referring to “a metal fastener made of iron.” Rather, they meant it as a metaphorical flash of lightning of this iron flavor. When tasting a wine, sometimes elements crescendo, or fade away, creep up or sing in harmony with other elements. Here I’m imagining that iron note was "striking. " —Dr. Vinny
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How do I know if a wine critic and I have the same taste in wine? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, It’s important to find a taster who shares my values of what makes a wine great. For example, some Syrahs have a “meaty” component in their flavor spectrum; other Syrahs do not. It's critical to me to know whether the taster likes those “meaty” notes. Why doesn't Wine Spectator publish a guide to each taster's preferences? —Michael, Noblesville, Ind. Dear Michael, There’s something really powerful about finding a reviewer whose tastes align with your own. But the best professional reviewers differentiate between quality and style. That’s one of the reasons that Wine Spectator's tasters specialize in “beats” defined by region or wine type. It’s their job to wrap their arms around the entire range of styles and nuances and variations and vintages to understand what their beat is capable of. So if it’s a cool-climate Syrah picked early or a warm-climate Syrah in a warmer vintage—whether or not there is a “meaty” note shouldn’t matter. (But it will be mentioned in the tasting note!) Senior editor James Molesworth recently described this approach more eloquently than I could: “The wine writer's job is to point to the good and bad of all styles, describe them as accurately as possible, and thus allow the reader to make an informed decision rather than dictating a preference based on style.” Amen. I believe Wine Spectator's blind-tasting methodology makes this easier for our tasting staff. Rather than being distracted by the producer or the price tag, the taster can simply focus on the wine in front of them. —Dr. Vinny
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What's better? A nice plastic "wineglass" or an inferior-shaped actual glass? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, Would you rather … drink from a properly shaped plastic "wineglass" or an inferior-shaped cup made of glass? —Guy, Erie, Colo. Dear Guy, Good question. I have plenty of happy memories of enjoying wine from "imperfect” vessels—red plastic cups around the campfire; juice glasses when the wineglasses were dirty; even sneaking some wine into a baseball game in a plastic water bottle. The experience can transcend the way the wine is served. But I’m a big believer that proper stemware allows a wine to show its best. I’ve sat through a few seminars with wineglass guru Georg Riedel and I'm convinced that proper stemware makes a difference. If I had to pick between a well-made, properly shaped plastic "wineglass" and an actual small wineglass, I would make my decision based on the thickness of the rim. One of the things I learned in those seminars is that thicker lips on glassware can distract from the enjoyment of the wine. Something about a thick rim makes it feel like a teething ring in my mouth. —Dr. Vinny
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Can I ferment table grapes into wine? How? (Wine Spectator)
Dear Dr. Vinny, Can I ferment table grapes into wine? How? —Evan, Ireland Dear Evan, First, it's important to note that table grapes and wine grapes are not bred or grown for the same purposes. Table grapes are sturdier, bigger and crunchier, with thinner skins and often without seeds. Wine grapes are more fragile, with thicker skins, bigger seeds and more juice. Most important, wine grapes have more sugar than table grapes. Sugar is the fuel for fermentation, the process by which yeast consumes sugar and converts it to alcohol and carbon dioxide. If you crushed a bunch of table grapes, I doubt that a fermentation would spontaneously commence; you would probably need to add sugar, as well as yeast. Even then, the resulting wine wouldn’t have the flavor or structure of wine made from wine grapes. —Dr. Vinny
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