Great music nearly anywhere you want it

OK - I'm not all that old.  At least I don't think I am, but when I was born, no cars had FM radios.  The only thing you could listen to in a car was AM.  Even by the time I started driving, few cars had more than AM.  Now, the choices of what you can listen to anywhere, but especially in your car, are amazing.  I. for one, am thrilled with these options as I like a very broad spectrum of music, most of which is rarely played on any radio station.

The other day I was driving from Milwaukee to Madison, a 90-minute drive, and the entire trip I listened to one of my own personal stations that I created on Pandora.  Pandora is a really wonderful music service that creates stations from artists or songs that you feed it.  I've been a member almost from their inception, which I believe was in 2006.  If you like music and can't find the music you like most on the radio, then Pandora is a real bargain, even for the upgraded service called Pandora One.

Recently, Pandora released an app for BlackBerry phones that allows you to listen to your stations wherever you have BlackBerry service.  Apps are also available for Android, iPhone, palm prē and Windows Mobile devices.  My BlackBerry service is from Sprint and is available virtually everywhere in the U.S. and quite a few places outside the U.S.  Installing the Pandora app on my BlackBerry Pearl was a snap.  Once installed I could listen to my stations wherever I had service.  And, since my plan includes unlimited data, there was no extra cost to do so.

So, how did I get the music to play through my car's sound system?  I have a 2006 Nissan 250Z Grand Touring Roadster.  This car came with a navigation system, but did not have satellite radio, Bluetooth or an iPod interface.  Before I bought it, I checked to see if there was an aftermarket way to get those three conveniences added without changing anything, or nearly anything, visible inside the car.  There was.  It wasn't cheap, but I've had the car for more than 4 years now and I think it was worth every penny.  

There were two primary pieces that were needed with several optional pieces available, depending on your needs.  Keep in mind that the links in this post are to the current web pages and the products have likely changed in the last 4 years.  The first piece was an interface to my navigation screen.  This allows me to see what I'm doing when making choices, e.g., what music source to use and track information.  A switch is mounted in front of the shifter to choose between the signal from the interface and normal navigation.  

Connected to that is the versatile part that allows me to pick and choose what I want to connect to my sound system or navigation screen.  This is the Alpine Vehicle Hub Pro.  This piece of equipment sends audio signals to the audio system and video information through the navigation interface to the navigation screen.  I added modules that connect to the hub for XM, Bluetooth and an iPod interface (the latter included with the Alpine Hub; a cable is additional).  Everything was purchased from and installed by a local company, RAXX, that specializes in aftermarket car upgrades to audio and other systems.  Soon, I plan to add a rear-view camera that I can use when backing up.  This will also connect via the Vehicle Hub Pro to my navigation screen.  

My iPod simply connects to a cable that's in an accessory box behind the seats.  Since that box has a cover, it's not visible to anybody looking to steal.  XM programming adds even more listening options.  The Bluetooth adapter is different from Bluetooth that comes from the factory in today's car models.  Instead of activating it from your steering wheel, it is always active and takes orders from the device that it is paired with.  When I'm playing Pandora on my Pearl, all I do is choose the option to send the signal to Bluetooth, choose the Bluetooth interface from the Vehicle Hub options on my Navigation screen and that's it!  Works perfectly.  I guess we've come a long way since that old AM-only car radio.  With thousands of songs on my iPod, over 100 XM stations and Pandora, I can listen to anything I want when driving.

Learning to Enjoy Wine, a Step-by-Step Process - Part 2

Where Do Good Wines Come From?

As in part 1, the comments below refer to table wines commonly available in the U.S.  Note that there are many exceptions to the statements below as I'm attempting to discuss the the most common aspects of this topic from the perspective of a U.S. wine drinker.  Also, please note that the pronunciation guide is not according to any standard and refers to generally accepted U.S. pronunciation.

You can find excellent wines from countries in every part of the world except the polar regions.  Of the top 10 wine-producing countries, six continents are represented.  Of wines readily available in the United States, excellent wines most commonly come from 11 countries in addition to the U.S. itself.  Three states produce most of the best non-sparkling wine made in the U.S., i.e., California, Oregon and Washington.

Italy produces the most wine, but France probably has the strongest reputation.  Spanish wines are also becoming more abundant in U.S. wine stores.  The wines vary so much within those countries that a discussion of the regions of France, Italy and Spain would make good posts at a later date.  Because these countries make so much wine and sell so much in the U.S., it is tough for non-experts to know what is good and what is only fair.  So, for the beginner, finding really good options (despite there being so many) from these countries is more of a challenge than it is for some other countries.

Wines from Argentina and Chile have made very rapid progress getting to U.S. shelves.  These countries make excellent wine and consistency and value are extremely good.  South African wines are now starting to become more popular here.  Frankly, however, I have much to learn about wines from South Africa and will comment more on them in the future after I've learned and tasted more.

Germany is best known for wines made from the Riesling grape and they make the very best representatives of those wines.  It is hard to go wrong with a German wine if you like Riesling.

Australia and New Zealand also make terrific wine, particularly Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Shiraz and Chardonnay from Australia.  These wines are also very consistent and a good value.  The other two countries that produce good wine that is readily available in the U.S. are Portugal and Austria.

California dwarfs every other state in wine production, producing approximately 30 times more wine than Washington, the 2nd-largest wine-producing state.  A discussion of California wine is similar to a discussion of wine from France, Italy and Spain as there are so many types of wines and so many wine-producing areas within the state.  The best-known areas of California are the Napa and Sonoma valleys, but excellent wines come from several other areas.  

Oregon's wine has become as highly thought of as California wine, competing in quality with the best wines in the world.  Oregon's wine mostly comes from the northern part of the Willamette (will-am'-et) Valley, west of the cities of Portland and Salem.  Washington has more recently become known as a producer of great wine.  Extraordinary red wines come from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley, west of Walla Walla and north of Yakima (ya'-ki-ma).

What are the Primary Grape Varieties and What Wines are Made from Them?

A list of the primary wine grapes represented in wines found in stores and restaurants is, admittedly, somewhat arbitrary and there are hundreds of commonly grown wine grapes.  From my experience, the list below is a good representation.  A separate post could easily be written about each grape, so in the interest of keeping this post a fairly reasonable length, I'm merely listing each grape, noting the primary wines that it is used for and adding a few notes for each.  Some wines are blends of more than one grape and some wines are termed "varietals".  Wines that are named after the grape are called varietal wines.  The percent of the grape that makes up a varietal wine varies from place to place, but it is usually at least 75%.  Varietal wines are a relatively new concept in winemaking (beginning in the mid-20th century) and therefore are generally associated with newer wine-producing areas, e.g., the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.  In this post, I'll use the term, albeit not quite correctly, to mean any wine that is composed entirely or almost entirely of a single grape even if it is not named after that grape.  

Note that occasionally certain flavors are mentioned; in all cases the flavors come from the grapes themselves or are transmitted to the wine from the wood of the barrels.  Nothing is added to the original grape juice except for yeast (not all wines have yeast added; some use only that which is naturally on the grape itself) and occasionally preservatives, neither of which is the source of the flavors mentioned.  The exception is the occasional addition of a particular strain of bacteria that stimulate a particular chemical reaction that can also occur naturally to a lesser degree.  This does alter the flavor.

Red Wine Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon (ca-ber-nay' saw-veen-yawn') - varietals, Bordeaux (bor-doh') blends and Super Tuscan wines from Italy

Often just referred to as "Cabernet" or more familiarly as "Cab", it is the primary grape of the most sought-after California and Washington red wines.  Note that Bordeaux blends need not be made in Bordeaux, France, but the red wines from that area are virtually always blends with Cabernet as a primary grape.  Often, California Bordeaux blends are referred to as Meritage (mare'-i-taj) wines.  Good Cabernet wines are bold with great complexity.  Spain and Chile also produce excellent wines from Cabernet.  Super Tuscan wines from Italy can essentially be defined as high-quality wines from Tuscany that don't meet the requirements to be called a Chianti.

Merlot (mare-low') - varietals, Bordeaux blends and Super Tuscans

Merlot wines can be soft and approachable or bold and powerful.  They are consummate proof that the winemaker and the vineyard geology and weather have at least as much to do with what the wine tastes like as the grape variety.  Merlot wines come from most of the primary wine-producing countries.

Pinot Noir (pee'no no-are')- varietals

The best examples of Pinot Noir wines come from Burgundy (burr'-gun-dee)  With the exception of the sub-region Beaujolais (bo-zho-lay'), virtually all red wines from Burgundy are entirely Pinot Noir.  Oregon, California and New Zealand also are known for their Pinot Noirs.  Pinot Noir wines are extremely complex and the best examples can be called "elegant".  They are considered  by many to be the most versatile red wines with regard to food pairings.  Pinot Noir is also one of the primary grapes used in the production of Champagne and equivalent sparkling wines from other places.

Zinfandel/Primitivo (zin'-fan-dell/pree'-mi-tee'-voh)- varietals and blends primarily from California and the Puglia (poo'-lee-ah) region of Italy.

White Zinfandel is also made in California from this grape by removing the skins after crushing.  Zinfandel wines are often very fruit forward and sometimes a bit higher in alcohol than most table wines.  California "Zins" have become extremely popular in recent years.

Malbec (mal'-beck)- varietals and blends

The most important producer of Malbec wines is Argentina.  These wines are often an excellent value and the quality is very consistent.  The wines have similar qualities to the best Merlots.  Technically, Malbec can also be found in Bordeaux blends, although it is no longer often used as such in France.

Shiraz/Syrah (sheh-rahz'/seer-ah')- varietals and blends

Syrah is the primary grape of red wines from the Rhone region of France and also is used in varietals and Rhone blends from Australia, Spain, California and Washington.  Shiraz is the name used in Australia which produces excellent examples of these wines.  Syrah is considered to have a somewhat spicy flavor.

Grenache/Garnacha (gre-nosh'/gar-nah'-chuh)- varietals and blends

This is another of the three grapes found in Rhone blends.  Varietals are also made in Spain, where the grape is called Garnacha, and the Rhone Valley of France.  Rhone blends are classic versatile food wines and are considered by many to be the best wines with lamb.

Mouvedre/Monastrel (moo-ved'-reh/mo-na-strell') - varietals and blends

This is the 3rd of the three grapes found in Rhone blends.  Varietals are also made in Spain, where the grape is called Monastrel, and the Rhone area of France.

Gamay (ga'-may) - varietals

This is the primary grape of wines from Beaujolais.  Gamay Beaujolais is a good choice for those seeking a lighter red wine.  Beaujolais Nouveaux (noo-voh') is released in November of each year and is very light.  It is one of the few red wines that is best when served chilled.

Sangiovese (san'-gee-oh-vays'-ay) - varietals and blends

This is the primary grape of Chianti, best known from Tuscany in Italy, as well as the varietal that makes up Brunello di Montalcino and many other Italian wines in greater and lesser proportions.  Wines with Sangiovese are generally bold, but fruitiness can vary a great deal.

Nebbiolo (neb'-ee-oh'-lo) - varietals and, much less commonly, blends

Barolos and Barbarescos from the Piedmont region of Italy are made from Nebbiolo.  These are among the heaviest and most flavorful of all wines made.  They can be quite expensive for the better examples and they also need aging more than most wines.

Tempranillo (tem'-prah-nee'-oh) - varietals and blends

This is the primary grape of wines from the Rioja region of Spain.  Despite the fact that wines made predominantly from Tempranillo grapes are very smooth and friendly, this grape can also produce bold, complex wines that age well.  Tempranillo wines go well with a large variety of foods.  Prices vary, but there are many examples of very good wines from this grape for well under $20.

Nero d'Avola/Calabrese ((neh'-roe dah-voe'-lah/cal'-a-bray'-say) - varietals and blends

This is the primary grape of Sicily, the island off the toe of Italy's "boot".  It makes bold red wines that go particularly well with full-flavored foods, such as what you'd find in an Italian restaurant.  These wines are under-appreciated and, as such, can be purchased for very reasonable prices.

Petite Sirah - varietals and blends

Outside the U.S. and Israel, this grape is known as Durif and inside the U.S. is often misspelled "Petite Syrah".  Petite Sirah varietal wines from California and Washington are becoming increasingly common and popular.  It is usually less expensive than Cabernet Sauvignon, but similar in boldness, sometimes more fruit forward, and goes well with similar foods.

White Wine Grapes

Chardonnay (shar-dun-ay') - varietals and blends

This grape is found in more wine regions on earth than any other.  Further, Chardonnay styles vary immensely.  If you don't like a particular bottle of Chardonnay, don't give up on all Chardonnays.  For example, two small sub-regions of the Burgundy region of France, Meursault and Chablis, both produce excellent wines from Chardonnay.  Yet, they are totally different - Chablis wines are bright and brisk on the tongue, yet wines from Meursault are often termed "round" and "buttery".  In this case it is primarily the influence of oak barrels for the Meursault  wines that causes the difference, but there are more examples of different styles and oak is only one factor.  California is well known for its Chardonnays; most using oak in varying degrees as well as other winemaking tools that can change the character of the wine.  Australian wines are often unoaked.  All of these types of Chardonnay are worth trying to see what you like best.  Chardonnay is also a major grape used in making Champagne and equivalent sparkling wines from other places.

Sauvignon Blanc (saw-veen-yawn' blahnk) - varietals and blends

Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is also grown extensively all over the world and, like Chardonnay, produces wines of varied styles, although the variability is not nearly as extreme.  Most examples are very crisp and refreshing.  Climate is a major factor in the differences.  Besides Bordeaux, notable Sauvignon Blanc wines come from the Loire Valley, Sancerre (san-sair') being a notable example, and Burgundy in France; California; New Zealand and Chile.  New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs from the Marlborough region are very good values and especially crisp with significant citrus-like flavor.

Riesling (rees'-ling)/Johannisberg Riesling - varietals

There are many grapes with the word Riesling in their names, but the primary one is the one named for the Johannisberg castle in Germany.  German Riesling wines are far and away the most important, although other countries make wine from the same grape, including the Alsace region of France and the U.S.  Blends are rare and usually not from Germany.  The wines are very distinct from each region of Germany and each winemaker.  The best German Rieslings have a label that indicates how late the grapes were picked, with the later pickings being sweeter (and more expensive).  The first picking is labeled Kabinett and these wines are generally the best Rieslings with most food, other than desserts, which go well with the later pickings, e.g., Spatlese (shpet'-lay-zeh and even later).  Rieslings go particularly well with spicy and salty foods.  Riesling wines are so fruity that many people describe them as sweet even when they really aren't.  Prices vary widely for good German Rieslings. 

Pinot Grigio/Gris (gree'-gee-oh/gree) - varietals

A black grape, it is called Pinot Grigio in Italy and Pinot Gris in most other places.  Most wines found in U.S. stores made from this grape are Italian, although Oregon and California also produce Pinot Gris wines as do France and Germany, although these are harder to fine in the U.S.  Italian Pinot Grigios are light easy-to-drink wines and are best when young.

Grüner Veltliner (groon'-er velt'-line-er) - varietals

Primarily from northeastern Austria, these are white wines worth trying.  They often have a tartness to them that sets them apart from other white wines.

Chenin Blanc (shenn'-in blahnk) - varietals and blends

The Loire Valley of France is Chenin Blanc's home, although it is also commonly grown in South Africa and California.  The best-known examples are from Vouvray in the Loire Valley and the wines are usually called Vouvrays.  Some refer to Chenin Blanc as France's answer to Riesling.

Gewürztraminer (geh-vurtz'-trem'-inn-er) - varietals

The Alsace region of France makes the best-known wines from Gewürztraminer grapes, a red grape that makes a distinctly spice-flavored (think spice cake) wine (gewürz literally means "spice" in German).   This is my personal choice for pairing with a Thanksgiving turkey dinner.  Styles of the wine vary greatly from dry to sweet.

Sémillon (say-mee-yawn') - varietals and blends

Frequently misspelled and mispronounced as "Semillion", in Bordeaux, Sémillon is a blending wine, but excellent fruity varietals come from Australia.

Viognier (vee'-own-yay') - varietals and blends

These wines are primarily from the Rhone Valley of France and California.  They produce florally aromatic fruit forward wines.

Clearly, Part 2 has gone on longer than I (and perhaps you) expected.  I have other topics that I want to write about, but I will continue this series of posts at some point in the future, touching on the following topics:

• What are Good Values in Wine and What are Safe Bets at a Restaurant
• Wine and Food
• Sparkling Wines
• Serving Temperature

Learning to Enjoy Wine, a Step-by-Step Process - Part 1

This being my first blog, I've concentrated on the content.  As I get more experienced at this, I'll do more with things like pictures and links to other information.  Blogging is also a step-by-step learning process!

For most of us, the satisfaction that comes from enjoying a glass of wine is a learned process.  There is so much that can contribute to that enjoyment that even the most ardent aficionado would say that it can be a life-long learning adventure.  That last statement could put off the novice wine drinker, but it really shouldn't.  One's knowledge of wine contributes to wine enjoyment without a doubt, but it is completely unnecessary to be an expert to enjoy drinking wine.  Just as it can be fun to fish with a bobber off a dock rather than invest a fortune in fishing equipment, it can be fun to drink a reasonably priced wine with minimal knowledge of wines and winemaking.  The purpose of this article is to guide those who would like to know where to start to enhance their wine-drinking enjoyment and to offer some thoughts on other knowledge they may wish to pursue to further enhance that enjoyment.  Take it one step at a time and you'll find that your enjoyment of wine just keeps increasing with each new discovery!

Dry vs. Sweet and What is "Fruit Forward"

What does it really mean for a wine to be "dry"?  Are less-dry wines lighter and easier to drink?  Is a "dry" wine the opposite of a "sweet" wine?  

The term "dry" refers to the presence of tannins in a wine.  Tannins can make a mouth feel dry in two ways; they can be very astringent (have you ever tasted an unripe persimmon?) and they can modify saliva in the mouth.  Hence, tannins are the cause of a wine being called "dry".  Winemakers often choose to produce a wine with significant amounts of tannins, because they contribute to the "structure" of a wine. Structure contributes to the ability of a wine to age well. More about structure and aging in another article.  Not all tannins are the same.  Some tannins are "softer" than others and do not have as much of an impact on the "dryness" of a wine; more about that later.  Tannins come from a number of sources in the wine-making process - the skins of the grapes; the leaves, seeds and stems that are present during the first steps in winemaking after picking the grapes, i.e., crushing and fermentation; and the wood of the barrels the wine may be stored in after fermentation.  Skin, stems, seeds and leaves can be removed sooner or later in the winemaking process, thus changing the quantity and type of tannins in the wine.  The length of time the wine is stored in wood barrels and the type of wood in the barrels also modifies tannin amount and type.  

Most wines in the store are table wines, i.e., wines that are good complements to food.  Other wines are desert wines and fortified wines.  These wines are sweeter wines and they acquire their sweetness in varying ways.  These are not typically what you find on a "Wines by the Glass" menu in a restaurant and deserve a separate discussion at another time (although sparkling wines are often table wines, they are different enough from most table wines that they also will be discussed later).  Sweetness in a table wine is determined by the amount of sugar that is left over after fermentation.  During fermentation, yeasts convert sugar to alcohol. Table wines can vary in sweetness, but not by all that much, because grapes have different amounts of sugar in them when they are picked due to ripeness, weather, and grape variety and, because more or less of the sugar present was converted to alcohol.  A "dry" wine can be sweeter than a less-dry wine and vice versa, so choosing a sweeter wine because you prefer a less-dry wine is not the best way to achieve that objective.

Some wines are more fruity tasting than others.  Most beginning wine drinkers who shy away from certain types of bold red wines because they consider them to be "too dry" are actually expressing a preference for a more fruity or "fruit-forward" wine.  The more different types of wine you try, the more you will learn to appreciate the differences, i.e., more or less dry (as well as different types of tannins), different amounts of residual sugar and more or less fruit-forward. Even those who have been drinking wine for a long time and who appreciate these differences are not always able to verbalize what tastes good to them and what doesn't, so don't be concerned if you aren't very good at expressing your opinions.  Many people who consider themselves knowledgeable about wine feel the same way.  You can count the author among those people.  Most importantly, the more wines you try, the more different types of wine you are likely to learn to enjoy.  For the majority of people who enjoy wine, over time, bold red wines become their favorites.  The reason is that these wines are more complex, i.e., they exhibit a larger number of interesting tastes, smells and other nuances.  It takes experience (but not extensive knowledge or sophistication!) to recognize these sometimes subtle sensory experiences.

White vs. Red vs. Blush/Rosé

Although even wine connoisseurs can have strong preferences of one color wine over another, it is more common for novice wine drinkers to be more comfortable ordering a glass of white or blush wine.  Often, those who have not sampled many wines in their life assume that white wines are "less dry" than red and they assume that "less dry" is synonymous with a fruitier, more friendly flavor.  In fact, the range of dryness in white wines is not much different than that in red wines.  Similarly, a neophyte wine drinker may think that blush wines and rosé (which means "pink" in French and is pronounced "rozay") wines are all "sweet" and therefore easier to drink.  Whereas it is true that white Zinfandel (the most well-known blush wine) is usually less dry than a typical red wine, it is not a particularly sweet wine.  Further, many rosés are quite dry.

So, red wine comes from red grapes, white wine comes from white grapes and rosés and blush wines come from pink grapes, right?  Well, not exactly.  There are white grapes and black grapes. White grapes can be  green, yellow-green, gold or light-orange.  They aren't really white. Just to be balanced here, black grapes aren't black either; they are different shades of red, and can range in color from light ruby to a deep indigo.  Therefore, red, rosé and blush wines are all made from black grapes.  But white wines do come from white grapes, right?  It's true that white grapes only produce white wines.  However, a few white wines come from black grapes.  How's that possible, you ask?  Well, the juice of most black grapes is clear just like the juice of white grapes.  To make a white wine from black grapes, the winemaker removes the skins from the juice right after pressing the grapes, not allowing the red pigments of the skin to color the juice.  So, that also explains how rosé and blush wines are pink in color; the skins are only left with the pressed juice for a short time.  A wine's color is mostly obtained from the skin.

Wine Drinking Tips

There are a few suggestions that can make wine taste better.  Table wines are ideally produced so that they enhance the enjoyment of food and vice versa.  Although wine can be the perfect complement to a full meal, it doesn't mean that you can't enjoy table wines without sitting down to dinner.  Often, a younger red wine has tannins that are not in their optimum chemical state for enjoying the wine, i.e., they are too astringent and cause the mouth to feel too dry, thus overpowering the other flavors and characteristics of the wine.  There are two easy ways to soften the effect of these overwhelming, astringent tannins.  Either or both are good to employ.  

The first method for softening tannins is simple and goes back to the fact that table wines taste best with food.  Tannins like to stick to proteins and doing so is another way to make them softer.  Serving a small snack rich in protein can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of bold red wine.  Some simple options to try are cheese (the ultimate food to enjoy with wine), nuts (some nuts are better than others; peanuts, cashews and almonds are good choices) and prepared meats, e.g., hams and sausages.

Before employing the second method, pour a small taste into a glass before pouring a full glass for you and those sharing the wine with you.  If the wine tastes good to you without doing anything, don't mess with a good thing and just pour it!  If it tastes a bit too astringent or possibly a littler bitter to you, then the wine needs to "open up", i.e., react with oxygen.

Opening a bottle an hour or more before you drink it can allow oxygen to come into contact with the wine.  This is called letting a wine "breathe".  Swirling the wine energetically (preferably without making a mess) either in the bottle or in the glass can increase the mixture of oxygen with the wine.  There are other ways to accelerate the breathing of wine, so that you needn't wait long to enjoy it, such as pouring the wine into another container, i.e., a decanter, or employing special pouring tools that aerate the wine.  Oxygen modifies several components of wine (wine is an amazingly complicated mixture of chemical compounds, which is why it has such complex and interesting flavors and odors).  Most importantly, oxygen reduces the ability of tannins to cause astringency and to alter saliva.  This process is referred to as softening of the tannins.  Over time, sometimes many years, tannins in red wine soften on their own due to the very slow introduction of oxygen through the bottle's cork.  This is one of the reasons that it can be a treat to drink a red wine that has aged in the bottle for several years.  The effect of aging is similar to that of opening a bottle prior to drinking to let it breathe.  The more sought-after bold red wines can reach their peak in over 20 years!  

Actually, tasting the wine is the last thing you should do before drinking the wine.  Wine is best enjoyed by using 3 senses, sight, smell and taste.  The color of the wine is a beautiful part of enjoying wine.  Take a moment to look at the color.  If you can remember colors, you may be able to associate a particular color with wines that you particularly enjoy.

The smell (also referred to as the "bouquet" or "nose") of wine is, to me, as important as the taste.  Some wines have a nose that seems to match the taste perfectly, whereas others have a nose that seems like it came from another wine altogether.  I find it interesting that some wines can have a really bold flavor and barely have any nose at all.  Ultimately, of course, it is the taste that's most important, but I would always choose the wine with the more interesting and pleasant nose of two wines that are otherwise equal in taste.  So, before you taste the wine, take time to smell it and, hopefully, enjoy that aroma.

I hope that Part 1 has been fun, interesting and educational to you.  Part 2, my next blog installment, will discuss the topics "Wine and Food", "Sparkling Wines", "Where Do Good Wines Come from?", "What are the Primary Grape Varieties and What Wines are Made from Them?" and "What are Good Values in Wine and What are Safe Bets at a Restaurant?"