Love the Wine You’re With!

When your old favorites are becoming yesterday’s news or you just want a better bargain, maybe it’s time to be unfaithful… to your wine!

On this week’s episode of The Wine is Taking, your host, David Wilson, makes a strong case for changing up your wine loyalties on a regular basis; arguing that we sometimes get to entrenched with old habits an familiar names. Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the show:

Well, there’s no question that I’m a big fan of metaphors. I guess it’s because they elicit an emotional reaction that enables me to better express how something feels that I have difficulty putting into words. Well, every time I go out to a nice restaurant, I’m reminded of the laser jet printers in my office. You know the printers that cost as little as 50 bucks until you have to buy your first set of cartridges… at around $129!

Yep! The printer is your meal. The product of ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of what people really want. Unfortunately, the ink is the wine. It’s an essential companion to the meal, but it’s usually the single most expensive item on your ticket and just like wine, the ink always seems to run out far too soon. I’m David Wilson with another edition of The Wine is Talking, entitled, “If you can’t be with the wine you love, love the wine!

Having traveled extensively around the world, I can say with a measure of confidence that my metaphor works far better in America than other parts of the world where wine is viewed much more as a necessity than a luxury item. There are exceptions, however Now, certainly in places like France where collectors have created a market for luxury wines that are nearly unobtainable by mortals, you’ll see spectacular vintages on wine lists that are going to send you into cardiac arrest, metaphorically speaking of course But you’re also going to discover that the house wines and many other offerings on the list are sensibly priced and surprisingly sumptuous. Meanwhile, back in America, far too often, budget wines are scarcely a good value. After all, if a wine brings you no pleasure, it’s not worth a penny in my book. While most countries produce some form of bulk wine in America, the lion’s share of affordable wine is produced millions of gallons at a time.

Yes, it’s drinkable and even satisfying, but in my mind it’s far better suited for tailgate parties and backyard barbecues than fine dining at a restaurant or dinner party at home. We Americans excel at producing things in great volume, whether it’s buying pancake syrup in 55 gallon drums at a big box club store or taking pride in serving umpteen zillion customers under the golden arches. Wine is a massive business in America and the corporatization of our favorite adult beverage has divided wine into two camps; cheap, bulk, and sometimes boring, versus exceptional and expensive. All right. Now before you accuse me of being too black and white about all of this, let me voluntarily admit that there’s plenty of middle ground that I’m glossing over to keep things simple. However, true wine lovers tend to have a great deal of disdain for mediocre wine. As for me, I have one and only one position when it comes to consuming wine that I really don’t love or at a minimum appreciate. I don’t drink it and neither should you. I’ve devoted the entire second half of my life to helping wine enthusiasts find great wines at great values, and if the price of your wine consistently overshadows the price of your meal and that disparity doesn’t work well with your entertainment budget, it’s time to get a new game plan! Listen up to learn more!