1-2 New Year, New wine

Regardless of how knowledgeable a person is about wine, its always fun to find something new that you like. Most people find this really challenging. My mom for instance drinks California Chardonnay. She knows that she likes it and she has a lot of trouble being convinced to try other grape varieties, for fear that she won't like what she gets. If you are like my mom, I have a new year's resolution for you: Next time you are heading to a wine shop or a restaurant make sure you are armed with at least one (preferrably a few more) wines that you like or better yet a description of a wine that you really like, along with the amount that you'd like to spend and ask the experts there to help you. If you are at a wine shop, most (if not all) of the staff should be very knowledgable about the product. The people that work there generally do it for the love of the grape, and definitely not for the small pay stub. They are usually excited to help you find something new you like, as this will likely keep you coming back. My sister-in-law just put this new wine challenge into action on New Year's Eve. She and her husband were joining us for dinner and they stopped into our neighborhood shop on their way over. She knows that she likes Rombauer Chardonnay, so she strolled right in and told the unfortunate employee working New Year's Eve, exactly that. Rombauer is a medium bodied, slightly sweet chardonnay that tastes of crisp pears, white peaches and vanilla, without a strong oaky flavor. He recommended that she try a Pouilly-Fuisse and handed her a specific bottle that he thought she would like. Pouilly-Fuisse is part of the Burgundy region of France that makes wine from Chardonnay. In general, Chardonnays made in France have much less oak taste than those in California, but many still have a medium body and hints of vanilla, so his choice made perfect sense. When she and I tasted it together, we confirmed that it was a very good recommendation for a big fan of Rombauer.
When I'm in a restaurant and I'm not immediately sure what I'd like to order from the wine list, I always ask to talk with the sommelier, or resident wine expert. Wine drinkers of all types should feel comfortable doing this, since aside from choosing the wine list, it is the wine guy or gal's purpose for working every evening. I usually have narrowed it down to a few new wines I'm interested in trying and ask for their opinion, but some times I just give them the style and flavor I want (ie full-bodied white that is not very oaky) and tell them I'd like to try something they find interesting. You can also just tell them the name of a wine you like and a price range (just like in the shop) and they should be able to work some magic for you. If you are somewhere that doesn't have a wine expert, ask your waiter the same questions, or just ask them what they like to drink that is on the list. This can have a less desirable outcome, but if you hate it, they usually will feel somewhat responsible for recommending it, and if its by the glass, they probably get you something new. Most restaurants, at least in the SF Bay area, have their staff do regular wine tastings to keep up on their wine knowledge, since they can sell a bottle of wine for much more than a plate of ravioli.

PS. Don't ever feel uptight about mentioning how much you want to spend. It is important to your enjoyment, and completely appropriate. Just make sure you have checked the list to make sure you given them a range that is possible!

Happy New Year!