Experience grape expectations

Great wine shouldn’t have to break your budget or your self-esteem. With a little bit of knowledge about the Big Six Grapes and how terroir and/or food influence the taste of those grapes, you can take the power of wine selection into your own hands.

It was Andrea Immer who first introduced the philosophy of “Great Wine Made Simple,” which is the title of her first book and the guiding principle behind the wine empire she has built. She’s probably the least pretentious wine professional you’ll ever meet, even though her credentials are among the best in the world. She burst into the national scene in 1997 when she was named Best Sommelier, and she was Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary Institute (now ICC) in New York City. She has trained wait-staff all over the world. Her most endearing quality, however, is how she wants to share her passion and a little common-sense wine knowledge with the masses.

Forget those fancy wine terms and scores. It’s simple and enjoyable to learn the characteristics and body of the six grapes used in most wine production the world over. In order of body, lightest to fullest body, the white grapes are Riesling,

Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and the reds are Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best way to learn each wine’s unique traits is to taste them side by side, either the whites or the reds or all six together. When hosting a tasting with your friends, assign one grape to each guest, along with a price guideline to keep quality similar, and have them bring a couple of bottles of their favorite brand.

After you experience the eye-opener of contrasting varietals (wines made with single grapes) side by side, you can begin to explore how terrior will influence flavor. Terrior is the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate, but to keep things simple, just concentrate on geography. Just consider the fruits produced in cold climates versus warm climates, and you’ll have clues to the flavor hiding in that un-opened bottle. Cool climates, are usually less sunny, so they typically produce crisp and tangy, light-bodied, lean and tart wines. The sunshine in warmer climates usually produces soft and smooth, full-bodied, ripe and luscious wines. You’re probably already familiar with these flavors. Think cooler tart green apples versus warmer peaches and mangos for whites. For reds, imagine sour cranberries to juicy plums to rich raisins.

Those basic tips can get you started on an adventurous wine path that could keep you busy for some time. While on that road of discovery, it is also fun to experiment with food and wine pairings. The flavor of foods and wines can influence each other, but don’t over-think it. It is doubtful that a wine choice ever spoiled a wonderfully prepared meal. Having said that, there are some wonderful classic wine and food pairings that are classic for a reason, such as Champagne and caviar, Sancerre and fresh goat cheese, Italian Barolo and white truffles, prime steak and really good Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauternes and foie gras, and a world of wine and cheese matches that could keep you busy for years. Perfect matches have much to do with flavors in food and wine, such as sweet, earthy, smoky, buttery, tart or spicy.

Enrico Giacalone owns Chianti Restaurant and the Vintage Wine Bar on Line Avenue in Shreveport, and he has much to consider when matching his signature Italian cuisine to good wine. “With our menu, we try to make it simple for our customer,” he said. “We look for certain flavors when the vendors come to approach us or when we seek out a new wine. I want them to pair well with the dishes we serve. I’m looking for certain flavors but on a level that is more approachable for people. We also like offering great deals on wine by the glass.”

“We feature more regional Italian cuisine, so a good one to think of is lasagna,” Giacalone said. “It’s meaty with acidity and tomatoes that are always a good wine pairing. Another good match would be a béchamel sauce. It’s creamy and all those flavors blend together. So a Chianti (Classico) is perfect with simple dishes like those. Food that is more roasted or grilled would be better with a Chianti Reserva with at least 18 months in an oak barrel. Ruffino is so dependable and so consistent in flavor. But we also have some really good Australian and Chilean wines. ” As for whites, Giacalone said, “A Pinot Grigio is a good little table wine. I also like a Gavi. It has a little bit of fizz to it. It is fruity with a character that we usually find in a very young wine that is meant to be consumed young. It’s very fresh and clean.”

The Vintage Wine bar is connected to the restaurant and offers 21 wines by the glass with their origin. ”We pretty much show the character of the wine, and people make their own decisions. If you taste the wine, the character of the wine is already there, whether it’s mellow or nonacidic, and that can guide your choice in appetizer.”

The best wine-by-the-glass restaurants seem to always have the best-trained staff, as well. Giacalone said there is some pressure on the servers to be more knowledgeable about wine and food pairings. “That’s why we’re training our staff now with tastings and information. We just want our people to understand grapes and be able to give guidelines but not dictate. Our clientele want to know, as well. They want to be educated. We are starting a new bartender training program with a wine expert from Italy, Giovanni Prosino. He’s very knowledgeable, and we will be expanding our offerings to include French wines.”

Whether you’re hosting your own tasting at home or taking advantage of expert wine and food pairings at a delightful local restaurant like Chianti’s, don’t be intimidated. Having wine should be enjoyable, and it should taste great. Otherwise, why bother?

Chianti Restaurant and the Vintage Wine Bar are located at 6535 Line Avenue in Shreveport. For more information,w call (318) 868-8866 or visit www. chiantirestaurant.net.

– Susan Reeks