Dry Whites on your own

Enlightenment comes out of the blue, unexpectedly; while you are brewing a cup of tea, shaving legs, milking a cow (I considered my audience wide and varied ;)). Abruptly and with great intensity, it will make you question the past and consider the future. Bad news! To some enlightenment never comes – they can only read about the phenomenon in books, half of which probably never do and the other half indiscriminately (and mistakenly, of course) investigate works of Voltaire and Rousseau. Those blighters must live happily stupid lives – fair enough :)

To me the enlightenment came exactly at the age of 26 – the very 24^th of March during my birthday dinner. A mixture of embarrassment, curiosity, and thirst for knowledge hit me like a bullet in the head once asked: “Natalia, can you choose a bottle of good wine?”. Well… I could have done it if the way out of the dilemma had boiled down to white, red or rose :D It didn't!
Right there, that was the moment when I decided I cannot know this little about wines if I want to go through my life with my head up and buzzing ;) For the record, expensive wine is as intoxicating as cheap one – you just feel slightly more posh and you start talking business after two glasses ;)

This is how it all started. Proud and upright Australian Riesling!

Three books to get the studying spree started? Totally my 'exaggeration' style! Or could it be that the more books I read, the more I study and the more I drink? Totally my style ;)
So here I am, with a book by Susy Atkins (a great expert, btw!), sipping her every word, boozing information and swallowing appellations of grapes. Opening the guide was my “A”; my “B” was uttered in pain in a shop when I paid twice as much as for what we used to buy. Well, knowledge doesn’t come easy, they say. The thought that I am fully aware what I choose, what I drink, and what gives me hang-over is priceless, though :) And this look of shop assistants observing me trying to find Australian Riesling by Jacob’s Creek… They certainly expect me to grab cheap ‘Sainsbury’s value’ in the end, fuckers!

Something for delicate and sensitive addicts. Spanish Albarińo.

So I am enjoying everything about my new hobby. Discovering, drinking, surprising (and occasionally shocking) people – what not to like? :) The only faux pas I made is drinking wine on its own (not counting peanuts, Doritos, frozen pizza or pretzels). Hey! It’s not my fault the wines go with a lobster, roasted duck or 100-year old cheese from the south of France (yeah… like I can get it in a local Tesco!).

However, I do not like “C” - when some ask me to choose wine for them… Pfff, I know what they want – cheap sweet or semi-sweet rose from whatever vineyard, whatever country, and from whatever grape (so exactly what I used to choose back in my pre-studying times ;)). How can I tell them to try Chardonnay Chablis? Not worth trying and being blamed for not-this-kind-of-wine. So I never say “C”, unless I am dealing with someone who is in the know (rare thing) and I know the person’s taste.

Alsatian pride and evocation of erotic dreams ;) French Gewurtztraminer!

Ladies and Gentlemen, a blend of Chardonnay with Semillon grape from Australia will be rich and oaky, but not as much as generous Vins de Pays d’Oc from the deep south of France… I’m loving it! Reading labels has always been my cup of tea. With wines it is even better – I leave calories and E330 aside and what they say at the back of the bottle is pure poetry… “An intense nose of rose petals, oriental spice and tropical fruit. Gently off-dry, with a round and mellow texture, balanced by a burst of acidity and a peppery note on the finish.” Doesn’t that make you put on your shoes and run to get Gewürztraminer? Some could even get carried away and run barefoot :D (Btw, one of my favourite grapes - regarding the taste, sensations and dreams afterwards. Niah, niah! :>)

Don’t you dare say now that I drink too much. I do it for the erudition.