Wine Talk by Robert Whitley

Another year, another several thousand wines to taste. Not bad work if you can get it, but there are a few things I would change if I were king of the wine world -- ten, to be precise.
   
No. 10: Ban the trendy ultra-heavy, ultra-thick wine bottles. I realize the intent is to impress with the additional heft, but more than anything else, heavy bottles are simply annoying. Try lifting a case of them. Try squeezing one into a racking system designed for a standard 750-ml Bordeaux bottle. Hey, if a winery's looking to cut costs, this one's a no-brainer!
   
No 9: Eliminate the huge fudge factor on stated alcohol content. As it currently stands, wineries can legally understate the alcohol in a bottle of wine by as much as 1 1/2 percent. In a wine listed at 14.9 percent on the label, the true number could be well above 16 percent. Some of those monsters that actually list alcohol at 15 percent plus are more likely closer to 17 percent. I'm sorry, that's Port territory. A variance of half a percent is the better measure, and the technology exists to ensure that what it says on the label more accurately reflects what's in the bottle.
   
No 8: Protocols for "wine bars." Hoping to cash in on the growing popularity of wine bars, many newer restaurants now include the term "wine bar" in their signage and promotional materials, just because they offer a few wines by the glass. This is misleading and pathetic. A wine bar may well serve very refined cuisine, but its focus should be wine.
   
No 7: Waive or reduce restaurant corkage fees. I realize a restaurateur invests precious resources to stock a wine list, and most would prefer if you bought from the list rather than bringing in your own. But the real bottom line for any business is to attract enough customers to pay the bills and realize a reasonable profit. People are sick of shelling out more for their wine than their meal, and there's a growing tendency to pack a bottle from the cellar at home when dining out. Restaurants that cater to this trend by waiving or substantially reducing the fees they charge for opening and serving your wine are snagging a huge share of the dining-out crowd. I like this trend!
   
No 6: More decanters, please. Restaurants by and large stock young wines that would be better with additional cellar time. One device that helps is the decanter. Decanting a young red wine exposes it to air and softens the frequently harsh tannins, allowing the fruit to shine.
   
No. 5: Drink local wines. Wines are produced in virtually every corner of the United States. Chances are there is a decent wine being made near you. I've had fabulous wines from New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Idaho as well as the usual suspects -- California, Oregon and Washington. I'm not suggesting a steady diet of the local swill, but you might be surprised how good it can be.
   
No 4: Resist the urge to uproot Syrah. I realize Syrah is a hard sell for many wineries, but the potential for world-class domestic syrah is very real. For one thing, Syrah is that rare grape variety that excels in both cool and warm climates. Wineries that have tapped into the vast potential of Syrah -- such as Alban, Bonny Doon, Edmunds St. John and Truchard -- have done very well. It's way too soon to give up on this fabulous red-wine grape.
   
No. 3: Chardonnay 101. The bandwagon for Chardonnay with lower alcohol, less oak and greater minerality seems to be growing. I'm loving it, but we still need more winemakers to hop aboard. You can do your part by visiting your favorite wine merchant and asking for Chardonnay in this style. Nothing speaks to wineries louder than grumbling from important wholesale wine buyers.
   
No. 2: Marketing 101. Value is the most important virtue of a successful winery in today's economic environment. A wine must over-deliver on quality for the price, whatever that price may be. One consequence of the current recession has been the discovery of Argentine Malbec by the average wine drinker. It tastes really, really good and it's not very expensive. That's the new benchmark. You want those customers, you better come up with something that tastes as good or better at a price that seems reasonable.
   
No 1: Bordeaux 101. It was Bordeaux that inspired my love of wine. There once was a time when I purchased virtually every vintage of every First Growth, and many of the Seconds. That ended in 1989 when Bordeaux prices soared beyond my ability to keep pace. I still buy the occasional Chateau Margaux or Cheval Blanc, but those purchases are now few and far between. I wonder what will happen to Bordeaux when an entire generation of wine enthusiasts has missed out on the experience of a mature classified growth from a glorious vintage? Will anyone care if no one outside the auction salons of Sotheby's has partaken? Bordeaux, it's time to come home.

BEST BUY
   
Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value.
   
Domaine de Nizas 2007 Le Mas Rouge, Vin de Pays, France ($14) -- This property in the south of France, near the village of Nizas in the Languedoc region, is owned by American John Goelet of Napa's Clos du Val winery. The Le Mas Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot -- grapes that thrive in the area -- exhibiting lush black fruit aromas, hints of spices and herbs, and a touch of minerality. It's well balanced, an exceptional food wine. Rating: 89.

TASTING NOTES
   
Alois Lageder 2008 beta delta Chardonnay Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige, Italy ($25) -- Alois Lageder is certainly one of the most eclectic and innovative winemakers in all of Italy, a country renowned for its eclectic and innovative winemakers. Lageder is a convert to biodynamic farming in the mountainous Alto Adige region at the base of the Alps, in a part of Italy that belonged to Austria prior to World War I. His wines uniformly offer a striking balance of fruit, minerals and mouthwatering acidity, and the beta delta Chardonnay Pinot Grigio is an example of Lageder at his very best.
   
This wine is clean and refreshing, with a refined mouthfeel and depth of flavor that goes well beyond its overall delicacy of palate weight. Aromas of citrus and exotic fruits are vivid and inviting, but it's the backbone and structure that speak of the rocky terroir and cool climate. Simply superb. Rating: 92.
   
To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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