Thinking on Drinking: Collecting

At last count, which was just a couple of weeks ago, I'd lived in 26 different houses/apartments in seven states (some duplicates) over the past 11 years, not including places where I'd been for just a couple of months. My lifestyle wasn't exactly an ideal pairing for collecting wine, but for half that time I toted around a bottle of 1997 Limerick Lane Zinfandel given to me by a fellow wine-loving friend when I graduated from Sonoma State University. I was supposed to drink the wine when I published my first book of poetry. After a few years and a few states I downgraded that requirement to the publication of my first book, period. I finally opened the bottle in 2006 when I published my first big article in the San Francisco Chronicle; it was on pomegranate cocktails. The wine, a bit rusted at the edges, was just starting to decline, but it had lovely (and appropos) pomegrante fruit notes, plus earthy tones and hints of violet and lavender that were buried beneath the bold fruit upon release. 

"Do you have a wine you're saving for a particular occasion?"

Leave a comment below and tell us what you're saving and what for!

Leah Greenstein

Thinking on Drinking: Inexpensive Wines

Last Monday I kicked off the week with a question, and I so enjoyed reading all the responses posted here, on Facebook and Twitter that I wanted to start this week off in similar fashion. Still bleary-eyed and clinging to my cup of Cafecito I pulled a card from the stack of Tabletopics wine conversation starters on my desk.

"What's your favorite inexpensive wine?"

As a member of the K&L family, answering this question is harder than you might think. This is NOT because I drink a lot of expensive wine. Or because I think expensive wine always tastes better. On the contrary, it's because working here I've been exposed to so many incredible, affordable wines that I have favorites in almost every category. I know that wine doesn't have to be expensive to have the balance and complexity I seek. I rarely buy wine that costs more than $15 a bottle, and with my husband and I poised to buy our first house, I think this trend will continue for quite awhile. 

That said, I love discovering new inexpensive wines to add to my arsenal. Last week, K&L's Southern California Italian wine liaison Chris Miller poured a lot of great values for the staff (including the wonderful 2009 Marchese di Gresy "Martinenga" Nebbiolo, which drinks like a Barolo three or four times its price), but the wine that surprised us all the most was the 2007 Mezzacorona Cabernet Sauvingon at just $6.99! Let me start by saying that I'm not usually a fan of Cabernet Sauvignon, especially at this price point, because it's usually overpowered by oak flavors and is flabby at best. I am also not usually a fan of French varietals grown in Italy, preferring instead the myriad of native grapes the country has to offer. But the Mezzacorona, from one of Italy's biggest producers, won me over with its varietal character. It displayed aromas and flavors of smoke, black pepper, cassis and anise that were wonderfully precise, buoyed by a soft structure and a juicy, drink-a-bottle acidity. It's exactly the Cab I'd want on hand if I were grilling burgers or making meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. 

What's your favorite inexpensive wine?

Leah Greenstein

Thinking on Drinking: Mediocrity

Here at K&L we love great wine. We love to drink it and we love to share it. But if you ask any of us what makes a wine "great," you'll probably get 50 different answers, which is why I love question above from the deck of wine Tabletopics conversation starters that my neighbor gave me for Christmas. 

"Would you rather drink a mediocre wine with incredible people or an incredible wine with mediocre people?"

Personally, I think who you drink your wine with directly affects your perception of the wine, for better or for worse, and so I think I would rather drink okay wine with incredible people because I'd actually enjoy both the company and the wine more. What you think?

Leah Greenstein