One of my winemakers said it best when she said that “ the wine is made in the vineyards, not in the cellars. If you don’t start with quality fruit, it is not possible to make quality wines.”

Therefore, top winemakers are in the fields assuring that the harvest will be of the highest quality possible. Even though they may have workers to do some of the work for them, these winemakers can often be found in the vineyards examining the vines, working the soil, and testing the fruit. They are getting their hands dirty.

These are small families who have been entrusted with their ancestral homes and plots of land. They are stewards of the land for the next generation. Their job is to maximize the potential of the land in an environmentally friendly manner. And their special skill is turning the quality fruit into some of the world’s best wines.

People who go on these trips are veterans of barge trips and other wine trips where you eat on the barge or in restaurants most of the time. Those are all good trips. And the people had enjoyable times on those trips. But they are unanimous in their preference for my trips. One man said it best. He and his wife went on a barge trip and loved it. So, they went on a second barge trip and again had a good time. Then, they met me and decided to go to Burgundy with me. About halfway through their Gourmet Trip with me, he said that “this trip is the major leagues and the other trips, while enjoyable, were the minor leagues.”

So, what sets my Gourmet Trips apart? Among other things, it is their uniqueness and authenticity. On no other trip do you actually get invited into the winemakers’ homes. Either the winemakers cook for you or we take a chef who cooks some of the meals in their homes. You are invited as a good friend and family member to experience their daily life, which is centered around their world-class wines and the delicious Burgundian culinary specialties prepared in their homes.

It’s all very relaxed and informal. In fact, one man who has traveled extensively to Europe said that this trip has a “level of intimacy that is rare in Europe”.

Trip participants say that if you enjoy food and wine together… and if you really want to connect with the winemakers on a real and significant level, then you will absolutely love this trip.

Of course, we all know that France, Italy, and the US are among the top wine producing countries in the world. And within each country, there are several regions – all of which make different styles of wines.

In France and Italy, the most famous regions are actually codified as to which grapes can be made into wine that bears the name of each region. America is less regulated in this respect. For example, in Bordeaux, there are 5 grapes that may be used for their better red wines, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In Burgundy, the red wines must be 100% Pinot Noir. In the Rhone, there are 13 grapes that may be used in any combination, principally Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. But in the Northern Rhone, it’s 100% Syrah.

Therefore, knowing your wine regions can really help you to know what type of wine you are drinking. And if you know the grape characteristics, then that will help you to further know what to expect in a glass. Basic sommelier training seeks to help you identify the wine in the glass by learning flavor profiles and characteristics of different grapes as well as the influence that regional differences (climate, etc) have on the wine. It’s all very deductive. With a little experience, certain patterns will fall out and become obvious. Before you know it, you could be impressing your friends by correctly identifying that dark, bold, and spicy red wine as being made from 100% Syrah grapes grown in the Saint Joseph area of the Northern Rhone. Very nice!

You can approach it from either angle. There is no “right” answer. Some people always select their wine first and others select their food first. If you have a favorite dish you want to prepare for guests, then by all means start with the food and then select a wine that goes well with that food. Conversely, if you have a special bottle that you want to open with a friend, then you would select the appropriate food that will complement your special wine.

One of the tricks that I have learned over the years is that TEXTURE plays a major role in pairing. Food and wine both have texture. Let’s take the example of a ribeye steak and a tenderloin.

Think of the ribeye steak with its big flavor, but also with its fat. The ribeye is more flavorful, but is much tougher than a tenderloin. The texture could be considered as “coarse and rough”. The tenderloin has almost no fat. It is very tender, but has comparatively less flavor than a ribeye. The tenderloin can be considered as “delicate and elegant”.

Not just any red wine will go with both steaks. For the ribeye, you need a bigger red that has good acid to cut through the fat as well as big fruit and tannins to stand up to the toughness of the meat. But that big red would dominate the tenderloin and diminish your enjoyment of the meal. With the tenderloin, you would select a wine that is smoother and softer. Its elegance would match the tenderness of the meat and maximize the pairing. Yet, this more elegant wine would fall flat if served with the ribeye.

Notice that we really haven’t talked about specific flavors or sauces. We have simply talked about the texture of the food along with the texture of the wine. For me, this is probably the first building block to master when pairing food and wine to maximize your enjoyment at the table.

One example is the 3-tier system that our government enforces to import wines from other countries. By law, there must be 1) an importer, 2) a distributor or wholesaler, and 3) a retailer or restauranteur. This system is supposed to protect the consumer, but I’m not so sure it does that. What I am sure is that it adds to the cost of the wine for the end user.

A case in point: Some states allow a company to be 2 tiers of the 3-tier system. This eliminates at least one middleman. One less person touching the wine means one less profit margin to pay; so the wine should cost less. In NC, my company (P. Comms Int’l) has permits as an importer as well as a distributor. So, I buy directly from the winemaker and I’m the only middleman between the winemaker and the retailer/restaurant.

Not only does this make for a better price on equivalent wines, but it also allows for better quality control throughout the entire process. Higher quality at less cost equals greater value. And understanding a few Wine Distribution basics will help you to realize these benefits.

The question always makes me smile because most people don’t keep wine very long at all. We are drinkers and not collectors. I usually tell them that the wine will “keep” longer than they will wait to drink it. But that’s not what they want to hear. They want a number, such as 8 years or 3 years or 22 years.

I tell them that a more serious response really depends on how they like their wines. People generally fall into 3 categories:

• they like their wines young and fruity
• they like them old and mature
• they like the wines somewhere in between

Depending on how people like to drink their wines will determine how long to cellar them.

For example, one Premier Cru Pommard I have should be consumed 3-6 years after bottling for the folks who like their wines young and fruity. They appreciate the big black fruit flavors and the noticeable tannins.

But those in the “old and mature” group would want to wait 15-20 years to drink that same wine. The wine has lost a lot of its fruitiness and the tannins have softened. Secondary and tertiary characteristics have come to the forefront. This group appreciates these flavors more than fruitiness and power.

Finally, the people in the “in between” group should probably drink that same wine about 8-12 years after the date on the label (the harvest year). These people seem to want some of the fruitiness to still be present, but they also appreciate the development of more subtle flavors.

Bottom line is to determine when a wine is pleasing to you. At that point, simply drink!