The Finer Things: Fine wines have life, personality all their own

Wine is a living thing.

|quot|There's something going on in it all the time,|quot| said Ron Junge, president of Brown Derby's International Wine Center. He means that in a good way that the wine is developing flavor and personality.

Junge and Dr. Walter Gaska will preside at an auction-fundraiser to combat Alzheimer's at the Tower Club starting at 6:30 p.m. May 18. Exceptional wines from private cellars will be sold, along with other fine items, he said.

The wine collector who will purchase the 1975 Chateau LaFitte to be auctioned should be savvy enough to know that the wine must be stored, away from temperature extremes, sunlight or movement.

But for those of us with limited wine knowledge, Junge explained how to get started learning about wine as a food.

Yes, a food. Europeans consider wine a food, he said, and consume it regularly with meals. Americans are beginning to do that, too. If your knowledge of where to begin is as scanty as mine, Junge suggested finding a reputable wine merchant and establish a relationship with an educated employee who will |quot|take you by the hand and walk you down the road.|quot|

Have a couple of different wines a week to start out, he suggested, and then record what you liked and didn't like.

|quot|Most people start with a white wine,|quot| said Junge, usually a sweet wine like a German riesling. |quot|As the palate matures, they tend to go to a more dry wine, such as a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.|quot|

|quot|Then you start tasting red wines and leave white wines behind.|quot| Some of us, like me, used to think that wine was only a sweet concord such as Mogen David, not a beverage such as a true zinfandel, chewy and peppery.

Chewy means it has texture to it. Good zin will be dark and thick, Junge said. Peppery means it has a snap to the finish the residual taste in one's mouth.

Once a person's palate has been educated, a wine such as zinfandel will be desired, Junge said. |quot|We don't know where zin came from probably Italy but now it is grown prolifically all over California.|quot| Some brands are |quot|watery and insipid,|quot| Junge said, but shop until you find one with the classic characteristics..

When I toured the Sonoma Valley in northern California a few years ago, I learned that there is no such thing as a $500 bottle of wine, only a $500 customer. Junge agreed. Wine doesn't have to be expensive $8-$12 will buy a good wine, he said.

The first thing to look for, Junge said, is the color. Hold the wine glass up to the light and see what's there. A chardonnay that is more yellow than green has been compromised, or it is past its time, he said.

White wines, unlike reds that can be kept for years, need to be drunk |quot|young,|quot| Junge said, while the fruit flavor is still intact.

When one looks at a red wine in the glass, sometimes it has a brownish tinge. That can be good, depending on the wine. The browner the wine, the older and more developed. But sometimes, brown is bad. You must taste to find out. To educate the palate, you have to drink wine. The more you drink, the more you learn about wine, he said.

After examining the wine, take a sniff that's the bouquet. Then swirl the wine and sniff again that's the aroma. Watch out for a musty, mildewing smell, Junge cautioned. That means the wine has been corked bacteria has contaminated the cork and the wine is spoiled. The new plastic corks eliminate that problem, he said.

The next thing is to taste the wine, taking in some air along with it to open up the flavor with oxygen. Pay attention to what you taste it can come from the earth where the grapes are grown and may be cherry, black currant, lavender. An oak flavor is a good sign because it means the wine was aged in oak barrels, Junge said, not concrete or stainless steel. He looks for vineyards that use oak barrels.

Good wines start in the vineyard, and Junge is fortunate that part of his job to tour vineyards all over the world. |quot|Without good vineyards you can't make a good wine.|quot|

Many excellent wines come out of the United States, he said, from California, Washington and Oregon, the latter of which has been able to grow pinot noir, |quot|a fickle grape.|quot|

Wine is grown in about 38 states, Junge said, including Missouri, which does well with its native grapes of concord and catawba, but not so well with other grapes. |quot|The winters get so cold here the vines will literally die.|quot|

A grape to make cabernet sauvignon, a popular wine today, can be grown here, but vines that come over from Europe will die in three years or so because |quot|they can't survive the harsh weather.|quot|

In Provence, in southeastern France, vineyards have existed for hundreds of years, Junge said. He has noticed that vineyard management and winemaking has improved there because |quot|they are cutting back their crops to yield a more intense grape|quot| which makes a more flavorful wine.

How wine tastes can be an emotional thing, Junge said. For instance, if you're out to dinner with your fianc and you have a wonderful time with wonderful food, the wine may taste wonderful, too. But try the same wine when you're in a different mood, and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

It's very personal. |quot|Something I may think is fantastic, you might turn your nose up to,|quot| Junge said.

He suggests that new wine students subscribe to the Wine Spectator, which evaluates wines and keeps readers abreast of news in the wine world.