In my almost six months of writing this weekly column, one of my favorite things has been receiving questions from readers around the state. I've gotten a few questions more than once, so this week I'll be answering them here.
You said that chardonnay is the world's greatest grape. Is there a worst grape?
I'm sure there is, but with thousands (maybe even tens of thousands) of distinct grape varieties around the world, finding the single worst is a tall order. It is, I think, a little easier to find the worst wines, instead. For me, the worst wines are boring wines, wine without perspective and without anything to say. These bottles are like liquid versions of cheap motel room art. There are, however, plenty of well-made wines in the world that I don't care to drink for whatever reason, but it's important to me to remember that being outside of my personal preferences doesn't mean a bottle is bad or poorly made. I'd say that learning to separate personal preferences from objective quality concerns is one of wine's most flummoxing challenges.
How much money do I have to spend to get a "good" bottle of wine?
"Good" depends entirely on your personal taste, but what I used to tell my customers was that the difference in quality between a $15 bottle and a $25 bottle is, in my mind, always worth the extra $10. I honestly can't always say the same for the difference between more expensive wines. I've known too many drinkers who splurge on the high-end, triple-digit bottle only to be underwhelmed or, even worse, feel as though there's something wrong with them for not liking it. My advice: up your typical wine spending by $10 and see how you like it. Adjust from there.
What's the best boxed wine?
Bota Box Shiraz ($22)
What's the best way to memorize all of the rules of wine drinking?
I'll be honest, the idea of "rules of wine drinking" makes me cringe. I know wine can seem intimidating with its myriad grapes, technical terms and non-English labels, but I think one of the best things about wine is its ability to meet you where you are. Are you just interested in buying whatever bottle under $12 has a cute label? Great! You'll discover some excellent wines. Are you interested in learning how oak barrels made from trees from the Limousin forest in France affect wine differently from the trees from the Tronçais forest? That's awesome. I can't help you learn that, but I can probably find out who can. The only important rule about wine is that you shouldn't spill it.
As always, you can see what I'm drinking on Instagram at @sethebarlow and send your wine questions and quibbles to sethebarlowwine@gmail.com