YOU, TOO, CAN MASTER THE LINGO OF TASTERS.Byline: - Larry Lipson Stephen Reiss, author of ``Juice Jargon: How to Talk About Wine'' (B&C Publishing; $19.95), claims he'll make you sound like a wine expert in 10 minutes or less. Just heed his advice using five basic terms. --Note the appearance: Look for brilliance, opacity Refers to being "opaque," which means to prevent light from shining through. For example, in an image editing program, the opacity level for some function might range from completely transparent (0) to completely opaque (100). and color. ``Reds,'' he tells us, range ``from purple or garnet to tawny or brick red, whites ... from clear or pale green to golden or amber.'' --Describe the odor or smell. This is often termed the nose. --Get the taste or flavor of the wine. ``Is it tart, balanced?'' he asks. --Refer to the finish, which is how the wine tastes as it's swallowed (or spit). Reiss notes that it can be anywhere from ``pleasant'' to ``bitter.'' --Remember the overall impression. That basically answers whether you like it, whether it's a good value and if you would buy it again. Appearance, odor, taste, finish and overall impression. That's all you need, says Reiss, to sound like a wine pro. For more from Reiss, visit his Web site at www.juicejargon.com. BEST OF DOWN UNDER: Of the hundreds of wines out of Australia these days, a small press soiree soi·ree also soi·rée n. An evening party or reception. [French soirée, from Old French seree, from seir, evening, from Latin recently at the Brentwood home of Australia's Consul General consul general n. pl. consuls general Abbr. CG A consul of the highest rank serving at a principal location and usually responsible for other consular offices within a country. John Olsen For the Australian artist John Olsen, see John Olsen (artist). John Wayne Olsen, AO was Premier of South Australia between November 28, 1996 and October 22, 2001. John Olsen was a member of the Liberal Party and Member of Parliament for more than 20 years. showcased only Black Swan and McWilliams labels, each wine paired with a special tasty tidbit cooked by Aussie chef Neil Perry Neil Perry is a prominent Australian chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter. He also is the co-ordinator for Qantas Flight Catering under his company Rockpool Consulting and has a notable food brand sold under his name, available at Woolworths Supermarkets. . Scott McWilliams, the youthful sixth-generation winemaker of the family that began making wine in 1877, was on hand to answer questions. And an aboriginal song and dance troupe performed around the pool area. But not a single kangaroo in sight. TAKING UP ARMES: As Martin Weiner describes it, ``At $15.99, this wine offers you the chance to buy a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape for the price of a lower-classified Cotes-du-Rhone. Remember, most '03 Chateauneufs begin in the $30 range and rapidly increase from there.'' Weiner, in his current ``Martin's Guide to Wine Bargains,'' lists this wine, the 2003 Les Armes de France, presently available at Trader Joe's Trader Joe's is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. As of September 2007, Trader Joe's has a total of 284 stores.[1] , along with other good wine buys in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area. Contact him at (310) 474-7773, or go to www.vintagewineenterprises.com or send an e-mail to mwwine(at)msn.com. SIPS & NIBBLES: Sterling wines will be poured before and after the Oscar awards event Feb. 27 at the preshow reception and the Governors Ball. ... The Brewers Association reminds us that chocolate and ale make a super pairing for Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. . ... Anyone for pinotage pinotage Noun a red wine blended from the Pinot Noir and Hermitage grapes that is unique to South Africa ? Well that relatively unfamiliar (in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. ) grape now has its own promotional arm, the American Pinotage Society. ... So does petite sirah, with the cute name P.S. I Love You (or PSILY), presently promoting its wines by rail on what is termed the Blue Tooth Tour with a stop in L.A. on Feb. 25. Information: bluetoothtour.com. ... Got $1,500 for an ultra-romantic Valentine's night titled ``Romance in the Wine Cellar?'' If you do, check out this special offer for couples at the Villagio Inn & Spa in Napa Valley. Information: (800) 351-1133 or visit www.villagio.com. ... Dubbed the first definitive book on the subject is the just-released ``Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines'' (Toby Press; $14.95). Author Daniel Rogov, a wine and restaurant columnist for a major Israeli newspaper and reputed to be Israel's most influential wine critic, is updating this publication on an annual basis, this being the second yearly effort. Information: www.tobypress.com. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com |
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