It’s Valentine’s Day 2022. As a wine fan and observer of the white wine market, it feels more crucial than ever to concentrate on the satisfaction of wine.
By “the enjoyment of white wine,” I do not mean deconstructing it systematically by vintage, varietal or tasting note (unless, obviously, that is your thing). I’m talking more about the enjoyment of wine in a playful sense– to let it feel great to delight in wine, to have a good time with it, to hold or swirl a glass of red wine and laugh, to let it stimulate mischievous discussions and thoughtful ones too.
This year, that’s what I’m choosing on Valentine’s Day.
Because spirit, today’s post features three playful recommendations for enjoying white wine that have crossed my path recently. One is from France, one is from the US and one is from Italy which in itself is an excellent sign: those are three standard wine-producing nations, yet red wine enthusiasts and advocates in each culture are finding enjoyable, non-traditional ways to interact around the satisfaction of white wine.
I hope they motivate you as well.
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From France: Languedoc Red Wines Card Video Game Card video games seem to have actually discovered brand-new life these previous couple of years, from widely known therapist Esther Perel’s Where Must We Begin: A Game of Stories to, for red wine lovers, a 15-card, three-wine set-up that motivates multi-player involvement, guesswork and dialogue.
Vins du Languedoc created the Languedoc Red wines Video game, whose stated goals are to “associate the right characteristics to the best red wine and to motivate a discussion of impressions and sensations about each red wine.” Players (beginning with the “youngest vintage”) take turns drawing a card and, depending upon the attributes or trivia printed on the card, positions it in front of among the three bottles or tastes of red wine on the table that they believe explains it best.
For me, the idea and format of this card game is a jumping-off point for red wine lovers to produce their own card deck, aligned with their own favorite bottles. Envision that as a gift for a lover or group of friends: your own white wine card game, customized to your choices, experiences and memories. Let the video games begin!
From Italy: Novelty is the Name of the Video game Eataly, the chain of Italian-footprint marketplaces, dining establishments, and cooking schools, has discovered a thing or two about selling white wine throughout the pandemic. Senior executive Dino Borri, who is based in New york city, notes this significant, lively lesson: “We constantly suggest something various,” he says. “Visitors are searching for something they don’t know, something they have actually never had.”
Keep that concept in mind for your Valentine, whether it’s for today’s unique celebration or as a state of mind to adopt around your red wine purchases in basic. We have a natural sense for knowing what we like when it comes to wine, however there’s a lot to be stated likewise for the component of the unexpected and adventurous. Italy in specific excels at this, as I noted in a post previously called “1671 Reasons You’ll Never Be Bored by Italian Wine.”
On retail shelves and in restaurants, Italian wines are generally well represented throughout the US. Online purchases has actually also broadened options greatly. Now, as Borri mentions, people can find and gain access to red wines that are lesser-known, whether it’s Pelaverga or Timorasso or that Barolo. A benefit: the pandemic has actually sustained Italian wineries to be communicative practically, which indicates they have actually created videos that reveal the narrative of their red wines. “That’s a huge improvement in Italy in the wine organization,” Borri says, and it equates to a more fun, pleasant experience of red wine for all of us.
From the US: “Conscious “White Wine, a Text Away Vine Drop, which launched in the United States last month, has actually worked hard to make wine enjoyable for customers (except consumers don’t need to know precisely how difficult it is to pull that off). Thoughtful, distinctive product packaging. Curated collection of distinct, consciously focused red wines. And the capability to place an order through text that is, they state, easier than purchasing anything on Amazon.
What I appreciate most of all are the “tech sheets” that include the white wine, because they aren’t your grandfathers’ red wine tech sheets. Yes, you’ll discover the vintage, origin and alcohol level. But there’s also an infographic meter that gauges taste by “traditional” or “unique,” and a Mood Note for each white wine, such as a quote from Healther Ash Amarra (“Modification is inevitable, however improvement is by conscious choice”) and a soundtrack for a tune that enters your mind when you experience the red wine.
Those are three recommendations that are orienting my own white wine choices this Valentine’s Day. I hope you’ll find something here that works for you too. Go on. Play with your wine a little. Please.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhuyghe/2022/02/14/valentines-day-wine-some-playful-suggestions/