Great Grape News 

March 2001 

A very common misconception is that the more expensive the wine, the better it must be, right?  Wrong, sure, we want you to buy the top of the line wines, but we also want you to enjoy your purchase and hope that you have a wonderful experience when you sip your wine, with or without food and we want you to come back for more.

I’m sure it has happen to you, you purchased an expensive product only to be upset later that you spent too much on it and feel it wasn’t worth it. The same is true more often than not when it comes to wine.  If you are already a wine expert you probably don’t have to read any further, you already know your palate and the wines you like, but for you, the occasional wine drinker or person that is “new” to wines keep reading, perhaps we can give you some hints.

There are over 20,000 different wines available on Maryland retail shelves, although I am not aware of any store that stocks all of them. If you live in a state such as California or in one of the neighboring states the number dramatically increases to well above 50,000. These wines run from below $5 to several hundreds or thousand Dollars and surely, there are some nice wines you feel comfortable in price and would enjoy drinking.

As I previously mentioned, a common misconception is that an expensive wine must be better than a less expensive wine. This doesn’t come as a surprise considering that many retailers instill this kind of thinking. Advertising and wine reviews many times imply the same.

Of cause, this is wrong.  A higher priced wine is usually made from better quality grapes and produced in a manner that deserves a higher retail price, but in no way does it have to taste better than a less expensive wine.
 

What follows are a few recommendations on what to look for when making a wine purchase. Keep in mind these are only general rules and may not apply in all cases.

 
Find a store that is willing to assist you with your selection. Don’t be shy asking for assistance and perhaps recommendation. Look for someone who informs you and not dictate what to buy. Let the person know what your preference is. What is the occasion? Is the wine for general consumption, for a specific event, a gift, what kind of food is it to complement?

Are you willing to experiment? If yes, let the sales person know. Accept recommendations and let the person know on subsequent visits how you liked his/her recommendation. Perhaps you are disappointed with the first recommendation. Give the person a chance to learn your taste and build a relationship. Keep in mind that your palate constantly changes. Different foods may ask for a different wine.

If you feel a sales person is condescending to you ignore him/her or leave and if you are not comfortable with the information you receive, you may want to consider visiting another store in your area.

Sales people that are on commission may have a tendency to recommend higher priced wines or they may feel you or the recipient of the wine appreciate it. Let them know clearly how much you are willing to spend. 

Conversely, be prepared to spend a premium if you ask for hard to obtain wines. Some wines are produced in limited amounts and/or their production cost is well above normal.

Of cause, there are always great wine commercials in magazines, newspapers and on TV. While I don’t stress these wine much, there is only one way for you to find out if you like any of them. Buy one bottle and see how you like it, but don’t just limit yourself to the big advertised wines. Experiment and enjoy the many offerings from smaller wine makers. There is nothing wrong with purchasing that lonely bottle just sitting there in the corner.

Avoid purchasing a wine solely because of its pretty label, it’s no guarantee that the wine is good. I can’t emphasize enough, experiment and try the many different varieties. Don’t shy away from labels you don’t understand. Specifically German and French wines. They don’t just put all that stuff on the label to confuse you. Most times it’s because their countries and U.S.) laws require it.

Whatever your buying decision enjoy your purchase
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German Wine Qualitites
I read somewhere on the Internet that it’s easier to discuss the whereabouts of Elvis than German wine labels.

However, if we take a closer look we find that they provide more information than most labels from other countries, including the USA.
We will take a closer look at a German wine label, but let’s first find out a little about the various qualities and types of German wines.

Under German wine law there are two categories of qualities. One is Tafelwein (Tablewine) and the second is Qualitätswein (Quality wein).
 
 

Qualitätswein comes in QbA and QmP. Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete or short QbA, indicates that the wine comes from one of thirteen wine regions in Germany where the grapes are grown and wine produced are permitted by law. The wines taste fresh and fruity and are primarily intended to be consumed young although some may be stored for several years.

Qualitätswein mit Predict or short QmP is a wine of special quality and German wine law only permits the designation on the label to the finest wines of that country.  There are six classification within QmP:

Kabinett
Spätlese
Auslese
Beerenauslese
Eiswein
Trockenbeerenauslese

Kabinett
Fine, usually light wines made of fully ripened grapes. The lightest of the Prädikat wines. Excellent with or without meals.

Spätlese
Wines of superior quality made from grapes harvested after the normal harvest. These wines are more intense in flavor and concentration but not necessarily sweet. Good with richer, more flavorful foods, or by themselves.

Auslese
Harvest of selected very ripe bunches. Noble wines, intense in bouquet and taste, usually, but not always sweet.

Beerenauslese
Individually selected overripe berries. Remarkably rich, sweet dessert wines. These can be enjoyed by themselves.

Eiswein
Wines of Beerenauslese intensity, made from grapes harvested during the first frost and pressed while frozen. Truly unique wines with a remarkable concentration of fruity acidity and sweetness.

Trockenbeerenauslese
Harvest of individually selected berries, which are overripe and dried up to almost raisins. Very rich, sweet, luscious, almost honey-like wines.

Interpreting a German Wine Label
1. APPELLATION OF ORIGIN - WINE GROWING REGION 
There are thirteen wine-growing regions in Germany. They are:
Ahr, Mittelrhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Württemberg, Baden, Saale/Unstrut, Sachsen. 

 2. VINTAGE 
The vintage is the year the grapes were grown, not when the wine was bottled. That’s the same in all countries. 

3. VILLAGE AND VINEYARD 
This is the part where we twist our tongue trying to pronounce the origin. It indicates the village where the vineyard is located. Some wines do not have this designation because they are blends and may come from several vineyards.
 
4. GRAPE VARIETY 
This is the type of grape used in the production of the specific bottle.
 
5. DEGREE OF DRYNESS
The style or degree of dryness of a wine.  The wine maker solely determines this. It does not indicate the quality or ripeness of the grapes.

6. RIPENESS CATEGORIES 
The ripeness categories are Tablewine; Qualitätswein and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat QmP. QmP is further divided into the ripeness levels: 
Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauselese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

7. AP - NUMBER 
The AP or "Amtliche Prüfnummer", is the "official approval number" that identifies the wine and is required for all QbA and QmP wines.
The AP consists of several sets of numbers each having a specific meaning. Let’s take a look at an example:

5 169 878 0009 93

5 stands for the testing center, where the wine was approved. 169 stands for the village in which the winery is located that produced the wine. 878 is the code number for the winery. 0009 93 reflects, this is the 9th wine tested in the year 1993 (no necessary relation to the vintage of the wine but most often the year after the vintage).

The AP number enables the official testing center to identify a wine.  A winery has to keep a sealed bottle of each vintage for several years.

8. PRODUCER
Name of producer or estate, in this case the producer is Winzer Bacchus.

If the label indicates "Erzeugsabfüllung" (estate bottled), it assures that the grapes were grown and one and the same grower or cooperative of growers (Winzergenossenschaft) produced the wine. As an alternative to "Erzeugerabfüllung", estates and growers which grow, produce, and bottle their own wine can use the term "Gutsabfüllung", on the label. The grower or collective group of growers is responsible for and guarantees the quality of the wine. Sometimes the bottlers or shipper will assume responsibility and will be identified on the label as "Abfüller". 
 

Wine and Food Pairing Link
For recommendations as to which wine to pair with your favorite food visit our 
food pairing website. 

Wine and Bar Accessories
Bay Country Liquors has now added wine and bar accessories to their inventory. The list of items include Riedel glasses, cellar cooling units, racks, decanters, corkscrews and other gadgets and gizmos. Items are currently available only through our Internet sales catalog. For a complete list and prices visit us our online showroom.