Wine 101
Tips on tasting, buying, and storing wines from some of Dallas’ wine experts.
In Dallas we love our wine, and we love learning about it just as much. Whether you’re a beginner who can’t tell a merlot from a chardonnay, or an emerging oenophile, you’ll get some great ideas from these local wine gurus. Cheers.
Q: I still can’t read a wine list. How does an amateur pick a good bottle of wine?
Just ask. Give the waiter or sommelier some ideas about the wine you’re considering. They’re the experts, and their job is to help you make an educated decision. The etiquette from there is simple. When you are offered a taste of your selection for approval, graciously accept it. Don’t be shy about decanting the wine by swirling it around in the glass before taking a sip. Decanting helps the wine absorb oxygen, which brings out the full flavor.
-Pogo’s Wine and Spirits, Harris Polakoff, Owner
Q: Nothing is more intimidating to me than walking into a wine shop. Do you have any advice for a beginner?
Start small and work your way up. Ask for samples, at a store, if available, and order wines by the glass at your favorite restaurant. Choose a go-to grape, like a basic chardonnay or merlot. Then, every time you try a different variation, you have a frame of reference when comparing it to other wines. Don’t buy expensive wines on your first few visits to a store. As you become more familiar with wine in general, you will begin to appreciate the flavor found in the more expensive bottles.
-Best Cellars, Kate McCoy, Manager
Q: I need to stock up on some house wines and also some special wines for occasions when I really want to wow my guests. Ideas?
For red, I recommend that every cellar include a bottle of pinot noir. It’s softer than a cabernet or merlot and accompanies a variety of foods. Our favorite white is a sauvignon blanc, known for its crisp, clean taste. And it’s not too acidic.
-Centennial Wine and Spirits, Roger Voss, Executive Vice President
At Best Cellars, we often recommend the Haywood Merlot, which is sure to please your guests because of its well-balanced flavors of fruit, herbs, and soft oak. When it comes to whites, the Santa Cecilia chardonnay is a crowd-pleaser. It’s fruity, but not overdone, and tastes great alongside a variety of meats and ethnic foods.
-Kate McCoy
As a house wine, I recommend Napa Valley’s Provenance cabernet sauvignon, known for its flavors of plum, liqueur, and rum raisin. Napa also manufactures a wonderful white wine: Cakebread Cellars chardonnay, which sells very well at Pogo’s. This wine incorporates apple and citrus flavors with a touch of toasty oak. For a fun addition to your house wines, try Perrier-Jout Brut, a tangy French champagne.
-Harris Polakoff
Blending standard wines is a hot trend among wine connoisseurs, so to impress even your hard-to-please guests, pick up a bottle of Chateau St. Jean’s cabernet sauvignon Cinq Core pages, a blend of five grapes from Sonoma. Blended wines from Italy, Australia, Spain, and New Zealand will also offer your guests a rich and exotic approach to even the most familiar wines.
-International Wine Accessories, Jimmy Simmons, Account Executive
Q: What are some helpful cellaring tips to get the best flavor from a bottle?
Ask your local wine store which wines age well; at Pogo’s we love it when customers come in with a real interest in learning more. Typically, if a white has a woody taste, put it away in the cellar, and bring it out later. White wines with fruity or floral flavors, though, are best served immediately. Reds, however, reach their full flavor with age.
-Harris Polakoff
A wine cellar should be like a walk-in cooler. While installing a wine cellar, make sure your manufacturer uses these vital methods. For the most effective protection from unwanted heat, wrap the ceiling, walls, and floor of the room in bubble plastic. Next, install high-resistance insulation over the plastic, creating a vapor-sealed cellar. Then, and only then, should you move on to the decorative aesthetics of the room.
-International Wine Accessories, Bryan Adams, Account Executive
Never lay a wine bottle flat while storing. There’s a secret in the angle: The wine should touch the cork at all times, ensuring that oxygen does not reach the liquid. Oxygen destroys the flavor.
-Apex Wine Cellars, Bryant Moore,branch manager
Remember that the temperature and amount of light on a stored bottle of wine affects how well it ages. A cellar is most beneficial to your wine when it is relatively dark and kept at a constant 55 degrees. Extreme heat or cold can damage the wine’s rich flavors.
-Vineyard Wine Cellars, Gary Daniels
Q: My wife and I are ready to go to the next level. What’s the first step to turning a practical cellar into an elaborate showplace for our wine collections?
It’s all in the details: Explore your options in racks, lighting, and flooring. For the highest quality, pick a stained mahogany wood for your racks, but rather than constructing your racks in the traditional fashion, try positioning the bottle at a horizontal angle against the wall. The new Vintage View racks we sell at International Wine Accessories give the illusion of a floating bottle. Lighting creates an elegant ambience. Use a variety of spotlights, recessed lighting, and dimmed lights to show off your most prized bottles. For another impressive touch, try marble flooring. It not only creates a sophisticated look, but the cool surface helps with the aging process.
-Bryan Adams
Wine cellars can be custom-built to specific preferences and in various locations throughout the home, so be creative. Research all of your options. At Apex Wine Cellars, we offer a variety of decorative styles– as well as wood variations in racks, and you have options in temperature controlling systems. We also work to help you add original details, such as antiques.
-Bryant Moore
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Q: Care to recommend any vineyards or wine tours to our readers?
Wine touring is a great way to learn more about both the drink and the process, giving you a great appreciation for wine. When I am doing research for Pogo’s, one of my favorite stops in Napa is the Quintessa Vineyards, known for its wine diversity and wide range of flavors. The majority of wines we receive here in Texas come from Napa.
-Harris Polakoff
Although California wineries receive more press, East Coast wineries and vineyards are gaining national recognition and producing some of the finest wines in the country, and we have an outstanding collection at Best Cellars. For a first-class, in-depth tour, visit Bedell Cellars in Cutchogue, New York. While touring, you’ll see three vineyards, two tasting rooms, and one winery. The Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, New York, are also excellent wineries to visit when you’re in the area.
-Kate McCoy
My work at Centennial takes me to beautiful parts of the world. For a complete and thorough wine tour, try St. Supery Winery in Napa Valley. Visit the demonstration vineyard for an overview of the winemaking process, and then enjoy a tasting of their house wine.
-Roger Voss
Q: What are some other interactive ways to learn about wines and cellaring?
Choose a simple, fundamental book on the basics of wine. Pick a small section, and become an expert on a single wine type at a time. At Best Cellars we host free wine tastings; it’s an excellent way to try various types of wine and talk with experts.
-Kate McCoy
Taste-test for yourself and include your friends. Host a wine-tasting party where you and your guests can enjoy the fruits of fine wine education. Offer gourmet cheeses and chocolates to complete the festivities.
-Roger Voss
The right glass is key. Wine glasses are designed to direct wine to certain parts of the tongue and palate, which is why at International Wine Accessories we have such a tremendous inventory. The bouquet, taste, aroma, and appearance are all affected by the proper glass selection. For anyone interested in a finer approach to wine, whether beginner or veteran, keep learning, keep tasting, and keep an open mind. Wine is a lifestyle.
-Jimmy Simmons
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Wine and Wine Cellar Options in Dallas-Fort Worth
We encourage you to patronize our knowledgeable advertisers for all of your wine buying and cellaring needs.
Apex Wine Cellars and Racking Systems. 2100 N. Hwy. 360, Ste. 2000. Grand Prairie. 972-623-1700. www.apexsaunawine.com.
Best Cellars. 3205 Knox St. 214-252-9467. [email protected].
Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits. 10410 Finnell St. 214-630-5000. www.centennialwines.com.
International Wine Accessories. 10246 Miller Rd. 214-349-6097. www.iwawinc.com.
Pogo’s Wine and Spirits. 5360 W. Lovers Ln. 214-350-8989. www.pogoswine.com.
Vineyard Wine Cellars. Frisco. 866-973-1100. By appointment only.
