Special Edition: Putting Syndicate Wine Writers to the Test Part 2

When syndicate wine writers are not being too specific with recommendations, it seems they are being too vague.  Recently I read an article by an author who started-out recommending champagne for pizza (not saying whether extra dry or brut would work better), and then he started to take-back what he wrote, indicating that some red wines would also work.  I was so confused by that writer’s fence-sitting that I never even critiqued his article.

Now this week I read “What to Sip with Your Salad” (http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/05/07/what-to-sip-with-your-salad/?iref=allsearch) and I am struck by the confusion and lack of direction the writer provides.  For green salad with vinaigrette, he recommends two varietals, without mentioning a regional producer.  As any wine drinker knows, a Sauvignon Blanc from France will not taste the same as a Sauvignon Blanc from Australia.  In fact, Australia prides itself on providing an alternative to Old World wine flavors.  You can scoff all you want at France’s emphasis on terroire, but it is true that varietals do not all taste the same.

Then the writer goes on to recommend an Oregon or California Chardonnay or Oregon Pinot Gris for salads with ranch dressing, although the heading of the article section is “creamy dressing”.  So those of us who like creamy blue cheese or parmesan dressings are out of luck for wine recommendations.

Next the writer mentions a salad I never saw on a menu before: frisse-bacon lardons-egg.  He addresses the strongest flavors and elements of this salad – obviously bacon and egg.  For so much flavorful protein, he recommends a light red or crisp rose that have tannins or acidity – or champagne.  Again, the recommendations are too vague to help most people I know.  What’s a light red?  Which varietal would have the tannin or acidity that he recommends?  How can one know what is a crisp rose?  And again I object to the general reference to champagne, when some are extremely dry (brut) and some not.

Finally, for steak salad, he gets specific, recommending a variety of Tuscan Italian red wines without feeling compelled to provide a specific label.  Was that so hard?  I guess so, because this one was only easy for him because apparently he ate this in Italy and was served some Tuscan red wines with it.

As I learn about wine, and what people need to know about pairing it with food, I also learn that wine writers don’t know how to strike a balance between being too specific (naming a label that we can’t find), and being so vague that we are left not knowing what to buy or order in a restaurant.  My mission, as I develop wine knowledge, is to be able to recommend varietals to you without naming the label.  I will, however, recommend regions, because terroire really does affect the flavor of the wine.  Stay tuned!