What would you like to know about wine? Share your question for Mike Steinberger, Slate's wine columnist, right here.
Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning scheduled Mike Steinberger as a guest, and we here at Gather scored him as a guest chatter! From the on air show description about The world of wine:
He can tell you why a $700 bottle of wine is so special, why Sauvignon Blanc is overrated, and why wine writers describe wines the way they do. Midmorning talks with wine critic Mike Steinberger.
Listen LIVE to the show online ( 08/17/07 @ 10:00 a.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. ET) or catch the audio archive, and ask your questions here. Mike Steinberger will join us through Friday, 8/24/07.
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Julia Schrenkler
Minnesota Public Radio Interactive Producer
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Comments: 22
enjoyed your comments on midmorning today!! Thank you, Renner Johnston
johns682@hotmail.com
Thank you,
Darlene T.
I am thinking about taking a wine tasting class combined with a European holiday, probably the UK. Do you have any experience with these types of classes and, if so, do you have any recommendations?
Thanks,
Bob
In 1992, when I was reading wine magazines, I bought a bottle of 1990 Chateau Margaux Burgundy, rated 100 by WS. I laid it down in my "wine cellar" (crawlspace) in the basement. I was going to drink it when my son finished college in 2000. Well, for various reasons, we did not drink it so it is still there. I now see that wine being sold for $1,000 per bottle and higher. I know it was not cellared the proper way, but the area is cool and a couple lesser 1990 burgundys I purchased at the same time and have drunk were great.
Is there any way to sell this bottle of wine - since I think it would be wasted on me?
Thanks.
I have another question as well. When living in Spain, I enjoyed some magnificent amber-colored sweet dessert wines in Malaga made from local vineyards. I have not seen these wines sold in the US (although it is my oenological misfortune to live in PA, cursed by the puritanical state store system), whih may make it harder for me to get more choices). Do you know if any if these wines are available anywhere in the US? Can you talk about their grapes and their winemaking process?
Gary Fischbach wrote:
Explain the cork crisis. Will the cork trees in Portegal ever come back? Explain screw caps and fake corks. How much does the cork cost?
Mike responds:
Hi Gary. By the cork crisis, I assume you are referring to concerns that the movement away from natural cork could have devastating environmental consequences for cork oak forests in Europe and North Africa? The fear, expressed by the World Wildlife Fund and other groups, is that as the market for natural cork dries up, large swatches of these forests will basically be left to rot, leaving them vulnerable to forest fires, depriving some endangered species of their habitats, etc. The reason the wine industry is turning away from natural cork (to a certain extent, anyway) is because natural corks are often tainted by a chemical compound called TCA, which can spoil a wine, giving it a musty, damp cardboard aroma and muting the fruit. Natural corks are being replaced by screw caps and plastic corks (fake corks, if you prefer). The debate over closures is a complicated one that is also becoming increasingly emotional.
I purchased online a new wine to me a Charbono it is a 2005 from a winery in Napa Valley called Shypoke. The description said that it was a very rare wine and very hard to grow. Can you tell me if that is true and if I like Pinot Noir (aus or cal) do you think i will enjoy it?
Mike responds:
Reggie: That's a really interesting selection. The description is spot on: Charbono is a truly obscure grape varietal. Charbono tends to produce a pretty strapping wine, and while many California Pinots are not exactly shrinking violets either, I'm not sure whether or not you'll enjoy the wine. There's only one way to find out—pull the cork!
I had a power problem which caused the room I was keeping a bottle of 2003 Joseph Phelps Insignia to reach 92 F for about 40-48 hours. Could this wine have been altered, degraded or completely cooked?
Mike responds:
Craig: Did the cork shift at all? Did the wine leak? If so, you definitely have a problem. If not, you might be lucky. California Cabernets tend to be dense, sturdy wines that can withstand heat exposure better than, say, red Burgundies. But that kind of heat is not good for any wine, and two days of exposure to temperatures that high can damage even the most durable Cabernets. My advice? I would drink the Insignia sooner rather than later.
I love burgundy wines. Upon one occassion when I was in France, I even spent 120 F or about $600 on one bottle. However, I haven't been able to find burgundy wines at most restaurants or even stores. Can you suggest another kind of wine? Where can I purchase a good burgundy wine in the US?
Mike responds:
Liz: Glad to hear you love Burgundy; I do, too. I'm surprised to hear that you are having trouble finding Burgundies. The biggest problem I have is not finding them, but finding the money to pay for them—the good ones are expensive! If you can't find good ones in your area, you might try some retailers elsewhere. The Burgundy Wine Company, which is in Manhattan, has a great selection, befitting its name. So, too, Zachys, a wonderful (if pricey) store in Scarsdale, New York, close to Manhattan.
please ask Mike Steinberger __-- I am volunteering in Moldova next month and understand they make a great deal of wine for Eastern Europe. Do you have experiences with these wines, and/or can you give some recommendations for wineries we should visit that have well rated wines?
enjoyed your comments on midmorning today!! Thank you, Renner Johnston
johns682@hotmail.com
Mike responds:
Renner: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the show. I wish I could give you a detailed answer; alas, Eastern Europe is not a region I follow particularly closely. I know Hungary fairly well, and that seems to be the most promising up-and-coming wine region of Eastern Europe. I know that Moldova is thought to have perhaps the greatest winemaking potential of all the former Soviet republics, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. Sorry.
I would like to know what you think of the Charles Shaw wine that you buy at Trader Joes for $2.99 a bottle. I have bought it many times & it seems fine to me but I am not very knowledgable about wine.
Thank you,
Darlene T.
Mike responds:
Darlene: I'm not a great fan of the Charles Shaw wines, but there is no denying that they are a terrific bargain. I would prefer to spend $6-$10 more for what I think are vastly superior wines (You can find some good Beaujolais, Loire whites, and Cote du Rhones for $8-$12). But if you'd rather not pay that much, stick with the Charles Shaw—you're happy with it, and that's all that matters. When it comes to wine, people get too hung up on what the critics say and don't pay enough attention to their own palates.
Hello Mr Steinberger.
I am thinking about taking a wine tasting class combined with a European holiday, probably the UK. Do you have any experience with these types of classes and, if so, do you have any recommendations?
Mike responds:
Bob, I'm very familiar with wine education programs in the US, but I don't really know much about what is on offer in the UK.
If you are going to be in London, you might want to contact Vinopolis (the web site is www.vinopolis.co.uk), which is a big wine event and education center located on the South Bank near London Bridge, I believe.
Mike, In 1992, when I was reading wine magazines, I bought a bottle of 1990 Chateau Margaux Burgundy, rated 100 by WS. I laid it down in my "wine cellar" (crawlspace) in the basement. I was going to drink it when my son finished college in 2000. Well, for various reasons, we did not drink it so it is still there. I now see that wine being sold for $1,000 per bottle and higher. I know it was not cellared the proper way, but the area is cool and a couple lesser 1990 burgundys I purchased at the same time and have drunk were great. Is there any way to sell this bottle of wine - since I think it would be wasted on me?
Mike responds:
Joe: Why do you think it would be wasted on you? Just because its price has skyrocketed? My father has a bottle of 82 Mouton Rothschild, and the price for that wine has also gone into the stratosphere. He was thinking about selling it, but I told him to forget the current value and to think instead about the (comparatively) low price he paid for the wine and the pleasure it is likely to give him. If you want my advice, I would drink the wine with your son—it should be a great bottle of wine (assuming the storage wasn't too bad), and you'll probably make a wonderful memory. If you do open it now, however, be sure to decant it for a few hours—the wine is still pretty young and will show best with a little aeration ahead of time.
Mike, A freind of ours gave us a bottle of Kline Late Harvest Zin from 1987 and told me he bought a case in 1989 and cellared it. He also told me I would never be able to find another one or and late harvest zins. Is this true? It was the best wine I have ever had and would like to get something like it and put it away for a special time.
Thanks.
Mike responds:
Jay: I'm glad to hear you had such a great experience with the wine, but sorry to hear you were given some bad information. You can indeed find other late-harvest Zinfandels. Ridge Vineyards, which is arguably the finest California winery there is, does a late-harvest zin that it calls "Zinfandel Essence." Dashe Cellars also does a very good one, as does Rosenblum Cellars.