By Dr. Olson
reprinted with permission by OptiLife Communications

English wine writers have produced the most beautiful wine books in the world. Probably because their Emerald Island produces no wine worthy of note, these writers have become missionaries for the great clarets, ports, hocks, and sherries of nations far removed from their legendary cliffs and given us all in the English-speaking world the best wine literature available. But they have done us a great disservice. They have created myths that intimidate all of us who want to enjoy but not intellectualize this finest of all meal-accompanying beverages! They have given us codes of conduct and behavior governing the use and consumption of wine that baffle even the very producers of wines. It is time that some of these myths are exploded.

Let's start with wine rules. Forget what you've read or heard. Rule number one: There are no rules. Rule number 2: There are still no rules. Drink the wines you like. With whatever you like. Experience will most likely lead you to matching certain wines with certain food because some wines taste better with some foods than with others. But no guidance is absolute. Best advice? Practice, practice, practice.

How about older wines being better than younger wines? Well, maybe, but usually not. Most wines are produced to be drunk within a year or two after being bottled. All wines will improve with a few months in bottle so that all the ingredients can harmonize and balance, just as a stew improves with a period of simmering, or a tomato ripens with a bit of time after plucking. Most wines, however, will begin to deteriorate after four or five years in the bottle. Red wines tend to age better and longer than white wines, sweet wines more than dry wines, but, again, there are no absolutes. Fine wines from prestigious estates in Bordeaux, California, Barolo are made purposely to improve with age; but it takes study and experience to learn about them. Mostly use the wines as you buy them.

Ready to bid on a few ancient bottles that cost thousands of dollars? Are they really worth it? Maybe, but probably not, at least not for the consumer. Those rare bottles of great age that make headlines by the prices they fetch seldom taste good and really have value only for the conversation they stimulate. As for those recent vintages of prestigious wines going for a hundred dollars or more per bottle, they will probably taste astringent when compared with the less expensive bottles of Beaujolais or Cote-du-Rhone of comparable age. The latter are for immediate use, the others are for drinking a decade or more in the future because of the preserving tannins guarantees a longer life.

Ever hear about wines that can't travel? Well, not under adverse conditions. Heat destroys wine; cold may damage it, but it's not the travel, it's the circumstances. Just because the wine tastes delicious at a California or Mediterranean cafe overlooking the sea and hordes of near-naked handsome men and women doesn't mean it will taste the same with the in-laws in an Indianapolis or Manchester apartment overlooking a city parking lot. The enjoyment of wine depends as much on environment, company, and accompanying palate pleasers as does the wine itself.

How about wines without sulfite? Avoid them. Sulfites cleanse, balance, preserve, and otherwise make fermented grape juice drinkable.

Screw caps versus corks? This is an emotional, troublesome question. Researchers in the German wine science laboratory in Geisenheim have discovered beyond the shadow of a doubt that screw caps provide the safest, cheapest, most long-lasting bottle stopper. Corks dry out, rot, and crumble, and short supplies are driving up their costs and driving down their quality. Such information is a marketing agent's nightmare. How romantic can it be to unscrew a fine bottle as opposed to a gentle, sensuous ritual of removing a cork?

White wine with fish, right? Probably, but not always. Remember rules number one and two? The acidity of most dry white wines blend very well with the acidity of delicate white fish flesh and the citrus adornments accompanying them. But there are fatty fish, such as salmon, which lend themselves very well to fruity, young red wines, and a young Burgundy (pinot noir) sauce will do wonders for a grilled salmon or John Dory. Can't tolerate red wine? Try rich Sauternes with your smoked salmon. And on Thanksgiving, astonish your guests with a hearty, luscious red Burgundy with the roast turkey. No absolutes, remember?

White wine with poultry? Depends on how it's cooked. Roast chicken, red wine. Chicken in a cream sauce, white wine -but only if you like those matches. Reverse them if you prefer, after all, your palate is the one to please.

Are wine experts reliable? Generally, yes, but don't forget that you, too, are an expert. No one can tell what you are tasting, and your descriptions are never wrong. With care and luck, they can identify a grape variety, an approximate age, and occasionally the region of origin. You and your palate are the best experts.

Do wines really taste like flowers or strawberries or any of those other flavors the writers use? Well, yes, in a way. Most tasting terms have evolved to help communicate a flavor. Try to tell someone who has never tasted steak or a pork chop what they taste like. Words are likely to fail you. So you look for positive terms for wines you like-fruit, herbs, spices, flowers, and negative terms for wines you don't care for - petroleum, medicine, etc. But there's nothing wrong with merely describing a wine as dry, sweet, medium, pleasant, agreeable, tart, or other easy-to-come-by words.

Should you always serve red wines at room temperature? Depends on how warm your room is. Centrally heated rooms are almost always too warm for wines. Mature red wines also lose flavor if chilled, so keep them in a cool cellar or closet until serving time. Young red wines, such as Beaujolais or even a young, uncomplicated pinot noir, will improve a bit with a few minutes in an ice bucket. But no wine, even a white wine, save a very sweet one, will profit from over chilling. Even champagne should not be chilled in the refrigerator for more than an hour or a half-hour in an ice bucket. And don't hold your wine glass by the bowl. Not only do you block your view of the wine, but worse, you change its temperature.

And how about decanting? Wow! Want to start an argument? State with confidence that decanting serves no purpose. The truth is, no one knows for sure. The only thing for certain is that decanting helps remove sediment from older wines. It also makes an attractive show - and it certainly doesn't hurt the wine.

And finally, if there is an absolute, it can only be that the best wine is the one you have at the moment. Cheers!