Day: November 2, 2016

Vol. 2 No. 25…TB’s 10 Commandments of Wine

I was talking with a wine shop owner and the term ’10 Commandments’ came out, causing TB to think about it. Here is the result:

  1. Thou shall not buy inferior wine because it’s cheap; only if that is what you prefer
  2. Thou shall not buy wine off the ‘wine wall’ in supermarkets, or big box stores; support your local wine merchants
  3. Thou shall not keep buying wine in the same price bracket (i.e. $5-10), without trying to move up ($10-20), until you find little difference in taste. For most people, once  you get above $30, the differences become more subtle
  4. Thou shall not serve red wines too warm or white wines too cold, thus bringing out the flavors
  5. Thou shall ignore those numerical ratings unless you have found a wine critic whose tastes are similar to your; do not adapt your taste to the critic
  6. Thou shall not buy cheap wine then go to a restaurant and pay $30 for a bottle of cheap wine; when possible bring your own bottle and pay the corkage fee
  7. Thou shall not bring a wine off the shelf of any restaurant, and check to see their corkage policy before bringing any wine
  8. Thou shall not bring a bottle of wine to a dinner and expect your wine to be served; it is at the option of the host who may have planned out wines paired with the meal.
  9. Thou shall not turn up your nose at a bottle of wine given you as a gift, or served by a host at their home; accept it as it was intended – like it or not!
  10. Thou shall not be a ‘wine hog’ at a restaurant dinner to get more than your share of the bottle; and if asked to pick the wine either survey the guests on price, or pick up the tab for it yourself

Just ten? There must be more…and there are. Submit your own. Recall the film History of the World – Part II? Moses descending from the mount, with two tablets, each containing ten commandments? He drops one as he is speaking, saying: “I give you the twenty (drops one), ten commandments.”

So this list is in no way complete, but if it makes you stop and think, it has served its purpose.

Enjoy (wine)!

TB

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