BEAUJOLAIS Beauj01ais Nouveau is perhaps the best-known of all French wines. Each year on the third Thursday in November itS arrival iS across the globe, from Tokyo to Los Angeles. 嶬 lhat used to be no more than a 10C 引 custom—the sale of B 可 ( ) 信な〃 0 ″怩 4 〃 in the bars of Lyons (the わ 0 ″訪 0 〃 s ) has now become a worldwide cult. There is no doubt that Beaujolais has profited from this boom, but the variety of its products is often suppressed by the popularity of the 〃 0 〃こ℃ 44 ()r 々 7 ツ川〃 7 ・ ). ln the narrow strip Of land betM ℃ en Lyons and 、 15C0n , wmes are produced that can hOld their own against the famous Burgundies produced further north. lt may be regrettable that these top-class BeaLIJ01ais were for many years less famous than other French growths; on the other hand, though, this factor has influenced prices SO that first-class Beaujolais are significantly cheaper than comparable Burgundian W1nes. From a historical perspective, Beaujolais was never part 0f the region of Burgundy. However, when the northern sectlon was annexed to the department Of Saöne-et-Loire, it became part Of Burgundy, at least for administrative purposes. By contrast, the majority of Beaujolais and its capital city Villefranche-sur-Saöne belong to the department Of Rhöne, whose administrative center is Lyons. Nonetheless, for the purposes of wine law, the entire BeaLIJ01ais region belongs to Bourgogne. 4 ln the 14th century, the most important grape variety in Beauj01ais, the Gamay, had even taken over the best sites in the Cöte d'Or, something that enraged Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy ・ ln 1395 he ordered that the Gamay vines should be ripped out. Pinot Noir was, therefore, planted further tO the north. However, Gamay survived in Beat1J01ais and in the Måconnais. lts finest expresslon iS achieved in the crystalline SOilS Of northern Beaujolais, the ロ・〃 S. Nine or ten crus—the exception being the recently selected Régnié—were also granted the right to label their Gamay as Bourgogne. Elsewhere in Beaujolais, the 4 々々〃酣わ〃 Bourgogne is bestowed 0 司 y on the rarely cultivated varieties of Chardonnay and PinotNoir. BETWEEN THE RIVER AND THE MOUNTAINS The Beaujolais region stretches from Lyons to Måcon and is roughly 34 miles ( 55 (m) long and up t0 屮 / 2 miles ( 15 (m) wide. Around 3.5 million gallons ( 1.4 million (l) of wine are produced from a total of 57,0()() acres ( 23 , ()()O (a), almost half of which are marketed as BeatlJ01ais Primeur or Nouveau. Apart from the vineyard and merchants, co-operatives tradi- tionally also play a large part. The 19 朝怩 s produce around one-third Of the tOtal harvest. areas under cultivation cover the 10 、 ver slopes rising from the Saöne plane of the Monts du Beaujolais, up to 1 , 475 feet ( 450 m). ln the south the soils, consisting mainly of marl and a limestone substratum, date back to the Mesoz01C age. Yet toward the Saöne, there are Beat1Jolais is a landscape full ofcharm in which the many chåteauxare tes timony of the wealth of the Lyons silk traders. Pleasant, fruity wines and cheerful j oviality are sure [ 0 be found on the wine route. SUIVEZ GRAPPE 町 E , ー、 DESVINS BURGUNDY 210

CONSERVING NAPA'S FUTURE The most famous wmeries in the Napa VaIIey are found on Highway 29 between Oakville and St. Helena, and by the Silverado Trail that runs along the other side of the valley. The eccentric architecture Of many Of these wmerres makes the pretensions Of the confident Napa producers plain for all tO see. AS visitors are usually received in appropriately equipped tasting rooms with integrated souvenir shops, the valley is now the most visited destinatlon in American wine tourism.Not everything that is served there is Of fantastlc quality, because most Of the wineries buy in grapes from other regions ln order tO meet demand and Offer W1nes that someone on a norr al salary iS able, or willing, to afford. Only a small percentage of the annual quarter Of a million visitors is prepared tO pay 50 dollars or more for a bottle of wine. Some decades ago fears began t0 be expressed that this attractive valley, within commuting distance Of San Francisco, might be designated a residential area. ln response, far- sighted agricultural authorities set a process ln motion that was intended tO make the Napa Valley an Agricultural Preserve. Although things were hard economically for the farmers in the valley at that time, the inltlative was NORTH A. MERICA Napa Valley has many sub- A. V. A. s that underline the clear differences between 1tS varlous 、 vines. The most famous districts are Rutherford and Stag's Leap ・ successful and resulted in the protectlon Of a good 35 square miles ( 9 , 000 (a) from urbaniza- tion. The area covered by the Preserve has now grown to 47 square miles (12,()0() ha). SELECT WINERIES There are more than a hundred winemaking companies based in the Napa Valley, of which almost half make wines of above-average quality. This means that we can only discuss a very limited selection that will at least indicate the full spectrum Of wine production there. Recent years have seen the establishment Of about a dozen ne 、 companies that are either run by Wine consultants and experienced 、 vinemakers, or that have established high standards thanks to input from respected specialists. These operatlons tend t0 produce Just a few hundred, at best a few thousand, bottles, which American collectors go t0 great lengths t0 lay their hands on. On the one hand, this has resulted in astronomical prices; on the other, it means that these W1nes are practi- cally impossible to track down. d0 not have space tO discuss these star producers in detail here, but their ranks include David Abreu, Bacio Civino Cellars, Bryant, Colgin-Schrader Cellars, Grace Family, La Sirena, Screaming Eagle, Selene, and Vineyard 29. 823

DECANTERS varieties 0f wine may hardly evolve at all, while another variety 。、 dies" within a few minutes. ln practice, therefore, all we have to help us decide whether or not tO decant—a question that arlses anew every time we open a bottle—is a basic understanding Of the stability Of wines (based on a knowledge of winemaking tech- nology), past experience, and, last but not least, our drinking habits and personal preference. Over the months or years that it lies in storage, wine gradually absorbs the oxygen in the bottle. At the moment it is uncorked, there- fore, the wine is Often particularly reactive, and oxidizes ln a relatively short space Of time. At the same tlme, acids and alcohols react tO form esters, which alter the smell and taste Of the wine. Generally speaking, the fewer stabilizing tannins there are in the wine, the quicker these changes take place. ln the case 0f very 01d red wines, whose tannins have largely polymerized and fallen to the bottom of the bottle to form sediment, these should be carefully decanted directly before being served, if at a11 , and never several hours in advance. ldeally, you should use a vessel that has a capaclty not much greater than that 0f the bottle. ln good light, preferably shining from underneath, pour the W1ne SlOWly intO the decanter,. AS soon as the first cloudy material becomes visible in the neck of the bottle, stop pouring, and serve the wine lmmediately. Transferring a wine from the bOttle tO a carafe is much more than simply a way of displaying your knowledge of etiquette. lndeed, there are tWO important reasons for recommending that a wine should be decanted. ・ Old wines—principally red wines—should be separated from the sediment that will have formed in the bOttle over the years. ・ Young wines should deliberately be brought 1ntO contact with the oxygen in the air, ln order tO let their tannlns mature. Although decanting in its proper sense—that IS, separatmg the wine from the sediment—ls a long-established custom among wine lovers, the need tO aerate wine that has not yet formed any sediment iS more controversial. While those in favor Of the practice argue that the wine really opens up in the carafe, its opponents express concern that overly generous contact with the may result in a IOSS Of freshness and espe- cially fruitiness. The chemical reactions that take place in the wme after it has been poured from the bottle have yet tO be researched in detail. Conse- quently, we can only explain ln very general terms why it is that some wines that have hardly any smell when the cork is first removed can be bursting with aromas after a short time ln a decanter; why Others open up for a short time, but then become closed once agaln; why some develop an unpleasant smell; or why some 4 Simple, half-liter glass carafe ofthe type commonly used in ltalian establishments for serving draft wine. This modern, big-bellied carafe was designed [ 0 allow youngwines [ 0 breathe. The large surface area quickly develops aromas in both red and white WInes. ル / リなん The classic shape of a cut glass carafe with ow body Of large diameter IS principally used for serving OIder, more substantial red 、 , WhiCh aISO [ 0 breathe. 70 THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY WINE

JLISt a trading center for exporting their wines tO England. Even the assumption that Roman legionarles brought the mam grape variety 0f the regron from what is now Albania seems questionable in the light Of recent research. AS we now know that Cabernet Sauvignon contains genetlC mate- rial from Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it is more likely that it came about much later as a cross or spontaneous mutatlon Of these t 、 VO varieties. Another untenable theory iS that it is the old Biturica grape, named for the Gaulish tribe Of Bituricans, a name that mutated over time by folk etymology to Vidure ( ⅵ g 〃 d の meaning Vine Ⅵー 00d ' ' and iS still current in the Graves regl()n. Early medieval sources relating tO the history Of regional viticulture are likewise meager. A senes Of successlve conquests Of Bordeaux by var1011S peopIes—Gascons, saracens, Vandals, and Visigoths—is documented, as is the tOtal destruction 0f the city by Vikings in 870 , but W1ne growmg never succumbed. However, the success story 0f the vine began only in 1152 , when EIeanor of Aquitaine married Henry Ⅱ , duke of Normandy and later Plantagenet king of England. With the aid of generous exclse privileges, Gascony became the most important supplier 0f the English court and London SOCiety, SO that when the rival exporting port Of La Rochelle was taken over by the French, Bordeaux retained itS pre-emment posltlon the English wine trade. The expanse ofthe Gironde seen from Chåteau Latour in Pauillac.

SERVING WINE The decanting operation requires a steady Correctly filling the glasses at a multi-course dinner hand. lt is essential not tO subject the bOttle tO with wine iS anything but any shaking that could stir up the sediment, child's pla メ . especially when there is a 10t 0f it. ln a vintage port, for example, a great deal Of tannins can develop—not least because of the added brandy. The sediment that builds up as it matures over the decades can easily comprise a sixth or more Of the bottle contents. TO decant SLICh a Wine perfectly, ingenious minds have developed the decanting machine: well ahead of time, the bOttle is laid in a metal cradle tO let the deposits sink tO the bottom. After uncorking it at an angle, a crank allOWS the user tO tip the bottle very slowly and without any jolts, so that clear W1ne can be poured intO the decanter without disturbing the sediment. ln the case of old wines, where there IS a concern that increased contact 、 Vith air lll a decanter could be damaging, a serving basket may be useful. These ensure that the bottle is always kept at an angle, preventing the sedi- ment from being stirred up as would otherwise be the case every time the bottle is returned to the vertical position after pouring. Again, the bottle should be placed in the basket ahead of time, uncorked very carefully, and the wine allowed a further, brief standing time before being served. Decanting a 、 V1ne Bring the bottle from the cellar without shaking it up, and proceed with great care. A good light shining from beneath is essential SO that you can see when the sediment on the bott01 れ starts [ 0 move towards the neck of the bottle. Whether you use a candle, torch, or elaborate technical constructlon IS a matter Of personal preference. Baskets are particularly hel- pful for serving 0 旧 red W1nes that have a sediment, but might deteriorate if aerated by decan ting ・ 72 THE BEST WAY TO ENJOY WINE

・ WINE IN ANTIQUITY Egypt1ans began t0 extract the precious grape Juice using pressmg methods that remained unchanged for thousands of years. FROM EGYPT TO GREECE The Nile Delta 引 so witnessed the first flowering Of the wine trade. Long caravans and fast ships brought their liquid cargo tO the most lmportant trading centers Of the Mediterranean. There is a (not uncommon) view among historlans that the foundations Of our modern economy—its money, contracts, payment systems, courts, accounting procedures and commercial profes- SIOns, even our way Of counting and measurmg time—、 vere developed as a result Of the wine trade from Pharaonic Egypt. Ancient Greece was the next stage in the vine's conquest Of the ancient world. The Minoans on Crete had close cultural and economic tles with the Egyptians, and probably forged the first link between Egypt and Greece. lt is alSO possible, however, that viticultural knowledge reached Greece Via ASia Minor or Thrace. Whatever the case, we know that W1ne became an lmportant part Of Greek culture ln the second half of the 2nd millennium B. c. Vines were planted throughout ancient Greece, and the islands of the Aegean were famous for the resulting produce both within the country and beyond. Chios, the Bordeaux of the ancient The development of viticulture is inextricably Egyptian muralfrom the tomb ofNakht at Thebes. linked with the birth of European civilization 15th century B. C. and culture, particularly in the Mediterranean region. lt is likely that nomadic peoples were fermenting Wild grapes and berries int() W1ne as early as 6,000—7,000 years ago. With the tran- sition tO a settled existence, grapevines, along with olives and figs, became the first wild fruits to be cultivated by man. Although the exis- tence Of vinifera plantatlons can be conclu- sively proved only from the 4th millennium B. c. in Egypt and Mesopotama and from around 25()() B. c. in the Aegean, there are indications that there were rudimentary vineyards in the Near East as early as the 6th millennium B. c. The oldest known t001S and vessels which may have been used for producing Wine were in the 5th and 6th millennia B. c. in the reglon north Of the Caucasus (present-day Georg1a and Armenia), and in the 4th millennium B. c. in Persia. The origin of the word "wine" is not abso- lutely clear. lts derivation can be traced back tO the Latin レ / 〃″川 , which itself comes from the Greek 0 / 〃 OS or ル OI 〃 05 , but that is the extent Of linguistic evidence. What iS certain, however, iS that the cradle Of viticulture was the eastern Mediterranean or the Caucasus, and that it first began to flourish in Pharaonic Egypt. Under the Pharaohs, knowledge of viticulture and wine- making was meticulously expanded, and the 14 HISTORY Ancient Egyptian depictions Of grapes and vi ticulture reveal the importance Of wine during the age of the Pharaohs.

The widespread belief among wine collectors that a harsh, unbalanced red need only be kept for long enough tO become a great W1ne is, therefore, a fallacy. Similarly erroneous is the assumption that a young wine that is already pleasantly drinkable is not a good candidate for ageing ・ The constituents of a great red wine generally begin tO weave themselves 1ntO a harmomous whole around three to four years after bottling. Reacting with the little oxygen it contams, a W1ne with a suitable extract will gradually start to develop a bouquet—its originally fruity fragrance will be enriched with spicy, leathery, and earthy nuances. The interactions Of alCO- hols, aldehydes, and acids initially produce a beneficial change, but eventually lead to the impoverishment of both the taste and the smell Of the wine. Tartaric acid, which is the most stable component of the wine, scarcely decreases at all, and will become the dominant aroma. Visually, the progress Of the ageing process can be gauged from the C010r of the wine. ln a young red (and depending on grape variety), it should be as intense, dark, and purple-tinted as ユ 11e C010r ()fa is a clear indicator Ofits age. possible. As the pigments oxidize, they are preclpitated along with the tannins. AS a conse- quence, the C010r Of the wine loses its blue tinge and becomes first a glowing red, then gradually brownish. The chemical deterioratlon that occurs ln W1ne at the end Of the agelng process is reflected in a parallelloss of color. Depending on the grape variety, method 0f production, and storage conditions, thiS can occur after anything from a few years t0 (ideally) several decades, and leaves the wine looking extremely faded—a sure sign that its aroma has reached the end of the road. WHITE WINE Long-term cellaring Of white wines is a consid- erably more risky venture than laying down reds. Except for dessert W1nes, their agelng potential is far smaller, because they are largely lacking in antioxidant tannins. The ro に played by the various acids in determining the lifespan of white wine has yet tO be sufficiently explained by science tO allow us tO make reli- able predictions. ln the end, any such forecasts can only rely on past expenence, and experi- ence tells us that, irrespective Of grape variety, the greater the amount Of tartaric acid and extract in a white wine, the longer it can be kept in the bottle. As a general rule, wines that had significant contact with oxygen before being bottled, such as those matured in wooden barrels, are considerably more stable than those 1 いいⅥ ' に A - tl 】 0 朝当 that were largely protected from the air during the production process. The likely importance Of 'good" oxidation in relation tO longevlty is alSO indicated by the fact that white wines that are made from botrytized grapes invariably age well in the bottle. DESSERT WINES Wines containing residual sugar tend tO be better suited tO long-term cellaring than dry ones. The longer you wish to keep a wine, the higher the amount 0f sugar should be.Whites with only a little residual sugar can be allowed to develop for up to a decade, provided that they have sufficient extract capable 0f the task. Really great dessert wines, such as certain Sauternes, T0kaJi Aszfi, and those made from the Chenin Blanc grape variety (which has particularly good ageing potential), can last for generations. Even after decades in the bottle, they are usually still bursting with fragrances and aromas. A HISTORY OF ENJOYING WINE

THE MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES Vineyards in the Mediterranean co often look archaic. ln anclent times grapes were cultivated in almost all of the lands bordering the Mediterranean. The wine produced from them was sealed into amphorae and distributed by an extensive network Of trading routes, mostly by sea, t() virtually every region of the known wor 旧 . Wine production is thought to have origi- nated in the region of present-day Georgia or Armenia, between the Caspian sea and the Black Sea. From there it spread westward as far as Egypt and the Aegean. Archeological finds of grapes ShOW that vines must have been grown in Egypt as early as about 3000 B. c. The plants used are thought to have come from the region of the ancient land of Canaan, which was prob- ably originally 0 司 y the Phoenician and lt is thought that wine was already being Europe in the course of the following centuries. B. C. , WhO revolutionized wine production the Aegean region at some time before 2000 lt was the Greeks, whose ancestors settled in B. C. did it extend further up-river. chiefly in the Nile delta; only in the 4th century Wine production. gro 、 was based ritual—many tomb paintings depict details of was used as a libation in the context of religious Egypt dates back to around 1000 B. c. , when it The oldest evidence for the existence of wine ence had made itself felt from the earliest times. Palestinian coastal strip, where Egyptian influ- consumed on the island of Crete during the 2nd millennium B. C. Excavations have revealed traces Of grapes, and paintings on ceranucs ShO 、 that Wine 、 used in religious ceremo- nies. Given that the N1inoans on crete 、 vere ln close contact with the Egyptians, it is quite possible that viticulture was among the skills learned from them. There is definite proof of wine being part Of the Mycenaean culture that succeeded the Minoan culture in the Aegean. Discover1es made in the N'lycenaean palace complexes include grape P1ps and storage vessels containing vestlges 0f wine, as 、 as a seal with a vine-leaf design and clay tablets with lnscrlptions including such as and vineyard. ' ' From the 8th century B. C. onwards, as the Greeks colonized other parts of the Mediterranean, they introduced vines first to Sicily and ltaly, and then southern France and Spain. soon W1ne production and a 、 trade flourished in these reglons t00. ln southern France, amphorae from the seaport of Massilia (Marseille) have been found, documenting the vlgorous commercial actiV1ty of that town, founded around 600 B. c. , which was the first Greek settlement on present-day French soil. For the Greeks, wme was a central part Of their daily life and culture, and so it was natural for settlers to take vines with them to other lands where olives and figs grew. Recent research suggests, however, that the Greek settlers did not use only the cuttings that they had brought with them, but very probably hybridized them with wild vines they found growing in ltaly and the other regions that they colonized. They did not consider that grapes might 引 so do well in more northerly parts. lt was left to the Romans to spread the art of viticulture more widely across Europe, starting in the lst century B. C. ・行 th the conquest of Gaul and spain, new vine-growmg areas devel- oped along the trade routes that opened up between Rome and those lands. This period saw all manner of expenments and develop- ments in 、 production, smce b()th wine for mass consumption and products of the highest quality were ⅲ great demand. The collapse of the Roman Empire brought the development of viticulture to a standstill all around the Mediterranean, but winemaking and drinking continued to be an essential part of daily life. Following the lslamic conquest of most of the southern and eastern Mediterranean region 722 INTRODUCTION

be used tO avoid over-production; in the latter, only the less severe "cane pruning" method will produce a satisfactory yield. With spur pruning, the canes are cut back to two or three buds. This method is principally employed with vines that are trained into a goblet shape (the gobelet system) or intO single or double cordons. Cane prumng involves leaving at least five buds. To prevent the sideways extension of the stock, and in preparation for the following year's pruning, a two-bud spur is also left. This is called Guyot pruning, which can be simple (one spur, one cane) or double (tWO spurs, two canes). ln the double system, the canes are trained unilaterally ()n the same side of the stock) or bilaterally ()n both sides of the stock) in a bow shape. The timing of prunlng influences the timing of budding. The experienced vine-grower will prune as late as possible, and an 0 旧 German saying holds that "the best pruning is a March prumng" (). e. in late spring). ln some reglons of Europe, tradition demands that pruning is not carried out before the feast day of St. Vincent, the patron saint Of vine-gro 、 on 22. One thing is certain, however: it is vital to wait until all the leaves have fallen and the sap has retreated, because only then will the plant have finished storing up the reserves that will see it through the winter and start growth again in the spring. Where there is a danger of frost during spring, it is advisable to delay budding for as long as possible. Consequently, sites at risk from late frost are the last to be pruned. Cane pruning IS preferred in such areas, because the buds on the ends of the canes are the first tO burst, while the others do not come to life until somewhat later. If the first perish in the frost, others remain to replace them. The height of the trunk is also determined by pruning. For mechanical harvesting, it is helpful t0 increase the height of the trunk. To enable it tO grow straight and without cut wounds, the wild shoots growing out from the trunk should preferably be removed during the growth phase. This woody matter can be burned or shredded for compost, which can later be used as mulch for the soil. Pruning takes a long time, and if the wood is thick, can be difficult and strenuous work. For this reason, attempts have been made to mecha- nize the process. The advent of pneumatic and electric secateurs was the first step forward, reducing the force needed to cut through the vine. TO speed up the operatlon, some growers no 、 use machines that remove and shred a portion 0f the vine, much like cutting a hedge. This is 20 to 30 percent faster than hand-pruning. IN THE VINEYARD Simple Guyot pruning ロ along a 、 vire. because it has been trained The branch runs horizontally, removed at that point. vidual flowerheads and bunches can always be after flowering that the crop is t00 large, indi- stages of the growth phase. If it becomes clear bud, and the success of flowering and the other factors influence the fruitfulness Of a particular yield size, it IS not an exact science. Numer()t1S Although prumng partially determines future bunches of grapes. prumng, due tO the uneven distribution of good as those delivered by traditional, manual the crops produced by this method are not as reversed. Comparative studies have shown that grow t00 long. The next year, the roles are the rest mechanically, so that the wood cannot following year's crop, and completely removing pruning the part of the vine that will bear the the most widely-used systems involves pre- mechanize pruning as fully as possible. One of such as in Australia, attempts are being made to ln countrles where labor is hard to come by, Section that bore the crop in year ) ぐ iS removed during prumng. Section that will bear the crop in year N + 1 , with one cane and one spur. The spur will produce the spur and cane for year N + 2.

0 アア 0 な A wine that has reached optimum maturity iS Often best served with a simple 1 Ⅱ e 引 which reflects the aro- mas that have developed. are Often Of truffles, as is the case with an aged Chåteauneuf- du-Pape. MATURE WINES The term "old wine" has not been clearly defined, either in terms Of chemistry or in terms Of itS effect on the senses. iS length of time that a bottle must spend in a cellar to qualify, and nowhere does it say in black and white how such a wine should smell and taste. Every wine has a different potential for ageing, depending primarily on the grape variety or cuvée from WhiCh it iS made, followed by the vintage, method of production, factors such as the level Of alcohol, sweetness, or acidity, and finally, the conditions in which the bottled wine is stored. Taking intO account the grape variety and vintage, the first clue tO the maturity Of a red wine is provided by the sediment that has settled out in the bottle. These reddish-brown deposits comprise polymerized phenolics, including tannins and COlor compounds, that have formed so many bonds that they can no longer be held in solution. The more sediment has formed, and the lighter the color of the wine has become, the softer the wine will taste. NOte, however, that a great deal more sediment will precipitate from a tannic, richly-colored Cabernet Sauvignon than from a silky Pinot Noir. White wmes also change color during bottle- ageing, but rather than getting lighter they become darker—that is, browner—due tO gradual OXIDATION Of their phenolics. Wines that were fermented and finished in wooden barrels, however, age better than those from stainless-steel tanks. The only generalization we can make, there- fore, is that fine, old wines, whether red or white, are characterized by the fragility Of their aroma. Consequently, they are not particularly suitable as accompaniments tO a meal: subtle nuances Of their bouquet or flavor are all t00 easily submerged. R. ESPECT FOR THE A. GED A wine served with a meal should not make excessive demands on the taste buds; the tannins, especially, should not weigh t00 heavily. If you want tO serve a decades-old wine with food, therefore, a few ground rules should be borne in mind. The texture, basic taste, and aromas Of a Wine become 1 れ ore delicate and susceptible tO interference with each year Of bottle-ageing, and SO the primary requirement is culinary restraint. Fatty, strong-smelling, acidic, sweet, and very spicy foods are clearly out, since the taste Of the wine would be not merely distorted, but completely overwhelmed. Saltiness can alSO be tricky, even when relatively subtle, because it quickly creates a bitter taste when combined with alcoholthat would totally upset the balance Of a mature W1ne. Great, mature reds usually develop aromas Of soil and wet leaves. lt is a good idea to pick up this theme in the food, and thus support the smell and taste of the wine. Black truffles are ideal for this purpose, lncorporated intO a sauce or the stuffing of a roast, or freshly sliced and scattered over the dish. White wines from wooden barrels, particu- larly Chardonnay, often have a hint of fresh bread and roasted nutS When mature, aromas which can easily be incorporated intO a meal. Mature Riesling is a greater challenge, since it often develops a distinct note of petrol. A subtle herb flavoring such as lovage can be extremely helpful here. A MATURE BOUQUET DESERVES TO BE SAVORED The most exciting thing about uncorking a very old bottle is smelling the bouquet of the mature wine. You should always glve your guests the chance tO taste such a wine before the meal, SO that they can grasp all its subtleties without any interference or distortion. lt is lmportant tO serve the wine at around 64 。 F ( 18 。 C ) , because only at this relatively high temperature can the mature bouquet really come intO its own. An aged red can be carefully decanted t0 separate it from its sediment, but this should not be done until just before you are going tO drink it, SO that the bouquet loses none Of its nuances. If a W1ne is from a good estate and a good vintage, has been matured for a few decades, and has developed a complex mix of totally ne 、 aromas, then it deserves your undivided attention. The best way tO enJOY it is after a light, unobtrusively seasoned meal that has been rounded off with a piece of mild cheese (never a sweet dessert), or, if in doubt, on its own without any culinary accompaniment. NOt for nothing are very mature, botrytized vintages known as "meditation W1nes. 58 WINE AND FOOD