I blog wine

Posted by Eric Hazard | 1 Comment

Over lunch, Josh told me American Madness was looking for someone to write about wine. It so happens I like to drink wine. Thus begins a new era for this blog.

At a restaurant, I’m the guy with the wine list. If I don’t happen to grab it first, it usually finds its way to my hands after my non-oenophile friends are suddenly reminded they don’t know wine.

I’m the guy that looks at the list, finds three or four bottles that hold promise and then speaks with the sommelier. Often times, I am right in my initial selections. Other times, the sommelier may recommend a hidden gem on a list. The result is always the same; a great bottle of wine with dinner.

This knowledge and process now find themselves to the Web and this blog. I’ll attempt to provide those who may be a bit timid with a guide to a few good bottles. Why am I qualified? Well, I’m not. I have no formal wine tasting training. I have never taken a wine tasting course beyond the rudimentary lessons available when one visits a vineyard and the vintner attempts to bestow some appreciation of their product on the subject.

What I do have is a decade worth of experience. This experience has been wrought from the fires of drinking wine for no other reason that I like the product. I drink what I like and when I pair it with foods that I like, I have an overall enjoyable dinning experience. This is the ultimate goal.

Why read the reviews? First, there is no bias. I am looking for wines that are affordable, approachable and a good drink. I’ll purchase the majority of the wines I taste with my own money. The only exception will be any that are sent to me from vineyards that wish a review. For the latter, I’ll disclose the origin.

Second, because I’m providing the reader with an idea of what I like, why I like it, and what I don’t like. These postings are merely a guide of one man’s opinion on wine. To get my biases out in the open, I generally prefer a big red wine, your typical Bordeaux blends that complete a hearty meal. In the recent past, I’ve begun expanding my palate to more delicate varietals such as Pinot Noir, and done more and more tasting of wine wines (though one is unlikely to find a Chardonnay review on this site).

Third, I want to build a community around people that enjoy a good glass (or bottle) of wine at a good price. Perhaps more than ever good wine is available and available cheaply. However, more than ever, bad wine is also available and also cheaply. My peers are learning more about wine, but seemingly have few knowledge options of non-pretension. In between reviews, I encourage participation. Taste the wines I review and offer your own thoughts. Challenge my impressions or add to the experience.

How often can you expect to see reviews? I would say about once every three or four days. The reality of the situation is that I need to purchase, take possession of and drink said wine. My liver dictates a certain pace, even though my head may encourage a speedy clip.

I’ll begin the tastings with the wines of Fresh Direct and then eventually move onto vintages I can purchase at my local purveyor of wine. If you live in lowest Manhattan you’re in luck. If you don’t…well you should. Not to worry though, all NYC wine merchants buy from the same pool of distributors.

And for those of you that wish to read the same thing twice, I’ll be posting concurrently on winehazard.com.

Thus ends the first post.

-Eric

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