A Wine Lover's Guide André Dominé

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Then some friends of ours, a couple in publishing, asked if I would write a book about Roussillon wine for them, and my real apprenticeship in wine began in earnest, although generally the emphasis was on the practice rather than the theory.Over a period of several months, I spent five days a week visiting winegrowing estates and wineries. I took part in regular tastings, of course, but I gained far deeper insights about wine from the winegrowers and cellar masters themselves. They took me into their vineyards, introduced me to grape varieties, and explained their working meth-ods. They also took me along to their cellars, where they showed me the materials they work with--their presses, tanks, and temperature-control systems (a must in southern climes). I found out about yeasts, fermentation management, and skin contact times, and marveled at old tuns and new barriques.While every winegrower did the same basic job-cultivating wine plots, vines, and grapes, maximizing the harvest and putting it into wine production--each was guided by their own personal vision and philosophy as well as by their experiences and, as a result, every wine was different. This is precisely why wine is exceptionally fascinat-ing, as both a subject and a pleasurable activity: No other food or gastronomic luxury offers such an immense variety.Of course, you can stick to simply enjoying the wine: After all, there are some wine critics for whom it begins and ends with tastings. I have always found it more rewarding to understand more about the wine, and how what happens in the vineyard and winery produces such diversity. This lays the groundwork for a more satisfying engagement with the whole process of winemaking, and developing a deeper understanding of winemakers' work, their passion, and their wines. In this way, our appreciation of wine takes on a new dimension. It opens up access to the wine-producing countries and regions of the world, with all their distinctive features, and provides a rewarding opportunity to explore them--glass in hand- in greater depth.To your good health, then!