Wannabe Guide To Wine
Jack Mingo
Contact RDR Books, Oakland, CA
Ph. (510)595-0595, FAX (510)595-0598. $9.95.
Jack Mingo covers all the essentials. Examples...
- Beer Wine Service:
requires a bit more than using glasses that
all have the same picture of Snoopy on their sides.
- Pink Wines:
There's only one word to remember if you are thinking
of serving a pink wine to a serious wine drinking crowd: "DON'T"!
- Grey Riesling:
Serve with Cheese-Whiz and crackers.
- Sauvignon Blanc
Experts insist that they can taste wild flowers,
mint, herbs and cedar. with a description like that, it's hard to
know whether to drink it or splash it on after shaving.
By now you get the idea. Alameda resident Jack Mingo is funny,
but his knowledge is sound. His small book would make a fine,
inexpensive gift and/or an entertaining bedside companion.
- Favorite Wines:
We also asked Jack about his favorite wines. After
mentioning Rosenblum Zinfandels, he turned the tables and wanted
to know what good Pinot, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon bottles my
panel has tasted recently. Here they are.
- Merlot
If you drink Merlot under $l0, you'll like these.
$9 Vichon '95 Mediterranean Merlot (new Robert Mondavi import)
$8 M.G. Vallejo '94 Merlot (voted Best Buy in a recent tasting)
- Cabs
These three scored very well.
$18 Lockwood Partners' '93 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey
$20 Gundlach-Bundschu '94 Cab, Sonoma Valley
$45 Clos Du Val '92 Reserve Cab.. absolutely huge!
- Pinot Noir
California Pinots keep improving; try these.
$20 Rutz Cellars '94 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
$22 Steele '94 Carneros Pinot Noir
$26 Robert Mondavi '94 Carneros Pinot Noir
Postscript: Lest I leave the impression that the book is mostly
gags, there are many other arresting aspects. Here's one.
Wine History—1917 in the Bay Area: The situation looked pretty bleak
for the two young brothers. Their uncle Mike was finishing five years in
San Quentin. Their father's Oakland saloon was about to
go out of business as Prohibition approached. Yet, they could see the
potential of California viticulture and went on to found what became
the largest winery on the planet. Those brothers were Julio and Ernest
Gallo. |