Drink the good stuff. There’s no rewind on the play of life; we retirees should enjoy good wine and the good food that goes with it. Every day, as much as we can, provided we maintain our health and body.
Michael Eisner, Disney CEO for more than 20 years, opens his autobiography with an account of his heart attack. Someone later asked him what he’d learned from the crisis. Eisner reportedly said, “Before the heart attack I wouldn’t let myself spend more than $100 on a bottle of wine. Now I won’t let myself spend less than $100 for a bottle of wine.”
I assume Eisner was speaking metaphorically—that “wine” in this case stood for the good life. But I’m perfectly willing to take what he said at face value—that is: drink the good stuff. On my budget, $100 a bottle is a bit much. Then again, I refuse swill.
For those of us who live or travel abroad and like wine, here are a few select, biased comments on the wine world.
First, consider organizing your next trip to France around one of the independent producer wine salons. The next Paris salon takes place in December 2008, but these producers also offer salons in other cities around France. For details, see the website.
Vicki and I first visited this wine salon shortly after moving to Paris in 1998, and only by accident. One day I went to a French conversation group to improve my French. Upon arrival I saw a stack of invitations to the above salon. I grabbed one and read it—a free invitation to a wine tasting. In the group session I asked if anyone wanted to join me. A Peruvian named Hector said he would, and after the session we took the metro out to the show.
We discovered hundreds of vintners, each with several wines to taste.
The owner/winemaker was there to pour and answer questions. That’s one of the rules of the salon: only winemakers can pour, no substitutes allowed. So the guy pouring can answer all questions; after all, he made the wine. Hector helped with my French—soon I could actually say what I thought about the wine. We had a wonderful time. Hector and I became friends and remain so to this day. The final Sunday of the salon, Vicki and I returned to celebrate our anniversary.
Now we go to the salon every year we’re in Paris at the right time, often organizing our tastings around a single wine or region. We chose our favorite champagne, Jean Josslin, after repeatedly tasting the champagnes we most liked over the several days of the salon. The salon costs around €10 ($15) the first time, but once inside, the producers have free invitations for customers who want to return.
Besides France, in Europe I like La Rioja wines from Spain. Because of the high euro, these French and Spanish wines now cost more. But they’re still good value, especially if you avoid the big-name, overpriced labels. Tip: Learn the regions and what they stand for. The non-European world uses the name of the grape—chardonnay, grenache, etc.—to define a wine. But France, Spain, Italy, and others still define wine by region. So, for example, in France, red wine from Burgundy (Bourgogne) is always pinot noir; whites are always chardonnay.
Reds from Bordeaux are mostly cabernet sauvignon or merlot. Spanish wines from La Rioja are tempranillo. And so on.
Vicki and I developed our love of wine when we lived in California. In fact, we got married in California and toured the Napa Valley’s wine region on our wedding day in 1973. Now we seldom drink much California wine. For one thing, I see little California wine in wine shops around the world, although Gallo has started to export some of its upmarket labels. Another thing—what I consider the big problem—is that California producers raise prices every year and have been doing so for decades. In world markets, mid-range California wines have become overpriced.
I especially like Argentine wines, now widely available around the world with an excellent price-to-quality ratio. My favorite producers are Alta Vista, Nieto Senetiner, and Zuccardi. These winemakers use a lot of wood, which I think gives wine a richer flavor. My favorites are the Alta Vista Grande Reserve and Zuccardi Malbec Q, both around $20 at wine shops in Buenos Aires. I’ve found that Argentine wines cost only 10% to 20% more overseas—not bad considering shipping, taxes, and other costs.
At the other end, Australian and Chilean vintners skimp on the wood. As a result, I think of their wines as lighter—less likely to go with a steak but fine for pasta or even Asian food.
If you go to a wine shop somewhere in the Third World and don’t recognize any of the labels, you should find a red wine from the d’Oc region of France, sometimes called Languedoc. You’ll get Bordeaux quality, usually cabernet sauvignon or merlot, at better price points. If you want something lighter, buy the best Chilean wine in the store.