CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 18 Made in America: Part III | Page 18

W W W. C R A F T BY U M H . C O M
VINE NOT
By Erin Jimcosky
Photography by Philip Jimcosky
Wine. Why is it such an intimidating topic to so many? I get it, I do. I used
to be really freaked out by buying wine. In my 20s, I had a fancy, wine drink-
ing friend. When she’d invite me to dinner, I’d pop on into Fred Meyer and
nervously grab any red wine that said “Reserve” on it; not many bottles at
the grocery store did, so I guessed that Reserve wine must be fancy. I never
bought white wine. I never bought pink wine. I always bought red because
anything else probably wasn’t classy or smart enough, and I didn’t want to
look like a rube.
Since then, I’ve learned a few things about wine. First, that friend was actu-
ally kind of a snob. I used to write about the wine world a bit in a previous
job and until a couple months ago, I lived surrounded by wine in Sonoma
County where I learned a lot. This is where the second thing I learned comes
in; wine isn’t snooty. Wine doesn’t think you’re stupid. No winemaker is go-
ing to assume you’re an idiot because you asked questions or dared to drink
rosé. In fact, that winemaker is going to be stoked that you’re interested and
happy you like the rosé she or he made. Those of us on the outside are the
ones that build it up and the Frasier Cranes of the world only make matters
worse.
This column isn’t for the aficionado, (although they might be interested in my
recommendations). This column is for those of you who are interested in wine
but aren’t sure where to start. I hope I am able to help you riddle a few things
out.
Potential Topics:
Vintage versus non-wintage? What on earth does this mean?
What does reserve mean?
What the heck is a Priorat?
Champagne? Cava? Sekt? What’s the difference?
BOTTLES TO TRY
F armhouse W ine
Farmhouse Wines are grown and
made just a quick walk away from my
old house in Sonoma County. These
red and white blended wines from
Cline, are sustainably grown, afford-
able, and are very easy to pop on the
table at mealtimes.
L eaf & V ine
The award-winning winemaker
at Leaf & Vine is definitely one to
watch. His chardonnay is what I
would describe as a thinking per-
son’s chardonnay, and his zinfandel
is complex and delicious. I highly
recommend them both.
Feel free to hit me up on Twitter
with wine questions you’d like me to
cover @ErinDLit! If I don’t know the
answers, I will ask the pros who do.
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