By Daniel Neman / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A lot of people are afraid of wine. It has a mystique.
But Stan Komen, husband to Susan G. Komen, says they should not be intimidated. Wine is just fermented grape juice.
A wine retailer in Peoria, Illinois, for 45 years, Komen is now retired and living in Fenton, Misourri. But he still keeps a finger in the wine, so to speak, by lecturing about it to senior citizen groups at Washington University and retirement homes. He tries to take the fear factor out of wine.
Komen — his wife’s death spurred the creation of the cancer-fighting Susan G. Komen foundation — finds that he gets asked the same questions about wine from all audiences. Whether he is speaking on a cruise ship or at a charity fundraiser, people want to know the same answers.
For instance, how long does wine last?
Once opened, a bottle of wine should be consumed that night, or at least within two or three days, he says. After that, it begins to degrade quickly and turn into vinegar.
When that happens, he says, you have three options. You can use it to make a vinaigrette. You can add club soda and turn it into a refreshing wine cooler. Or you can use it for cooking.
Komen is of the belief, shared by many, that you should only cook with wine you would drink. And never cook with cooking wine, he warns — it is far too salty.
People are also unsure about what temperature to serve wine, he said. Americans tend to serve their white wine too cold, assuming that colder is better.
But white wines have their fullest flavor at about 50 degrees, he says. One hour in the refrigerator should do it. Red wines, on the other hand, are at their peak at 60 to 65 degrees. They need just 20 minutes in the fridge.
But red wines — no white — should also be opened 30 minutes before serving. Experts say that gives the wine a chance to “breathe,” but that just means it releases its aroma and develops its flavor by interacting with air.
Komen is also asked how wine should be stored. That depends, he says, on how it is closed. If it has a cork, it needs to be kept on its side, which keeps the cork tight and keeps oxygen out of the bottle. Screw-top bottles, which are becoming more popular as Portuguese cork becomes harder to find, can be kept upright.
Either way, he says, they should be kept in a dark place away from heat and fluctuating temperatures. If you don’t have a wine cellar or a wine refrigerator, the ideal spot is the back of a closet.
If there is one thing Komen insists upon, it is that wine should be enjoyed with food. Wine brings out the best in food, and food brings out the best in wine.
Generally speaking, full-flavored wines should be served with full-flavored food, he said. That way, the taste of one won’t overwhelm the other. Similarly, light-flavored foods take light-flavored wines.
When it doubt, he says, ask the waiter. In fact, he recommends asking the waiter for a selection in all cases. That way, if it is a bad choice the responsibility is all his, and you could possibly then receive another bottle that is more appropriate.
In all cases, he says, white wine should be served with any dish that has lemon in it. The acid in the lemon is ruinous for the taste of red wines. In the same vein, he says never to drink any wine with salad. The acid in vinegar creates a reaction that he calls “unpleasant.”
If you are still wary of wines, Komen suggests taking a wine snob down a peg or two. Just ask “What is the difference between a zinfandel and a Gersbach?”
When the wine snob tries to stammer some kind of answer, say “the difference is that zinfandel is a fine American wine, and Gersbach was a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers.”
Daniel Neman writes for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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