Wine as your personal experience

Allen R. Balik

In the early 1980s, when I was first learning about wine, I attended a Wine Spectator's Wine Experience event in San Francisco. I didn't quite know what to expect as this was the first event of its type I had ever attended and I was unsure how to navigate my way through all the seminars and Grand Tastings where countless (at least that's how it seemed to me) wineries from all over the world were pouring wines I had only read about.

While at the Grand Tasting on the first night, I happened by the Jordan Winery table where André Tchelistcheff (famed Godfather of California wine and then consulting winemaker for Jordan) was standing. Feeling a bit intimidated, I introduced myself to Mr. Tchelistcheff and asked about his thoughts on the wine. His response was simple and expressed a feeling sometimes lost on others and especially by many considering themselves as "experts" in wine.

Mr. Tchelistcheff poured me a taste of the Cabernet and politely said, "My opinion is not important so please tell me what you think of the wine." His message was simple and opened my eyes to a very important aspect of tasting and enjoying wine. Make the experience your own and don't be overly influenced by others.

Of course, it's always a great benefit to have wine knowledgeable friends as well as industry professionals and educators guide us to great wines and the intricacies of the tasting experience. But the ultimate impression of the wine is yours to determine regardless of price or the often meaningless numerical scores a particular wine may have garnered.

A great lesson learned from one of the legendary masters in winemaking history. And one I've never forgotten or neglected to share with others.

When thinking back on some of the many great bottles I’ve been fortunate to enjoy, it’s the experience that first comes to mind with the wine acting as a vehicle to form a lasting memory. The historic 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay we were treated to by friends Suzie and Paul Frank on one of the islands at Montelena on our first trip to Napa Valley in 1979. And of course, 1967 Château d’Yquem that marks our wedding anniversary that we’ve enjoyed on several occasions with friends and family to commemorate that day.

I was very lucky to sample the 1959 Château Lafite Rothschild in one of my early wine classes and felt so fortunate to have this experience which offered me a perspective on what the world’s finest wines were capable of delivering. On a sunny Sunday morning in the early 1990s we enjoyed a bottle of 1945 Château Haut-Brion at brunch with friends where the wine inspired a deeply personal conversation about what was going on in the world at that time and how those events affected our future lives.

The magnum of 1990 Champagne Salon we relished in 2002 at dinner the night before our daughter’s Napa wedding when meeting our new family. The 3.0Ls we poured at our son’s wedding in summer 2012 were 1978 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, 1981 Château Mouton Rothschild, 1983 Joseph Phelps Insignia Auction Reserve (blended especially for the 1985 Napa Valley Wine Auction) and 1986 Livingston-Moffett Cabernet Sauvignon were a delight to all and left countless memories.

Each of these occasions (and many more) holds a special place in my memory and the wines we enjoyed served to mark the experience and make it more personal. Wine is a great communicator that enhances the most simple dinner or occasion in very subtle and personal ways.

Unfortunately, wine is often perceived by some as a libation to revere rather than just simply enjoy. However, the history of wine dates back centuries and millennia where it was always an integral part of mealtime enjoyment and experienced simply as a congenial addition to the time friends and family spent together around the dinner table and in celebration of important passages in their lives.

Wine professionals almost always try evaluating a wine as being true to the variety (or blend of varieties), place of origin and vintage characteristics when determining its overall quality and compatibility with similar wines and selected dishes for pairing. I must admit I do this regularly (and often sub-consciously) with most wines I'm tasting. But many times, when just looking for a wine to enjoy this critical analysis is unnecessary and may even get in the way by being a distraction.

Most wines today will pass the "taste test" when pretense is cast aside and you're just looking for something that pleases the palate and fits the moment. Thankfully, our choices in today's market are many and varied so there's no reason why we should not to explore beyond what others may consider the "correct" choice. The exploration is fun and leaves you free to discover what you like in creating your own memories.

Paraphrasing what Mr. Tchelistcheff said to me many years ago, "It's your opinion that counts and it's up to you to create your own experience."

Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an e-mail to me at allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com.

Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 40 years.