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Show Front grape to glass Rose wine is made from red grapes by Bob Hosnion and John Knobloek Knight-Ridde- r yy & Q. My friends and I have a question for you Is rose wine a blend made from red and white wines ? DA. A. No. Rose wine is produced from red grapes. During fermentation, the skins of the grapes are left in the wine vats just long enough to give the wine its delicate pink color; then the skins are removed. There is no blending of red and white wines involved. voJ Q. Generally I drink and prefer the following wines: Chianti, Rioja, Rhone - and all from Burgundy Europe. I would like to know .cvy 0 .y . 5o - y & 1980 'nac W lllvd American wines, however, and would appreciate some suggestions from you on some California wines that are comparable to the European wines that I have been drinking. L.F A It is difficult for us to list comparable products to the ones that you mention, but the following might serve as a general guide: Chianti: California Barbera or Charbono Rioja There is nothing really comparable, but you might consider a Cabernet Sauvignon Rhone: Petite Sirah Burgundy Pinot Noir. While in the past it was customary for California wines to take their lead from European models that they imitate, today the better California products are distinctive rather than imitative Therefore, you are better served if you try a variety of California wines for their own uniqueness rather than for their similarities to European varieties. . ,o more about Y Q. When I am served wine in a restaurant and the waiter presents me with the cork, just what is it that I am supposed to do? B.C A The waiter is going through a ceremonial ritual with wine that has two purposes. If the cork is crumbling from either decay or excessive dryness, you should be alerted that the wine you are about to taste may have gone bad as a result of old age. poor bottling, or improper storage. If the cork smells strongly of cork and not of wine, you might find that the wine has turned to vinegar as a result of improper bottling or storage In either case it would be necessary to return the wine, but always taste the wine itself before passing judgment a 10, Q I'm going to France next month and would like to bring bafk some interesting wines with me What do you suggest ? D.Y, A We suggest that you enjoy your trip to France and leave your wine buying for when you return to the United States. With very rare exceptions, you'll find that the selection of wines in France is inferior to the selection Most Frenchmen drink a vin in this country ordinaire that is not as good as some of the California wines; and most of the premium French wines are shipped to the big markets of the United States, Switzerland, Belgium. Great Britain, and Canada. You won't find any wine bargains in France, if not more so either Wines are just as expensive in Paris as they are in Hartford, Miami or Houston If you should find something interesting as a souvenir, however, whatever wine you do bring back will be subject to duty and revenue taxes by U S customs agents. mass-produce- d Lake Salt The H 6 W Writers Q I have an old bottle of brandy, dated 2802, that was given to me by relatives. Is it valuable R.S. I have an old bottle of brandy that was given to me by my grandmother for my wedding Would such a bottle-havany special monetary value 9 e G.C. have received several questions about old brandy and their relative values. Although such bottles may have some value, the odds are against it. At any rate, we are not in a position to assess the value of any bottle of brandy without seeing the bottle, knowing its or wine history, etc. A. We of bottles that should be made, however, is that the bottle does not improve with aging, once the liquid is in the bottle, it is as ready to drink as it will ever be. Therefore there is nothing to be gained by saving a bottle of brandy. One point brandy in Q My favorite restaurant is serving fresh mussels and they are delicious. Wluit wine PJ should I drink with this wonderful dish 9 A Your best wine choice with mussels is either a French Muscadet, such as the one produced by the Marquis de Goulaine, or a very dry French Graves, such as Chateau Olivier. An alternative selection to serve with the mussels would be a California Fume Blanc, such as the wune produced by delicious, slightly smoky-steel- y Robert Mondavi Winery of Oakville. Q. At a dinner party, I recently opened a buttle of 1972 only to discover that the white wine had turned brown and had an J.H. off taste. What happened? Puligny-Montrache- A What happened is that your wine had ''maderized' (a term derived from Madeira) and had acquired a brownish color and a very flat, burnt taste. Maderization occurs for one of three reasons: a bad cork, which allows too much air to enter the bottle, thus spoiling the wine; 2) exposure of wine to excessive heat during shipment or storage; or 3 aging a wine beyond its prime. There is nothing you can do with a maderized wine other than pour it down the drain (or return it to the seller if he was at fault). egg Puzzle on Page 3 |