Posted on: Wednesday, January 5, 2005

RAISE A GLASS
If you fill your wine glass, use a straw, too

By Heath Porter

The holidays have come and gone, but the hangover lingers on.

By now, let us hope the smell of the burnt ham has dissipated, the leftover green bean casserole has been thrown out, and if all is really perfect, the family is long gone, not to be seen for many moons. Go ahead and return that can of cream of mushroom soup you borrowed from the neighbors, the casserole just isn't the same without it, and try to figure out what you're gonna do with the 3 pounds of pecans you bought when the whole town was stalking the nut aisle. The best thing to come out of the whole gig is at least you got a new doorstop with the 17-pound fruitcake Aunt Fannie lugged all the way from Alabama. Sit down, breathe a sigh of relief, take a nap on the couch where Uncle Junior chugged green bottles all weekend, and think about the only thing left to do. New Year resolutions!

You know the drill. "I swear I'm going to run three times a week for 30 minutes." "I promise not to eat dessert." "I'm not going to flip anyone off that doesn't use a turn signal." "I'll drink less beer, and it will all be calorie-free." We all do it with the best of intentions, some going as far as to write it all down and post it somewhere to be seen in our daily routine. Mine usually lasts all of five or six days until I accidentally tear it off the fridge getting to the last piece of apple pie at 1:30 in the morning or rip it off the bathroom mirror in agony after cutting one of my many chins while shaving before work!

So, with that being said, let's look at resolutions that make sense at least in a food and wine kind of way. My first resolution would be not to be a pretentious wine geek and try to make wine accessible to all. I know everyone's thinking it's a little late for the pretentious-geek thing, but it's true. Opening minds and palates to new, accessible wines is a must for anyone in a position such as mine and probably the coolest thing about being a wine geek. Just looking at a wine label itself can be very intimidating, and having some sweaty old guy with a tastevin (a sommelier's ceremonial wine cup) staring you down is the last thing you need. Never be afraid to ask questions about flavors, styles of wine or where a wine is from. If your salesperson, sommelier or waiter uses 50-cent words and you have no idea what they mean, ask them for an explanation. If they can't explain or can't give you a reasonable breakdown, perhaps it's time to move on.

Enjoy the aromas

For my second resolution, I promise to do everything possible to explain to my aunties why it is not appropriate to fill their wine glass to the rim. No, I'm not trying to limit your intake or hide the good wine from you. There actually is an excellent reason for it. Most wine glasses are specifically designed for certain wines, and whether or not that's the wine you have in your glass, it's sort of hard to swirl the wine if it's up to the rim. Swirling the wine is done to incorporate air into the wine and wine into the air, and actually does make a difference. To truly enjoy wine, good or bad, you should really enjoy all of the aroma it provides for us. Why? Because 90 percent of what we taste is what we smell. So the next time you drop by the house and I don't fill to the rim, you'll understand, and if you would care for a full glass, I'll happily find a 6-ounce glass, fill it to the top and bring a straw with it.

Third on the list: I must resolve to always understand the value of all wines I encounter. This could be at the local wine store, possibly at the supermarket, and more importantly, when I shop for wines for the restaurant.

For centuries, restaurants of every type have been using a standard markup of 2 1/2 to 3 times the bottle price. There are several million reasons for the origin of this, but I find most to be ridiculous. Don't get me wrong: All businesses must make money, and all must hit certain percentages, but I find it hard to believe that all of these huge markups are necessary. Therefore, we shall continue to do a very slight price adjustment on our list and try to continue to be very eclectic with our selections and even friendlier with our prices.

Give wine a chance

For my last resolution, I will commit myself to try every wine put in front of me without prejudice. I know this one will be tough, but with thousands of new wineries popping up constantly, it's amazing the things we get to try from around the world. Who would have thought that a merlot from Japan, a red wine from Vietnam, or a cabernet sauvignon from Texas would prove to be worthy of a second or third glass? Of course, this could be the real tough part with all of the different varieties, regions and languages. But by not tasting or asking, you could miss out on a lot more than just asking a stupid question. There is no shame in not knowing that pinot noirs' home in France is Burgundy, and we all know that it would be a lot easier if all labels read the same way. But don't let this pigeonhole you into only drinking wines you can pronounce because then you'll be stuck drinking nothing but red zinfandel.

Worth trying:

• The first wine is an old standby from California. Conundrum is a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscat and viognier. Hints of spice, smoky and tropical with a hint of sweetness, the perfect wine for someone who wants to get started experimenting.
• Second, to really enjoy swirling and sniffing a great aromatic wine with a vast array of fruits and earth try Talley pinot noir from the central coast of California. Well made and food friendly, a house favorite.
• Third is a full-bodied wine, an earthy and spicy zinfandel from Amador County, Calif. Renwood Old Vines is a fun wine.
• The last wine is a real value and from an unbelievable place: Texas. Becker Cabernet Sauvignon might not be Lafite Rothschild, but it's the best pairing for green-bean casserole and my favorite with Aunt Fannie's 17-pound fruitcake/doorstop.

Heath Porter is general manager and wine director at the Diamond Head Grill at the W Hotel, 2885 Kalakaua Ave.; 922-3734.