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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 2000)
Wine selecting for dummies: What you should know tie* ELEGANCE ON THE CHEAP TRAVIS GENY You’re at the supermarket. You glide through the aisles looking for that complete recipe that says that you are the gourmet cook that you have been telling your signifi cant other that you are. LOW Student Airfares Eurailpasses More Than 100 Departure Cities Study Abroad stidem universe! IT S YOUR WORLD. EXPLORE IT studentuniverse.com 800.272.9676 * Thursday, November 16, 8 pm Experience the myth of Ciigamesh, The fall of Troy. The first Crusade. Reconciliation in South Africa. Robert Kyr “wages peace” with a visionary new work —a moving vocal tapestry that rings with hope for sust a in able peace. Be there when four extraordinary soloists, chorus and orchestra bring Kyr’s new symphony to life. Miguel Uarth-Bedoya, Conductor Lucy Shelton, soprano - Mitagro Vargas, mezzo soprano David Gustafson, tenor — Mark Risinger, bass Eugene Symphony Chorus EUGENE SYMPHONY UO Special $20 Students $10 Hult Center 682-5000 or EMU Tickets Everything is perfect. Fresh veg etables? Check. Fresh bakery bread? Check. Fixings for a truly delectable entree? Check. Wine? What, no wine? So you didn’t make it to the vineyard this week. Who can? Not everyone has the means or the will to drive that extra half-hour to the country to find just the right bottle, but there is hope. The supermarket can be a veritable cornucopia of wine value if you know what you are looking for. First, let’s talk about what you are eating. The general rule is: Whites are for seafood and pasta with white sauce, along with white meats: red wines are for red meat and pasta with red sauce. But let’s look at the logic and taste behind this. You don't want your dish to overpower your wine nor do you want the opposite; so balance is the key. When choosing a wine, consider your food. Is your food going to be rich with a com plex palette or light with simple flavors? For simple, light food, go white. Whites tend to be light and easier to drink. Pinot Gris and Chardonnay as well as a white table wine will do well in this category. Table wines are blends that are made for every day consumption. We’ll get to that in a minute. For richer and more complex foods and red meats, you will want a red like a Merlot or Cabernet. And yes, there are also red table wines. However, there are always excep tions to the rule. Sauvignon Blanc is a white but tends to be more com plex than some reds. When selecting wine, it is very easy to be overwhelmed. At most of the big chain stores, there will proba bly be no one who can assist you in your selection, but at some of the smaller, independent markets, there will be wine staff. If you find your self at a supermarket, there are a few things to look for that will make your selection easier. First, look to see if the wine is a blend or a varietal. Remember, a va rietal is a wine made from one kind of grape. These tend to be of higher quality than some of the blends. Second, look for the origin of the wine. It is a pretty safe bet that a lo cal wine will be more satisfying than something from a larger out of-state vineyard. Third, look at packaging. Most quality vineyards will use the tra ditional cork and foil combination on their bottles instead of clear plastic and plastic corks. Also check the vintage. Most whites will be younger, while most reds will be older. A young Cabernet or Merlot may not be the best choice. A safe bet is to go with French table wines. These are wines pro duced in France for everyday con sumption. The upshot is that they tend to be inexpensive and of ex ceptional quality. These wines will be grouped together and tend to have fancy, rustic-looking labels. Also, look for the words “Appella tion Controlee,” this tells where the wine was made as per French law. For reds, I have found that wines made in the Cotes du Rhone and Beaujolais regions tend to be very good. Also, a Chardonnay that I found from Macon-Lugny was also quite good. Remember that the French are typically quite strict about the quality of their wine, so most of the time you can’t go wrong here. If you don’t care about impress ing, boxed wine is acceptable for a tight budget. These wines are unimpressive as far as taste, but they do the job for everyday use. Not only are they fine for just everyday sipping, but they are a good substitute for cooking wine. These wines come from the big vineyards in California where out put is measured in the millions of gallons, not by the barrel. As with cheep beer, these companies have turned the production of this wine into a precise science, so don’t go looking for great works of art. Also on this side of the wine aisle, you will find jug wine. The less that is said about these the bet ter. When considering a wine like this, consider what your dinner may taste like on the way back up and possibly how badly you really want that headache the next morn ing, but you get the drift. Finally, there is always the crap shoot method of choosing a wine. Stand in the middle of the aisle and point at a random bottle and go with it. You never know, you might luck out. Realistically, if a product has shelf space at a major super market, then chances are it has some merit. Don’t sweat your wine selections. In the end, a little adventuring with your taste buds never hurts; so maybe random selection isn’t such a bad idea. Just remember, whatever you choose, drink in moderation, never drink and drive, and always have a designated driver. Travis Geny is a senior pre-journalism ma jor. He advocates safe and responsible drinking. THE WEEK IN MUSIC ■ Thursday, Nov. 9 8 p.m.—The Paper Boys (Celtic folk). WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. $11.50 advance, $13 at the door. 9 p.m. — Danny Barnes (from the Bad Livers). Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd. $5 cover. 9 p.m. — Nina Gordon with PALOAL TO (rock). Wild Duck, 285 E. Fifth Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. All ages. $15 ad vance, $17 at the door. 9:30 p.m.—Sleeper Wave (alterna tive rock/costume party). Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette St. Free. 9:30 p.m.—Jazz Jam Session. Jo Fed erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $5 minimum per person. 10 p.m.—Ominous Seapods (jam rock). Taylor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E. 13th Ave. $6 cover. ■Friday, Nov* 10 9 p.m.—Eclectic Open Mic Fridays. The Buzz Coffeehouse. Free. Until midnight. 9 p.m. — Ramona the Pest (indie/folk/pop). Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd. $3-$5 cover. 9:30 p.m.—The U-Gene Band (ambi ent groove). The Tiny Tavern, 394 Blair Blvd. No cover. 9:30 p.m. — lazoo (acoustic). Jo Fed erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $3 cover, $5 minimum per person. 9 p.m.—Jolly Mon, Moth and That 1 Guy (heavy rock/CD release). WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. 9:30 p.m.—Jentzu & The Alter Egos (rock). Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette St. Free. 9:30 p.m.—Sector 9 with DJ Sexton (jam/funk). Wild Duck, 285 E. Fifth Ave. Doors open at 9 p.m. 21 and over. $8 cover. ■ Saturday, Nov. 11 8 p.m.—Rex Hobart & The Misery Boys with Deanna Varagona& Pig I ran (roots rock). Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd. $4 cover. 8 p.m. — Michael Rose with Apple Gabriel, Rocker T, Papa’s Soul Kitchen and Big B & Ras Cool (reggae). Top of the World, I-5, Exit 199. 9 p.m.—King Black Acid, Helio Se quence and MountainCon (psychedel ic). WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. $8 cover. 9 p.m.—Wait (folk rock). The Buzz Coffeehouse. Until 11 p.m. Free. 9:30 p.m. — Lazoo (acoustic). Jo Fed erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $3 cover, $5 minimum per person. 9:30 p.m.—Skip Stones (keyboard boogie). Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette St. Free. 9:30 p.m.—David Nelson Band (rock). Hollywood Taxi, Main Street, Springfield. 21 and older. $12 ad vance, $14 at the door. 10 p.m. — Mojo (original rock). Tay lor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E. 13th Ave. $4 cover. ■ Sunday, Nov* 12 4 p.m.—Faculty Musicale (various musical artists). Beall Hall. $4 Univer sity students, $7 adults. 8:30 p.m. — Diva Bands. Sam Bond’s Garage, 407 Blair Blvd. $4-$7 cover. 9 p.m.—Mark Alan (acoustic). Jo Fed erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $3 cover, $5 minimum per person. 9:30 p.m.—Open mic night. Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette St. Free. ■ Monday, Nov* 13 7 p.m.—The X-ecutioners and Souls oi Miscmer(nip nop), wuw Han, 291 W. Eighth Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $14 in advance, $16 at the door. 9 p.m.—Funky Monday open mic, featuring Freedom Funk Ensemble (jazz). Jo Federigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $5 minimum per person. 10 p.m. — DJ TekNeek (dance). Tay lor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E. 13th Ave. $1 cover. 10 p.m. — I AM. (jungle, trip-hop). John Henry’s, 136 E. 11th Ave. Women, no cover; men $2. ■ Tuesday, Nov. 14 8 p.m.—Ysaye Quartet & Piano (chamber music). Beall Hall. Tickets $10-$25. 8:30 p.m. — Barbara Dzuro (jazz pi ano). Jo Federigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $5 minimum per person. 10 p.m.—Ekoostik Hookah (jam leg ends). Taylor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E. 13th Ave. $8 cover. ■Wednesday, Nov. 15 Noon — Eugene Symphony Concert Preview, Hu It Center: Studio On^| Seventh Avenue and Willamette Street. Until 1 p.m. Free. 8 p.m.—Art Maddox and Joan Ben son (piano/clavichord). Beall Hall. $4 students, $7 general public. 9:30 p.m.—The U-Cene Band (ambi ent groove). Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette St. Free. 9:30 p.m.—Dark Star Orchestra (Grateful Dead show re-creation). Wild Duck, 285 E. Fifth Ave. Doors open at 8:30 Non-musical events For a more extensive listing of this week’s entertainment, visit Pulse on line. —tL-Jl--LJ]„ fi_w fi b , www.dailyemerald.com
