Dirty Talk on WineWhat to Choose...Posted 11/22/2006 at 03:11 PM by DirkYou are right. Matching the wine to the person is key. (As is tasting new wines.) I am concerned that if my brothers were matching a wine to me, they might choose something short and self-important...brothers can be that way! Glad to hear you had a driver in Ireland. That bit of driving 'this way' in the 'that way' lane might lead someone to think I had found the Guinness tasting room! Comment by Dirk Hampson Dirk, I love your blog! It doesn't surprise me that being a man of many talents, you would also pen a captivating read. Recently, I've become more aware of my tendency to pair wines not only to the food, but to the people present as well. Last month I traveled to Ireland with a small group of journalists. Each night at dinner, the host asked me to order the wines. The lists were full of good Old World selections, and the first couple of nights I ordered nice French reds and whites. Our driver and our Irish guide really appreciated them, but they weren't that well received by the other Americans. The next night I ordered an Aussie wine and a French wine---and watched as my tablemates downed bottle after bottle of the New World juice, leaving the French wine in the dust (pun intended). The last night, I decided that pairing the wines to the people was just as important as pairing them to the food, so I ordered the red and the white from Down Under. The Americans were much happier, and those from the EU actually tried some bottles they wouldn't have otherwise considered. This pairing principle seems particularly applicable during the holidays. If Great Aunt Sarah wants to drink blush wine with her Standing Prime Rib Roast, then let her. And smile, knowing that you'll melt her heart with Dolce before the evening is over. Comment by Denise Reynolds
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About the Author
Dirk Hampson
Few winemakers realize the opportunity to build a winemaking program from the ground up, living and growing with the vineyards over two decades. Dirk
Hampson, director of winemaking and chairman at Far Niente, and sister wineries Dolce and Nickel & Nickel, counts himself among the fortunate. An
enology graduate from the University of California, Davis, Hampson honed his craft at some of Europe's greatest properties, and was the first American to apprentice at Bordeaux First Growth Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Hampson returned to the US and was appointed winemaker at Far Niente in 1983.
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