[wine] Wine-ing in tough times.

Probably preaching to the choir w.r.to number 5. Cheers, Five ways to drink well for less Jon BonnéSunday, March 22, 2009 Cutting your wine budget is as simple as being open-minded. When I ran out of money my freshman year in college, even ramen was too big a luxury. I spent over a month straight eating boiled macaroni. Plain. On Sundays I'd splurge for New York City's hugest slice of pizza (thanks, Koronet!), getting the better part of 2,000 calories for less than two bucks. Classy. Compared to my noodle days, cutting my wine budget lately has been a breeze. It's as simple as being open-minded, and if it takes a corkscrewing economy to break us out of our wine ruts, so be it. Do you really love that Chardonnay, or are you just scared of change? Here are five helpful ideas for drinking well in these trying times: 1. Try something new. The other night at the bar of one of my favorite San Francisco restaurants, I cringed as the guy behind my left shoulder shouted - loudly - for a glass of Pinot Grigio without even glancing at an innovative but Grigio-free wine list that contained everything from Spanish Godello to Carneros Cabernet Franc. It's 2009. Have we not evolved? Pledge that you will try just one new type of wine this week. Stop and read the wine list. Check the three cheapest bottles, which just might be the most interesting. Ask questions about completely unpronounceable stuff. Happiness right now lies in the less obvious. Maybe Portugal's Vinho Verde should be the official wine of the recession. Fresh, fizzy, totally without gravitas. Or Picpoul from the southern Rhone - tart, laser-sharp, always at attention. Or Chenin Blanc from South Africa (or Clarksburg, or Saumur). All should be available around $10 or less. Same with Monastrell or Bonarda. You won't remember them the rest of your life, but you don't need to. While we're here, let's deal with the immortal love of Pinot Noir, ever more hobbled by its out-of-control popularity. Watch carefully as I perform my Jedi mind trick: These are not the wines you're looking for. Seek out Gamay, Blaufrankisch, Pineau d'Aunis. Look to Syrah, which might well be what you want in Pinot anyway. 2. Try somewhere new. Suspend your addiction to Napa Cabernet or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Catch a new region on its ascent. A decade ago, most of us never would have cited Extremadura, Puglia, Burgenland, Lake County's Red Hills or the Wahluke Slope as prime winemaking territory. And obscurity now provides extra street cred. French vin de table, once a sign of rotgut, can now be more cutting-edge than those fuddy old appellations. Just look at a lineup like Vins Contéfrom the Loire, whose Gama Sutra might be to the trucker-cap set what Beaujolais was to their parents. 3. Revisit some old friends. Feels like ages, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. You, Gascony whites, we had such great times together at the picnic. And, Amador Zin, have you been hiding in the mountains? Wait - you all say you're still under 10 bucks? Really? We gotta catch up. 4. Learn to love steel. Or concrete. Or neutral oak. Wines made without the use of new wood flavors simply cost less to produce. If you're an oak lover, keep in mind that you're paying for your palate. This isn't just Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino. There are hundreds of examples of red wines made with Grenache, Refosco, Blaufrankisch, Nero d'Avola and anything else under the sun that give ample pleasure without oak. 5. Stop caring about what we think. Even the most carefree collector has a by-the-case bargain for Tuesday nights. Now isn't a time to worry about making an impression. You can get Gruner Veltliner from Berger or Ebner Ebenauer (see In Our Glasses, this page) for around $10 for a full liter - a size that stores beautifully in the fridge. Live with the screwcap. Your sommelier won't hold it against you. When it comes to the fancy stuff, could it be time to start drinking your stash? You don't have to polish off your last bottle of '95 Insignia but really, do you need to keep aging that 2003 Cahors? You can refill. Enjoy what you took all that trouble to acquire in the first place. Last month, the Wall Street Journal's wine duo celebrated the 10th anniversary of their Open That Bottle Night, meant to commemorate one special bottle from the cellar. Let's take the logical next step and declare this Open That Bottle Year. Jon Bonnés The Chronicle's wine editor. E-mail him at jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/22/FDVL16EGT7.DTL This article appeared on page E - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *