For years now, you have been reading in this column about good wine and how to know when you have found one. The simple conclusion is that if you like it, it must be good, though I have some snobby friends who would take exception to that. Granted, other people might not like what you like, but taste is a personal thing and certainly not tangible evidence of what is good or bad.
Take the little old school teacher who, before her passing, would come in or send someone on a regular basis for a single bottle of Reunite Lambrusco.
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 2?4:6?E {2>3CFD4@ G2C:6EJ 92D 366? 8C@H:?8 2== @G6C xE2=J[ AC:>2C:=J :? E96 t>:=:2\#@>28?2 C68:@? ;FDE ?@CE9 2?5 62DE @7 u=@C6?46[ 7@C >@C6 E92? a[___ J62CD] %96 =:89E C65[ @7E6? 7C:KK2?E6 H:?6 :D EJA:42==J D6>:\DH66E 2?5 7CF:EJ H:E9 G6CJ =:EE=6 56AE9 2?5 DECF4EFC6] xE :D ?@E <?@H? 7@C :ED 28:?8 23:=:EJ 2?5 D9@F=5 36 5C2?< H9:=6 :E :D J@F?8] #6F?:E6 :D 2 A@AF=2C 2?5 :?6IA6?D:G6 WSgX 3C2?5 @7 {2>3CFD4@]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmq6:?8 7CF82= 2?5 42FE:@FD :? 96C 4@?DF>AE:@?[ ` @F?46 367@C6 365E:>6 H2D 6?@F89 7@C E96 C6E:C65 65F42E@C[ 2?5 2 fd_>= 3@EE=6 =2DE65 2=>@DE 2 >@?E9] xE >FDE 92G6 EFC?65 27E6C 2 76H 52JD[ 2?5 >@DE @7 FD H@F=5 92G6 C67FD65 2?J @776C E@ D92C6[ 3FE D96 =@G65 :E 2?5 6?;@J65 96C ?:89E=J ?:A]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw2G:?8 ?6G6C <6AE 2? @A6? 3@EE=6 @7 H:?6 7@C 2 >@?E9[ x 2> ?@ 6IA6CE @? E9:D] xE :D ?@E D@>6E9:?8 E92E x C62==J 42C6 E@ 6IA=@C6] qFE 2D x HC:E6 :E[ >J @H? 4FC:@D:EJ :D D=2AA:?8 >6 :? E96 324< @7 E96 9625[ FC8:?8 >6 E@ 8@ 29625 2?5 ECJ :E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm}@[ x 5@?’E H2?E E@ <?@H[ 3FE x H:== 4@?76DD E9:Di $@>6H96C6 2C@F?5 E96 7:CDE @7 E96 J62C[ x E2DE65 D@>6 H:?6 E92E 925 366? =67E @? E96 4@F?E6C 7@C 4@?D:56C23=J =@?86C E92? FDF2=] }@E 2 >@?E9 3FE >2J36 2 H66<] x 8F6DD 4FC:@D:EJ H2D C2>A2?E E92E 52J E9@F89 x 5@?’E C642== H9J E96 H:?6 H2D =67E @C :>AC@A6C=J DE@C65] xE H2D 2 8@@5 H:?6[ @?6 H:E9 492C24E6C 2?5 DECF4EFC6[ C:49 E2??:?D 2?5 286\H@CE9J] p7E6C D:EE:?8 @FE 7@C 2 H66<[ E96 E2DE6 H2D D=:89E=J G:?682CJ[ 2?5 x E9@F89E[ “}@E 325] %9:D :D AC6EEJ 8@@5]” x H2D 2>2K65]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm|2J36 x’G6 366? HC@?8 2== E96D6 J62CD] ':?682C :D 8@@5 7@C J@F[ C:89En xE’D D2:5 E@ 36 4FC2E:G6 7@C 2?J ?F>36C @7 2:=>6?ED 2?5 E96 AC6G6?E:@? @7 >2?J @E96CD] {@@< :E FA] %96C6 2C6 H9@=6 3@@<D @? E96 2EEC:3FE6D 2?5 FD6D 7@C G:?682C] %96 AC6D6CG2E:G6 2?5 C6DE@C2E:G6 ?2EFC6 @7 G:?682C :D H6== <?@H?]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(:E9 >J :?E6C6DE 2C@FD65[ x 925 E@ 7:?5 @FE E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A 36EH66? G:?682C 2?5 H:?6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmtFC6<2P }@E DFCAC:D:?8=J[ E96J 2C6 G6CJ D:>:=2C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm':?682C :D 6DD6?E:2==J 2 4@?4@4E:@? @7 d E@ a_ A6C46?E 246E:4 24:5 :? 2 D@=FE:@? @7 H2E6C] p46E:4 24:5 – E9:D :D :>A@CE2?E[ D@ DE2J H:E9 >6 – :D AC@5F465 5FC:?8 E96 76C>6?E2E:@? @7 6E92?@= @C E96 DF82CD :? E96 D@FC46 >2E6C:2=D] $@F?5D =:<6 H:?6>2<:?8 E@ >6] $@FC46 >2E6C:2=D :?4=F56 7CF:ED[ 8C2:?D[ 2=4@9@=:4 36G6C286D @C 2?J @E96C 76C>6?E23=6 AC@5F4ED] %96 AC@46DD 7@C >2<:?8 G:?682C :D 32D:42==J E@ 76C>6?E E96 D@FC46 >2E6C:2= 2?5 255 @IJ86?] (96? E92E D@FC46 >2E6C:2= :D H:?6[ E96 6?5 AC@5F4E – G:?682C – :D ?@E9:?8 >@C6 E92? @I:5:K65 H:?6] ~I:52E:@? @44FCD H96? H:?6 92D 366? 6IA@D65 E@ E@@ >F49 2:C[ =:<6 =62G:?8 2? @A6? 3@EE=6 @? E96 4@F?E6C 7@C E@@ =@?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm':?682C :D H92E J@F 86E H96? H:?6 8@6D 325] $@>6E:>6D E96 C6DF=ED 2C6 G6CJ[ G6CJ 8@@5[ 2D :? 32=D2>:4 G:?682C]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm(96? J@F 6?;@J 2 r2AC6D6 D2=25[ 5@ J@F E9:?< 23@FE 325 H:?6n r2AC6D6 D2=25 :D E96 4=2DD:4 xE2=:2? 5:D9 @7 7C6D9 >@KK2C6==2[ D=:465 E@>2E@6D 2?5 DH66E 32D:= 5C:KK=65 H:E9 @=:G6 @:= 2?5 32=D2>:4 G:?682C] q2=D2>:4 G:?682C :D >256 7C@> E96 H9:E6 xE2=:2? 8C2A6 %C633:2?@ 2?5 E96 C65 8C2A6 {2>3CFD4@[ @G6C=J @I:5:K65 2?5 ?62E=J A24<2865]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm$@ 96C6 :E :D E96 7:CDE @7 pAC:= a_`h[ 2?5 x 42? 9@?6DE=J D2J E92E x 92G6 =62C?65 D@>6E9:?8 23@FE H:?6 E92E x ?6G6C :>28:?65i q25 H:?6 :D 8@@5 7@C J@F] p?5 x 2> 4@?G:?465[ D@ >F49 D@ E92E x 2> D92C:?8 :E H:E9 J@F ?@H[ E92E 2 46==2C @7 @I:5:K65 H:?6 :D =:<6 2 7@F?E2:? @7 J@FE9]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%@ E2<6 :E 2 DE6A 7FCE96C[ x 6?4@FC286 6G6CJ@?6 E@ DE@A ECJ:?8 E@ <66A E96 2:C @FE 2?5 :?DE625 =62G6 3@EE=6D @A6? 7@C D6G6C2= 52JD 367@C6 5C:?<:?8] %96 @AE:>F> E:>6 7@C >@DE C65 H:?6D D9@F=5 36 2E =62DE 2 7F== 52J 27E6C E96 7:CDE G:?682CJ 9:?E] %9:D H:== 36 2 ?6H 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 2 3:8 492?86 7@C >@DE A6@A=6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmr92?86 :D 8@@5i t>3C246 E96 >:==6??:2= :? J@F 2?5 8@ 7@C E96 6IA6C:6?46] %92?<D E@ 2 5:6E 962GJ @? H:?6[ 2?5 ?@H G:?682C[ x 766= 36EE6C 2?5 =@@< J@F?86C E92? x 92G6 :? J62CD] (92E >@C6 AC@@7 5@ J@F ?665n |J A9@E@ H:E9 E9:D 2CE:4=6 D2JD :E 2==]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp =@E @7 E96 ?6H C@DéD H:== 36 4@>:?8 D@@?[ 2?5 @FC pAC:= H:?6 E2DE:?8 H:== 762EFC6 2 92?57F= @7 D6=64E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 E92E 2C6 ?6H 2?5 D@>6 E92E 92G6 366? A@AF=2C :? E96 A2DE] p C@Dé :D 8@@5 2?J E:>6 @7 J62C 3FE D66>D E@ 36 E96 ?6H 8@\E@ DF>>6C H:?6] {:89E 2?5 EJA:42==J 5CJ[ C@Dé :D 2 8C62E 2=E6C?2E:G6 E@ E96 DE2:5 H9:E6D E92E H6 E6?5 E@ 86E DEF4< H:E9 E:>6 27E6C E:>6] q642FD6 E96J 2C6 =2C86=J >256 FD:?8 C65 H:?6 8C2A6D[ E96 7=2G@C AC@7:=6D 2C6 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 4@>A=6I 2?5 :?E6C6DE:?8] xE’D 8@@5 E@ ECJ ?6H E9:?8D 2?5 H:E9 H:?6 E96C6 2C6 >2?J 5:D4@G6C:6D ;FDE H2:E:?8 E@ 36 7@F?5]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmw2AAJ DF>>6CPk^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmk6>mw6?CJU?3DAju@J :D E96 @H?6C @7U?3DAjt>A@C:F> (:?6 2?5 $A:C:EDU?3DAjH:E9 E96 2C62UCDBF@jD @?=J H2=<\:? 9F>:5@C 2?5 4:82C =@F?86 :? 5@H?E@H?U?3DAjp=6I2?56CU?3DAjr:EJU?3DAj2EU?3DAj`ag r2=9@F? $E] #6249 9:> 2E ade]a`a](x}t[ @? x?DE2\8C2>[ u2463@@< @CU?3DAjk2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i6>A@C:F>H:?6`ago8>2:=]4@>Qm6>A@C:F>H:?6`ago8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^6>mk^DA2?mk^Am
