It's time for wine school! Eric Asimov, esteemed Wine Critic for The New York Times, announced a new online feature to help his readers love wine even more. The concept? Asimov picks three bottles representative of a theme, and, over the course of the month, readers can imbibe and share their thoughts. Upon the month's closing, everyone gets together to review the offerings, and suggest the next wine trio. First up? Bordeaux. Specifically, Left Bank: 2009s from the Haut-Médoc. Not surprisingly, this choice has rankled some folks, mostly on price. The suggested trio of wines add up to $147. (In Asimov's defense, he does suggest trying to find three other 09 Haut-Médocs if these are not available. Or, rather, if you find the price too dear.)
Besides price, one reader has a bone to pick with Bordeaux itself:
"Gee Eric, you could have at least started with our own home grown wines, just as a matter of patriotic pride. But then French wines have always dominated the snobbish NYC wine community." --r. thomas
Asimov retorts (not directly) on Twitter by pointing out how wine education traditionally began:
.@vinnyeng Used to be, everybody learning about wine started in Bordeaux!
— Eric Asimov (@EricAsimov) March 11, 2014
Circling back to price, I detect some mild sarcasm here:
"Tell us Eric; what percentage of the wine sold in the United States costs 50 bucks a bottle? For that matter, what percentage costs 30 bucks? What's next? An article asking us to compare $3000.00 suits? I'd continue but my butler has just come in carrying my copy of the latest issue of Town And Country." --R.L.
Some readers, though still sensitive to price, laud the collaborative spirit of the endeavor:
"Considering that this class will get the opinions of, perhaps, hundreds of people, I think it's worth it." --asanch5169
Unabashed enthusiasm sighting, and a knock on people who are aghast at the suggested lamb pairing:
"'No good deed goes unpunished,' certainly applies here. I'm a fan of this column and those who don't understand the course is about fine wine, not mainstream juice, need to relax. (I read Tesla reviews, yet I'm not going to blow my brains out because I can't afford one.) I own a wine shop and fine dining restaurant, and since I don't sell much Bordeaux in the middle of California wine country, I jumped on the web to purchase a bottle in order to participate in this course. For people with self-imposed dietary needs, figure out a pairing yourself, it's not brain surgery." --Gary Moffat
And since no one is holding a gun to your head mandating that you purchase all three with your own funds, one reader actually offers a constructive solution rather than just harping on price:
"The prices seem a bit steep to me too but if I really wanted to do this, I would try to convince a friend or three to try it and split the cost, would probably be even more fun that way." --Cantor43
What do you think of Asimov's Wine School? Would you consider getting a group of friends together for it? And do you need a recipe? We have one for a grilled boneless leg of lamb. (You'll want to choose some different accompaniments to make it more Bordeaux-friendly.)
