A Master Sommelier’s Wine Utopia

I have been dreaming about a perfect wine world – a wine utopia – and thought it would be fun to share. It might make you smile, chuckle or even let out a gut buster! But if you lived in my wine utopia, you certainly wouldn’t want to leave.

1) All wines would be served from magnums or larger. The beneficial effect of larger bottles on the aging capacity of the wines is well known. They taste better, age longer and are overall just more fun to drink from. It’s not really that hard to find more than just a few friends to gather and help you drain two bottles’worth of really good wine.

2) There would be no faulty wines. There would be no corkiness, premature oxidation, Brettanomyces, over-sulphuring or rancid wines. Every bottle you open would be just as the winemaker intends it to be, no matter what the closure of the wine.

3) All restaurants would use Riedel glassware. Riedel glassware is the best way to enjoy wine. I must admit that I carry a bag with Riedel glassware all the time in my car. Each glass is designed for a specific grape type. If you haven’t tried it before, Riedel glasses give you 100 percent of the pleasure of the wine. The difference between tasting a wine from another glass versus a Riedel glass is huge. It’s like having your car stereo working only on one side of the car versus having both sides.

4) There would be a magic wand for me to wave over a bottle of wine in order to age it according to my whim. Five years, maybe 50, just depending on how mature I want it to be. I know there is already a widget out there that says it can do this, but can it really?

5) I would not be affected as much by the alcohol content of the wine. It would be great if I could actually drink more of what I like without getting blasted (read inebriated)! It sure would make dinners and traveling much easier. I do enjoy a good buzz, but the buzz is all I need. I definitely don’t need drunk.

6) I could transport myself to the different wine-growing regions around the world without going through security and bring back my favorites from the area. How fun would that be? No TSA, no cramped economy-class flights – maybe even no jet lag!

7) And finally, I would be able to afford whatever wines my palate and heart desire.

Notice I didn’t say I wanted to eliminate any wines or wine styles. Nor did I want everything to be the same or just one wine. Variety is the spice of life. My wine utopia allows anyone to drink whatever they want. Maybe we’re closer to my utopia than I think.

Recommendations: 2007 Conn Creek Herrick Red ($17) This new Napa Valley Cabernet-based wine is everything one would look for: rich, oak-laden, plenty of ripe red and black fruit, and a thick palate feel. It tastes more like a $50 bottle than sub-$20, and is from the awesome 2007 vintage. 2009 Sella & Mosca Vermentino ($12) This old-world jewel has a really mellow citrus edge that opens up into a beautiful array of floral and mineral-laden complexity. It’s the ultimate seafood slurping wine.