We realized we have answered thousands of questions from readers, but the same ones keep coming up. Here we offer answers to our 11 most-asked questions, in condensed form.
我們已經(jīng)解答過(guò)讀者關(guān)于葡萄酒所提出的成千上萬(wàn)個(gè)問(wèn)題,但同樣的問(wèn)題還是層出不窮。在這里,我們對(duì)11個(gè)出現(xiàn)頻率最多的問(wèn)題給予簡(jiǎn)練的回答。
In each case, the answer could be far more extensive, with all sorts of to-be-sures and howevers - in fact, in every case we have written at least one entire column on the issue over the years. But if we had to answer in about 100 words or less, this is what we'd say. They are listed from the 11th-most-asked to the most asked. Don't peek.
每個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案都可以更為詳盡,包括各種常識(shí)和例外等等──事實(shí)上,這么多年來(lái),針對(duì)每個(gè)問(wèn)題我們都至少寫過(guò)一篇專欄文章加以闡述,但如果要在100個(gè)字以內(nèi)做出回答,那下面就是我們的答案。這11個(gè)常見問(wèn)題按出現(xiàn)頻率由低到高排列,一個(gè)一個(gè)來(lái),別急著偷看最后那個(gè)。
You can find more comprehensive answers to many of these questions and others in other areas of this How-to Guide.
當(dāng)然,可以在品酒指南專欄的其他文章中找到有關(guān)下列問(wèn)題的更詳盡的解答。
11. What's the best glass?
11、什么杯子喝葡萄酒最合適?
We prefer a large glass - around 20 to 22 ounces is good - because it feels generous in our hands and we can swirl around the small amount we pour into it. Look for clear, thin glass; a long stem; and a slight curve inward at the top. We prefer inexpensive glasses so we don't worry about breaking them. Over the years, we have found good glasses at a wide variety of stores, including Pier 1 and Costco (though we haven't seen our favorites at either place recently). Vino Grande Burgundy from Spiegelau, which is owned by Riedel, is our everyday glass.
我們喜歡大一點(diǎn)的葡萄酒杯,重量在20到22盎司比較適宜,因?yàn)槟菢邮指泻芎茫軄?lái)回旋轉(zhuǎn)杯中倒入的少量葡萄酒。要找那種透明度高、杯壁薄、杯腳長(zhǎng)、杯口微微收攏的杯子,價(jià)格不要太貴,免得打碎了心疼。這些年來(lái),我們?cè)诤芏嗌痰甓及l(fā)現(xiàn)不少好杯子,比如Pier 1和Costco連鎖超市等(但這兩個(gè)地方最近都買不到我們最青睞的那些酒杯).奧地利力多公司旗下的德國(guó)詩(shī)杯客樂(lè)出品的勃艮蒂杯是我們品酒的日常用具。
10. Where are the best values coming from these days?
10、目前性價(jià)比最高的葡萄酒產(chǎn)自哪里?
This has leaped onto this list in the past year, for obvious reasons. If we had to answer in one word, it would be this: Chile. Look especially for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. But Argentina (especially Malbec), New Zealand (especially Sauvignon Blanc) and South Africa (also Sauvignon Blanc) are good bets, too.
去年這個(gè)問(wèn)題一躍進(jìn)入前11大榜單,原因當(dāng)然顯而易見。如果用一個(gè)詞來(lái)回答的話,那個(gè)詞就是:智利。智利的赤霞珠和長(zhǎng)相思白葡萄酒特別好。不過(guò),阿根廷、新西蘭和南非的葡萄酒都是不錯(cuò)的選擇,尤其是阿根廷的馬爾白克紅葡萄酒,以及新西蘭和南非的長(zhǎng)相思白葡萄酒。
9. What wines should I serve at a party (or to any large gathering)?
9、開派對(duì)(或任何大型聚會(huì))時(shí)應(yīng)該選什么葡萄酒?
For a white, Chilean or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a winner. For a red, we used to recommend one of the cru Beaujolais (such as Fleurie) and we still like that advice, but Argentina's Malbec is so popular right now and so widely enjoyed that we'd recommend that instead. If you are looking for an affordable bubbly for a group, it's hard to go wrong with Cava from Spain.
如果選白葡萄酒,智利或新西蘭的長(zhǎng)相思最好。如果選紅葡萄酒,我們以前推薦過(guò)薄若來(lái)列級(jí)(cru Beaujolais,薄若來(lái)的最高級(jí)法定產(chǎn)區(qū)),比如弗俐葉紅酒,如今也沒有改變觀點(diǎn);但阿根廷的馬爾白克現(xiàn)在非常熱門,很多人都愛喝,因此我們改為推薦這個(gè)品種。如果你想找一款物美價(jià)廉的氣泡酒,那么選擇西班牙的卡瓦酒應(yīng)該沒錯(cuò)。
8. How do I remove labels?
8、怎么把酒瓶上的商標(biāo)揭下來(lái)?
We're thrilled to be asked this so often because it means people are drinking wines they want to remember. You could take a digital picture, of course. But if you want to remove the actual label (as we do), most labels these days work with the oven method: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Turn it off. Put the empty bottle in for a few minutes until it gets really hot. Wearing serious oven mitts, carefully remove the bottle, lift a corner of the label with a fingernail or a knife and peel right off. (Some labels still need to be boiled off, so we try that next, after the bottle has cooled. If all else fails, many wine stores sell large, sticky strips that basically peel the label off.)
這個(gè)問(wèn)題經(jīng)常出現(xiàn),讓我們感到激動(dòng),因?yàn)檫@意味著人們覺得現(xiàn)在喝的葡萄酒值得記住名字。當(dāng)然,你可以拍一張數(shù)碼照片;但如果想揭下酒瓶的商標(biāo)(我們就這么做),如今的商標(biāo)大多可以用"烘烤法"解決:加熱烤箱至350華氏度(約177攝氏度),然后關(guān)掉烤箱,把空酒瓶放進(jìn)去幾分鐘,讓它變得很熱,戴上烤箱手套小心取出瓶子,用指甲或小刀挑開商標(biāo)的一角,直接揭下即可。(有些商標(biāo)比較頑固,如果烘烤法不行,就等瓶子冷卻后,用水煮一下。如果所有方法都無(wú)效,很多葡萄酒專賣店出售一些大貼紙,可以直接把商標(biāo)揭下來(lái)。)
7. Should I decant?
7、葡萄酒喝的時(shí)候需要換瓶嗎?
Generally, no - at least, not at first. We enjoy tasting a wine from the first sip to the last and it will get plenty of air in those big glasses while we swirl. If we taste a wine and it's so tight that it needs decanting, we can decant; if we decant first and then find that the wine lost some fruit to the air, there's no going back. (Of course, if a wine needs to be separated from sediment, that's another matter.)
一般來(lái)說(shuō)不需要,至少一開始不必?fù)Q瓶。我們喜歡一口口把酒喝完,那么葡萄酒在大杯中打旋的過(guò)程能接觸到充足的空氣,用不著換瓶醒酒。如果嘗一口后覺得酒味過(guò)于澀,需要"呼吸"一下,那么就可以換瓶。假如一開始就去醒酒,結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)葡萄酒的一些果味流失在空氣之中,那就沒有后悔藥可吃了。(當(dāng)然,如果換瓶的目的是為了過(guò)濾陳酒里的沉淀物,那是另外一回事。)
6. Do I have to store my wine in a temperature-controlled cellar?
6、必須把葡萄酒存放在恒溫酒窖中嗎?
If you simply want to keep a mixed case of wine around the house for a short time - and you should - find a place in the dark with a fairly constant, moderate temperature. The bottom of a closet is often fine. If you have fine wine you want to store for longer, get one of those wine refrigerators. They are more affordable, available and space-efficient than ever and they're worth it. If you want to lay down a bottle in that temperature-controlled cellar for your newborn - and this is also a question we're often asked - we'd suggest Sauternes.
如果你把不同品牌的葡萄酒放在一個(gè)盒子里,打算在家放置比較短的時(shí)間(你也應(yīng)該這么做),那只要找一個(gè)避光、溫度相對(duì)穩(wěn)定適宜的地方就行,柜子角落往往是不錯(cuò)的選擇。如果你有很好的葡萄酒,想保存時(shí)間長(zhǎng)一點(diǎn),那就買一款葡萄酒冰柜,價(jià)格不算貴,而且不占地方,可謂物超其值。如果你想為剛出生的寶寶在酒窖里存放一款葡萄酒,等他長(zhǎng)大后再喝 ─這也是一個(gè)常見的問(wèn)題─那我推薦法國(guó)蘇特恩白葡萄酒。
6a. What is the correct cellar temperature, and do whites and reds need to be different?
6a、正確的酒窖溫度是多少,白葡萄酒和紅葡萄酒的保存溫度有無(wú)區(qū)別?
Classic cellar temperature is about 55 degrees. We keep reds and whites at about 57 because we find that it's a good starting point for serving both. Most reds are served too warm and most whites are served too cold, especially at restaurants. We might want to chill our whites a bit more or warm our reds by leaving them on the table as we sip them, but 57 is a good starting point.
酒窖溫度一般控制在55華氏度左右(約13攝氏度),我們存放紅葡萄酒和白葡萄酒的溫度一般在57華氏度左右(約14攝氏度),因?yàn)槲覀儼l(fā)現(xiàn)這對(duì)兩者來(lái)說(shuō)都是比較適宜的上酒溫度。在大多數(shù)場(chǎng)合下,紅葡萄酒的上酒溫度太高,白葡萄酒的上酒溫度過(guò)低,餐廳上酒時(shí)尤其如此。如果把57華氏度作為起始溫度,白葡萄酒可能需要再冷卻一點(diǎn)點(diǎn),而紅葡萄酒則需要放在桌上等一下,讓它變暖一些,但總的來(lái)說(shuō),這個(gè)起始溫度不錯(cuò)。
5. I want to find a bottle I had at a restaurant (or that I read about); how do I get it?
5、我想找一瓶在餐廳喝過(guò)(或在文章上看過(guò))的葡萄酒,怎么才能找到?
Try wine-searcher.com, wineaccess.com and winezap.com. Chances are you will find it. Even if it is not listed for sale at a local wine shop, you might be able to have it delivered from a faraway store. If you can't do that, perhaps because of local laws, try calling a store that has it and asking the merchant to look at the label and give you the name of the distributor, whom you can call. This is one of many reasons you should have a good local wine merchant, because he or she can help find it.
你可以去wine-searcher.com、 wineaccess.com和winezap.com這幾個(gè)網(wǎng)站試試,應(yīng)該能找到。此外,即使有一款酒不在當(dāng)?shù)仄咸丫茖Yu店的庫(kù)存清單中,說(shuō)不定也能從更遠(yuǎn)的店里調(diào)貨過(guò)來(lái)。如果出于當(dāng)?shù)胤傻纫蛩責(zé)o法調(diào)貨,你也可以試著給葡萄酒專賣店打電話,讓店員幫你看看酒瓶上的商標(biāo),把分銷商的電話告訴你,然后你直接跟分銷商聯(lián)系。葡萄酒愛好者希望本地有一家好的專賣店,原因有很多種,而這就是其中之一,因?yàn)榈陠T能幫你找到一款難以尋覓的葡萄酒。
4. I love X wine; what do you think of it?
4、我喜歡某某葡萄酒,你們覺得如何?
We're surprised how often we are asked this. Our answer is: It doesn't matter. We think you should drink the wines you love and love the wines you drink. Don't let anyone, including us, tell you what's good and what isn't. In fact, though, this does touch on a very good and much more important question, one that you should regularly pose to that helpful wine merchant you need to find: I love X wine; what else do you have in your store that I might like at around the same price? That's how great wine journeys get started.
這個(gè)問(wèn)題出現(xiàn)的頻率之高讓我們感到驚訝。對(duì)此的回答是:我們的觀點(diǎn)并不重要,你應(yīng)該喝自己喜歡的葡萄酒,并喜歡自己喝的葡萄酒,而不必讓包括我們?cè)趦?nèi)的任何人告訴你什么是好酒,什么不是。其實(shí),這個(gè)問(wèn)題可以引申出另一個(gè)很好的問(wèn)題,而且對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)重要得多。你應(yīng)該經(jīng)常向那個(gè)你最好能夠有幸發(fā)現(xiàn)的熱心店員詢問(wèn):我喜歡某某葡萄酒,你們店里有沒有相同價(jià)位的類似葡萄酒,說(shuō)不定我也會(huì)喜歡?偉大的葡萄酒體驗(yàn)之旅,往往就是這么開始的。
3. Why does wine give me headaches; sulfites, right?
3、為什么我喝葡萄酒后會(huì)頭疼,是因?yàn)槠咸丫浦泻衼喠蛩猁}嗎?
Wrong. Sulfites cause very severe allergic reactions in a small number of people, even death in extreme cases, which is why there's a warning on the bottle, but sulfites don't cause headaches. Wine headaches are a serious issue, but the causes are highly personal. Some people get headaches only from red wine and some get them just from, say, German wine. It has to do with histamines and all sorts of other complex science. It really is best to talk with your doctor about this.
不對(duì)。亞硫酸鹽會(huì)導(dǎo)致一小部分人產(chǎn)生嚴(yán)重的過(guò)敏反應(yīng),極端情況下甚至?xí)滤,因此酒瓶上都?biāo)有相應(yīng)的警示文字,但亞硫酸鹽不會(huì)引起頭疼。喝葡萄酒感覺頭疼是一個(gè)嚴(yán)重的問(wèn)題,但原因是因人而異的。有些人只喝紅葡萄酒后頭疼,而有些人只喝德國(guó)葡萄酒后頭疼。這跟人體內(nèi)的組織胺以及其他各種復(fù)雜的生化反應(yīng)有關(guān),最好是向你的醫(yī)生咨詢意見。
3a. But wines in Europe don't have sulfites, right?
3a、但歐洲的葡萄酒里不含亞硫酸鹽,對(duì)嗎?
Wrong. All wines contain sulfites (it's a natural byproduct of the winemaking process) and almost all wines contain added sulfites, all over the world. It's just that the U.S. has required a sulfite warning for many years and Europe started doing that more recently.
不對(duì)。所有的葡萄酒里都有亞硫酸鹽(這是葡萄酒制造過(guò)程中自然產(chǎn)生的副產(chǎn)品),而且在全球范圍,絕大多數(shù)葡萄酒都添加亞硫酸鹽作為防腐劑。只有美國(guó)在很多年前就要求酒瓶上標(biāo)注關(guān)于亞硫酸鹽的警示,而歐洲在近期才開始這么做。
2. I'm going to a wine region; what wineries should I visit?
2、我要去一個(gè)葡萄酒產(chǎn)區(qū),應(yīng)該去哪些酒莊呢?
Whether you are going to Napa, Piedmont or Chateauneuf-du-Pape, our advice is the same: Drop into the little places you've never heard of. You are more likely to meet the actual owners or winemakers and have a better time. Not only that, but these are the wines you could never buy at home, so here's your chance.
不管你去Napa、Piedmont還是Ch teauneuf du Pape,我們的建議都是一樣的:去你從沒聽說(shuō)過(guò)的小地方。這樣的話,你更有可能遇到真正的酒莊主人或葡萄酒生產(chǎn)者,度過(guò)更加愉快的時(shí)光。此外,你還能在那里買到在家根本買不到的葡萄酒,真是一個(gè)難得的好機(jī)會(huì)。
1. When will this wine be at its peak?
酒的價(jià)值在什么時(shí)候是最高的?
First, remember that most wines are made to drink when they are released. In terms of fine, ageable wines, there are all sorts of online sources that will give you a ballpark idea of theoretical peak readiness. But every bottle is different and there are many variables, such as storage conditions and personal taste. Open a special bottle when the moment seems right to you. If you have an old bottle like those old Lafites, make a special meal, open the bottles and celebrate the memories. If you simply can't stand to do that alone, remember that Open That Bottle Night is the last Saturday of February. That's when you can join others like you, world-wide, in opening their special bottles.
首先要記住一點(diǎn),葡萄酒生產(chǎn)出來(lái)就是為了喝的。針對(duì)那些可以長(zhǎng)時(shí)間存放的精品葡萄酒,網(wǎng)上有各種資源會(huì)給你一個(gè)理論上的最佳存放時(shí)間;但每一瓶酒都是不同的,存放狀態(tài)不一樣,每個(gè)人的口味偏好也不一樣。當(dāng)你覺得某個(gè)時(shí)刻值得慶祝時(shí),就打開一瓶特殊的葡萄酒吧。如果你有一瓶拉菲這樣的陳年葡萄酒,那不妨準(zhǔn)備一頓豐盛的美食,開瓶慶祝一下美好的回憶。如果你不愿一個(gè)人獨(dú)享,那就記住每年的"開瓶夜"(Open That Bottle Night)是二月份的最后一個(gè)星期六。在這一天,你可以和全世界的葡萄酒愛好者一起,打開你們珍藏的那瓶陳年葡萄酒。