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| Sisters take a Saucy approach with girls' guide to wine |
Hey girlfriend, if you like the idea of personal independence, take a few moments to get a grip
on the world of wine.
''It could be your entrée to a world of greater popularity, love, sex, health and beauty,''
assert Barbara Nowak of Franklin and her sister, Beverly Wichman, from Berwyn, Pa., authors of
The Saucy Sisters' Guide to Wine: What Every Girl Should Know Before She Uncorks
(New American Library, $13.95 paperback).
It won't take long to swallow the wine tips, wine etiquette, wine buying guide and wine history
in this flirtatious book geared toward women.
The comments in the book are playful, sometimes outrageous especially about amorous pairings and
informative. You may already be familiar with ''the Saucy Sisters'' and their style from their
book about dining in Nashville (no longer in print) and their former local radio programs
where they tasted tidbits, interviewed guests and generally had a good time talking about wine
and food.
''People may be interested in wine but don't want to do a lot of research,'' Nowak says of
learning about types of wine, pairing with food, wine terms or health information.
When it comes to wine expertise for the novice, ''we've given them some ways to fake it when
they want to appear knowledgeable,'' she says. ''All you have to know are two basic wines,
pinot noir and dry Riesling . . . They go with most things.''
She also advises that you ''prescreen, preorder and pronounce'' so you sound smart. Visit the
Web site of a restaurant and check out the wine list. You might even buy a bottle of one you
see there and try it at home. You can also preorder it for a group of people by calling the
restaurant in advance. Then, when you pronounce the name of the wine correctly, you'll look like
you know what you're doing.
If you're new to the game of wine tasting, Nowak and Wichman give you several points of entry,
one of which is learning the lingo as though you were talking to a male sports fan. Example:
''racking; what he means the art form perfected by Minnesota Fats; what we know the process
of separating clear juice from the sediment that has fallen to the bottom of the container.''
For people hesitant to try new wines, tips are plentiful. ''Get to know your wine merchant so
you can trust their recommendations,'' Nowak suggests. Not all wine stores or merchants are the
same, they write, so you may have to test a few.
Once you find a few wines you enjoy, turn to page 92 for suggestions of somewhat similar wines
you might like to try. If, for instance, you are mostly a white zinfandel lover, you might step
up to a German Riesling, Chenin blanc, gewurztraminer or Vouvray.
Don't know a thing about vintages? Look at the handy vintage chart on page 62. It gives the
years certain types of wines scored well. While not comprehensive and with a box-load of
information that's a bit hard to digest, this simple chart will help you remember which years
were generally good or bad years for wine. Here you'll discover that 2001 was quite a good year
for California red and white wines, as well as for German wines and Spanish riojas.
In general, they go for the more inexpensive wines in the book. ''It's less of a risk when you're
trying new things,'' Nowak said.
The sisters also give all kinds of tips on buying and serving wine for a party, and include a
wine-and-food pairing chart which includes everything from pepperoni pizza and sole amandine to
Hershey kisses and popcorn.
The sisters' favorite wine? Champagne. ''We celebrate every chapter in our lives with Champagne,
'' Nowak says. ''We think it's an every-day beverage, kind of like that little black dress.
''Of course, we've also called it one of the sluts of the wine world because it will pair itself
with anything and it doesn't care whether it's all slathered in fat or all spiced up,''
she adds.
But the sisters don't limit themselves to just the fun things about wine.
In their research, ''We found more and more information about wine benefits, especially as
geared toward women,'' Wichman says. Although the jury is still out on some ideas, their medical
advisors, listed in the acknowledgments, agreed that drinking wine in moderation, of course
does have some health benefits from lowering the bad cholesterol to reducing the incidence of
the common cold.
''Also, we find that those people who drink wine in moderation are generally those who take
better care of themselves,'' she said.
The girls take off on a national tour at the end of the week in the ''grapemobile,''
a purple-colored van with a grape motif. They plan to visit at least 27 cities from New York
to Los Angeles over the next two months. When they are finished with that, they plan to begin
working on their next Saucy Sisters book, this one a recipe and planning book on parties.
Thayer Wine can be reached at 726-8995 or twine@Tennessean.com.
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| Saucy Sisters' $140 wine cellar |
1 bottle Champagne, (or sparkling wine), all-purpose celebratory beverage, $35.
Some of our favorite Champagnes:
- Veuve cliquot Yellow Label Brut NV, rich and nutty for $35.
- Delbeck Champagne NV, a fresh treat for $24.
- Nicolas Feuillatte Brute Gold Label NV, scrumptious for $23.
Some of our favorite bargain sparklers:
- Bouvet Signature Brut NV, a Loir delicacy for $10.
- Banrock Station Sparkling Chardonnay, good Aussie bubbles for $10.
- Cristalino Brut NV, Spanish crispness for $8.
- Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, rich fruit and color for $13.
2 bottles ''House White,'' or everyday wines under $10 such as a Riesling, white Rioja and sauvignon blanc, $20.
Some of our favorites:
- Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling, vibrant flavor for $10.
- Coppola Bianco, easy drinking for $9.
- RH Phillips Sauvignon Blanc, clean and refreshing for $9.
2 bottles ''House Red,'' such as Malbec, Cotes du Rhone or Shiraz, $20.
Some of our favorites:
- A. Mano Primitivo Puglia, dark and spicy for $10.
- Barwang Shiraz, richness for $9.
- Bodega Norton Malbec, Argentinian pepper for $8.
1 bottle ''Let's Boogie'' white, for special celebrations, $25.
Some of our favorites:
- Chateau Potelle Mount Veeder VGS Estate Chardonnay, subtle complexity for $25.
- Hugel Riesling, Alsace apples and spice for $18.
- King Estate Pinot Gris, soft and citrus for $14.
1 bottle ''Let's Boogie'' red, to celebrate with a special someone over a romantic dinner, $32.
Some of our favorites:
- Cosentino Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, earthy and full-bodied for $30.
- Saintsbury Garnet Pinot Noir, velvety and seductive for $19.
- Guigal Crozes Hermitage, Rhone intensity for $16.
1 bottle ''Wacky'' wines, a surprise, something you've never tried before, for $8.
Some of our favorite ''finds'':
- Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc, off-dry and kosher for $6.
- Station Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, character for $5.
- Duca Leonardo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, tart and fruity for $4.
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