Angelique Picanco: How did PTC start?

Pulling The Cork: Pulling The Cork started because of my 15 year passion for wine, the people who make wine, and people in general. A bottle or glass of wine is a great centerpiece for interesting conversation and can often be the social lubricant that helps people realize that their differences are pretty small.  Wine is a complex and amazing world that we're constantly learning new things about as we grow our love for vino.

AP: What can people expect to find on the site?

PTC: The goal of PTC is to make wine easier to understand, while educating people about all things wine related through a mixed media format of traditional posts, video and audio segments.  We taste and talk about lots of different wines from all over the world and their different price ranges via video and written tasting notes. You'll soon be seeing interviews, much like the one we did recently with wine mystery shoppers Winerazzo.com, on the site.

AP: "Pulling the Cork" sounds kind of dirty, like something parents would have caught their son doing when he was 14. Where did you come up with the name?

PTC:  Oh, it is very dirty... So dirty I can't tell you the actual origins of the name without the site ending up in your parental control software as porn!  All jokes aside, the name's origin isn't really all that sexy, but it was fun to pretend.  I had always wanted to start a wine APog, and after speaking at a conference in San Diego in the fall of 2008, I found myself chatting with a group of people who knew very little about wine. We were supposed to head out to dinner together after enjoying a few bottles I brought along, but we never made it. I mentioned that pulling the cork on a bottle of wine is the social lubricant (I like that word so I will keep using it) that leads to pulling the cork on great experiences, great conversation, and good times.

AP: In a recent post you mentioned, "The nose was blowing some sauternes like elements behind grapefruit zest, star fruit and spice." What the hell is a nose - for those of us who don't speak "wine"?

PTC:  What, doesn't everyone speak wine?  To keep it simple, the nose of a wine is the aroma it's giving off when you smell it.  The best way to really enjoy and experience the aroma of a wine is to swirl it around in the glass so the evaporating alcohol grabs hold of the various scents and lifts them up into the air.  Then, stick your nose down in the glass - sort of like you are going to snort it - and give it a good whiff.

AP: Are there other "wine words" that a beginner should know about before a wine tasting party?

PTC:  The list of terms or "wine words" associated with wine is enormous and can be very intimidating.  Learning about wine can often be a bit of a journey where you learn as you go and we really recommend this approach.  That said there are a few things you can get familiar with before heading off to a wine tasting party.  Become familiar with the most common grape varietals that make up most wine.

Generally speaking these are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Shiraz (they are the same thing so don't be confused), Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris (again, basically the same thing), Sauvignon APanc and Riesling.  The number of wine varietals is pretty enormous, but these are the most common.

Also, we recommend becoming familiar with a few basic wine terms such as:

Tannin - this is the chalky or fuzzy feeling you get in your mouth or on your tongue from some red wines.  Generally speaking tannin gives the wine structure and is key to helping a wine age well.  A wine with too much tannin can feel almost painful to drink when young, but will be more likely to age longer.

Acidity - is another key element to the chemical makeup of the wine.  Didn't know those chemistry classes from high school would pay off did ya? Wines contain a number of acids commonly found in food, such as acetic acid (as in vinegar), citric acid (lemon), lactic acid (milk, yogurt) and malic acid (green apples). Acidity can add a crisp, refreshing feeling in the mouth and make a wine's fruit flavors seem more alive and bright.  It is sort of the difference between eating a plum that is old and sort of mealy vs. eating one that is fresh and new with lots of juice that makes your mouth water.  Too much acid can make the wine feel sharp or pucker, and maybe add a sour impression to the flavours. If there isn't enough acidity the wine will feel flabby or fat, maybe even buttery or overly oily.

Aroma and Bouquet - These two terms are often used synonymously but they are, in fact, very different.  Want to impress people at your next wine tasting?  Lay this on them - Aroma is from the fruity smells that come directly from the grape varietal and Bouquet refers specifically to the smells that are present in the wine as a result of aging in oak fermentation, barrel aging, and aging in the bottle.  Drop that science at your next wine tasting and everyone will either be wowed by your knowledge or you will be the person standing in the corner of the room by yourself labelled a wine snob. You decide!

AP: That's a lot to take in! Okay, basics - what temperature should wine be stored at, both white and red?

PTC:  If you're talking storage and NOT serving temperature then the ideal storage temperature is 55 degrees for long-term storage.  Pretty much anything in the 55-58 degree range will work but you need to also think about humidity.  Humidity in your wine storage area should be between 50% and 70%.  Most wine geeks will tell you it needs to be between 60%-75% but above 50 will suffice. Anything less than that and the corks could dry out.  More humid, and you could get mould and fungus on your corks which will ruin your wine.

AP: I agree, fugus on your corks is not good. What are we looking for when we're tasting wine?

PTC: When it comes to actually tasting there are three basic things to think about - Taste, Flavour and Body. Ooh, it all sound so sensual doesn't it?

AP: The idea is sensual, but the mechanics sound a little intimidating, sort of like the Kama Sutra. Moving on. What are some specific things I should be doing to get the most out of a tasting?

PTC: To truly appreciate these things you need to follow 4 basic steps:

Put the glass to your lips and take a small sip, just enough wine to wet the insides of your mouth. Slosh the wine around in your mouth to make sure it reaches all your taste buds. Literally you want to almost chew on the wine and move it all over inside your mouth.  You may even choose to aerate the wine. With the wine resting just behind your lower front teeth, purse your lips as if to APow out a candle, but, instead of exhaling, gently draw air into your mouth through the wine. You will hear a gurgling noise as you do. This helps release the wine's flavors. Spit or swallow - the age-old question, huh? We recommend spit in this case so spit the wine into your spit cup.  To truly experience the flavors at this point you don't want to be distracted by drinking it, or the amount of alcohol as it goes down. So we say spit.

AP: Spit. Duly noted... so I follow these steps and note the taste, flavor, and body?

PTC: Yes, consider taste and touch - which are easily confused because they occur at the same time. Examine the taste and the flavors in terms of tannin and acidity, sweetness, fruits, spices, plants, earth or anything else you get when you taste. The other thing you will want to think about when tasting is the idea of body.  No, not that body - get your mind out of the gutter.  Body is the fullness or texture of the wine.  Body is easily understood by relating it to milk: Think of skim milk with its thin, watery sensation in your mouth. It is "light-bodied." In comparison, think of whole milk. It is slightly thicker and is "medium-bodied". Think of cream with its mouth-filling richness and thickness as "full-bodied".

AP: I love red wine, but I get ridiculous headaches when I drink it. Do you know why this happens?

PTC:  Could it be your drinking the whole bottle by yourself? Just kidding of course!

AP: Touché wine guy, touché. Seriously though?

PTC : The idea that sulphites in red wine cause headaches is completely false.  If you think it is the sulphites you better avoid salad bars because they typically have ten times the amount of sulphites as red wine just to keep the salad bar fresh.  You should also avoid salsa, dried fruits, packaged cookies and orange juice while you're at it.  Truth is most red wine headaches are likely caused by naturally occurring histamines in the wine that are present in the grapes used to make it.  If you are sensitive to the histamines you can avoid it by taking an anti-histamine.

AP: So, I'm gift giving. I want a cheap wine for my ex-boyfriend, a moderately priced wine for a buddy, and an expensive wine for my dad. What are your top three wine suggestions?

PTC:  This is really a loaded question.  There are so many wines in each of these categories that to pick out three is difficult and everyone has their own definition of cheap, moderate and expensive. Here are my personal selections:

Cheap: Seghesio Family Zinfandel Sonoma County - Generally you can find this for under $20 and the 2007 version was Wine Spectator's #10 Wine of the Year on their annual top 100 list.

Moderate: Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvee from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  You can find this wine for $30-$45 dollars retail and it is an excellent example of why Oregon Pinot Noir is among the best in the world.

Expensive: Assuming we are now in the price is no matter range I am going to give you two.

Penfolds Grange Shiraz - without question this is a "rock your world and APow your hair back wine".  It's a life experience in a bottle with a price tag that reflects it. For the most part you can't find a Grange offering for under $200 a bottle and these wines need to age. Chateau Haut-Brion Bordeaux - this is the smallest of the First Growth (very best) French Bordeaux producers and it is a wine, unless you are a collector or rich, that is best for special occasions.  Prices are all over the map but they are generally pushing over $400 a bottle.

AP: I recently bought my father a 2006 Ornelia red wine for $170! Why are some wines expensive, while others can be bought for ten bucks?

PTC:  I hope he liked it - that is a very good wine from a very nice vintage.  The reasons why some wine is expensive and others cheap is rather complex and often difficult to pinpoint.  Largely the more expensive wines come from wine makers and producers with exceptional reputations and histories of making some of the best wines in the world.  The quality of the grape that is used, who the wine maker is and the wine making process itself often play critical roles in determining the price.  Where the wine is from, the idea of terroir or microclimate, is also a significant factor.  Like most things, supply and demand play a huge part.  Some of the best wines in the world (First Growth Bordeaux, California Cult Wines etc.) have limited supply and huge demand, which drives the price up. The great thing about wine is that you can find exceptional quality in just about any price range and you don't have to spend a small fortune to enjoy great wine.

AP: I see. Information that would have been more useful to me $170 ago, but thanks anyways... One last thing: there are many types of wines out there, so if you had to name their main differences, what would they be?

PTC:  The main difference between the types of wines you mention are the grape or grapes that are used, when they are harvested from the vine and the fermentation process.  The difference between white and red wines pretty much comes down to the type of grape that is used.  In other cases it is all about vineyard management technique, harvest and fermentation techniques of the wine maker.   For example, dessert wines are generally much sweeter, as you might guess, because of the remaining sugar and alcohol in the wine.  Alcohol is produced by sugar so naturally the more sugar the more alcohol. The higher sugar and alcohol levels are achieved in a few ways.

AP: What's next for Pulling The Cork?

PTC: Stay tuned for some exciting newness coming to Pulling The Cork where we will be hosting virtual wine tastings and offering a new collection of millennial Gen Y and Gen X wine tasters who are going to turn traditional wine tasting on its head.

For more visit www.pullingthecork.com