Wine for All Season

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

``The day you open a '61 Cheval Blanc, that's the special occasion,'' says a woman in ``Sideways,'' a bittersweet comedy film about wine revolving around two guys journeying to the vineyards north of Santa Barbara.

In the film, divorced Miles drinks his '61 Cheval Blanc, alone, in a fast-food cafeteria, hiding it wrapped with papers, as he eats a hamburger after hearing that his ex-wife is pregnant, by her new husband. He had hoped to drink it for a reunion with his ex-wife to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.

In the film, the wine isn't a luxurious drink consumed in a high-priced restaurant where its vintage is as cherished as the family jewels. Wine becomes special when shared between loved ones, the film says.

Wine is Korea's new lover, the love of which is heightened by the popularity of the Japanese comic book, ``Les Gouttes de Dieu'' (``Drops of God''). But its image, for many Koreans, still remains high-end. Several ``wine pojangmachas'' (wine cafes offering cheaper wines) have closed shop whereas trendy wine bars are all the rage.

But there is nothing like wine with a variety of types and prices that can match any food in any place. Here are some tips for enjoying wine with reasonable prices.

Bargain wines

Wines of comparatively good quality at a reasonable price are called ``daily wines,'' and are consumed by people who drink with their meals almost everyday.

Prices range from 7,000 won to 20,000 won, and such bargain wines are available at major discount outlets or nearby convenience stores.

To select good wine at a good price, you should turn away from the Old World wines such as Italy and France and look at wines of the New World like the United States, Australia, Chile and Argentina.

The Chilean wine Dona Josefina Carmenere (7,900 won), a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, is on sale at E-Mart, one of the nation's major discount store chains. The wine has rich and fresh fruity scent and is not that heavy, which is appropriate for entry-level drinkers.

The Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon (7,900 won) is one of the hot bargain wines. It is also from Chile with an abundant fruity scent.

Matthew Fox, an American wine (7,000 won), is made from three types of grapes _ Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. It tastes soft and even a bit sweet containing an original scent.

But if you want to enjoy more ``authentic'' flavors, Turning Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon (12,900 won) is good for you. As ``Turning Leaf'' implies, it is a wine that is good to drink in the autumn. The wine is dry overall but has a mild tannin taste _ it is known as a wine with good balance, half sour and half astringent.

The Argentine wine Falling Star Merlot-Malbec (9,500 won) oozes the perfect harmonic savory taste of Malbec, one of Argentina's representative types of grape, and Merlot. It has a full-fledged fruity and mild tannin taste lingering on the tongue.

Tierra Del Sol (7,800 won), a Spanish wine, has a wide range of admirers, gaining popularity among bloggers here for its good quality at a decent price.

The wine is made in the Spanish Province Rioja, which is home to the production of good quality red wines. It is made with 100-percent Tempranillo, which is a native top-quality grape.

It tastes a bit sour at first, but later develops into a rich and heavy flavor. The product is on exclusive sale at E-Mart.

Mapu (13,500 won), a Chilean wine, and Sauvignon Blanc-Chardonnay, is available at Home Plus, the mega discount store. The wine is a bright, crisp white that is easy to drink and provides good value. Surprisingly, the wine's price has soared in a few months from 9,900 won early this year to 13,500 won as its reputation has spread rapidly among bloggers.

Wine Day-Oct. 14

Autumn is believed to be the perfect season to consume wine. But there is one more excuse for enjoying it _ a special ``wine day,'' which falls on Oct. 14, is around the corner. Although it originates for commercial purposes, it is good news for wine lovers to pour a variety of assorted wines in celebration of the day.

Winenara, a wine distributor, is holding an ``American Wine Festival'' in eight franchised stores nationwide until Oct. 31.

The festival presents 16 kinds of ``cult wines'' and various top-valued American wines. Cult wine is the cream of the crop among the top-class wines, which are produced only in just few wineries in Napa Valley, California over the last 10 years. Cult wine is expensive and usually worth investing in due to its rarity.

Among the 16 are the Colgin IX Estate Red, Grace Family and Hundred Acre, all scoring 90 out of 100 among wine connoisseurs.

``Through the American wine festival, we can show Californian top quality wines to Korean wine aficionados. Particularly, the cult wines with high value for investment will be introduced for the first time,'' said Lee Hyung-chul, CEO of Winenara.

Department stores will also hold various events to celebrate wine day. Hyundai Department Store will hold a special session to showcase the wine making process in Sinchon on Oct. 13-14.

Shinsegae Department Stores will sell about 40 kinds of wines for entry to high level consumers with a 50-percent discount.

For special products, 10 bottles of eight kinds of premium wines are on sale at 40-percent off.

Lotte Department Stores is holding a ``Lotte Wine Festival'' until Oct. 14, along with premium wines on sale under various historical themes at a 30-40 percent discount.

However, according to a recent survey conducted by Auction, an online shopping site, Koreans' perception about wines still remains low.

Among 3,590 respondents to the question _ ``Why do you drink wine?''_ 43 percent said that they drink just for its ``atmosphere'' _ only 25 percent said that they drink it to enjoy the taste.

Fourteen percent answered that they drink wines for social gatherings and nine percent said that they drink it because others do so. Seven percent even said that they don't know why they drink wine.

``I think when I drink wine in a bar and a quite decent restaurant, I feel quite different from when I drink soju because the drinking atmosphere is very romantic,'' said Kim Min-young, an office worker.

``And when I want to have a light drink, wine is good because soju and other liquors are too strong,'' she added.

The survey shows that many Koreans just tend to join the in the wine craze because they got caught up in the overheated wine marketing strategy.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr