There is one question that I’m asked the most often: What is your favorite wine? This may seem to be silly to you, but for someone that has dedicated a few decades of their life to studying wine it’s a question that is simply impossible for me to answer in a simple sentence. Way too many variables. This is what is going on in my mind when this question is put to me:
What level of interest does the person asking the question really have? Do they want a specific bottle recommendation, or do they want an explanation with why a wine may be a favorite?
Do they want to know my favorite sparkling, white, Rose or red? Do I just give them the answer I think they want if I know that their preference is for a a sparkling, white, Rose or red?
If I think their level of interest is high, I can go into a longer answer, while also still trying to give them what they want. Like a sommelier in a restaurant: Doing your duty as a wine educator is to make sure the student understands the answer. And that you know their palate before suggesting a wine. Which bring me to…
Everyone has a different palate. I may note aromas in a wine that you don’t, same for flavors. If, like one of my friends, you love Italian Amarone and Portuguese Port I’m thinking you want to know what sweet wines I like. Or at least that would be what I would try to give you, to broaden your wine horizons. And that would be a dry to sweet German Riesling, French Sauternes or a late harvest wine of any color.
If I’m talking to someone with a high level of interest I may explain that favorite wines are changeable due to the food you are pairing it with, the tastes of the people you may be sharing it with, your mood, the price level you are comfortable with, where you are enjoying the wine, and even what the weather may be that night.
Quick answer: For steaks I like a 20 YO Bordeaux or a 10 + YO Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. For cooked fish or pasta, I like mostly whites and depending on how the fish is prepared and served I may go for a white Rhone, Chardonnay, Picpoul Blanc, or a Rose from Provence. For specific ethnic foods I do like to stick to the wines served in the same region, when I can. Also, like my editor, I like Zinfandel with anything from pizza to chocolate.
When I’m in someone’s home I almost always sample most if not all of the wines presented and then make a commitment to one – whether or not it’s a favorite I know as it’s now the favorite of the moment.
For that quick answer, the person that just wants to know the favorite bottle, I tend to tell the story of our first visit to Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris. It was there that I had my first Bordeaux, and it was there that owner Mark Williamson explained what was so special about it. It was a Lynch Bages, that to this day remains a favorite wine memory and an equally favorite wine. It was a true a ha moment.
And lasty: how long is this person’s attention span? Because I can go on and on as you can see. But at least now I can just grab the link to this article and let them figure out which answer best suits them!
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards since 2022 (submit via https://proofawards.com) Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.
