Wine: Graduating from the Kegger

Maybe in college, there was nothing more romantic, than throwing a "kegger." At some point, however, you grow up and look for something a bit more sophisticated. A wine website that offers all the Wine Reviews and other Wine-arama that is fit to print on the classy beverage without being stodgy is Supple Wine. Their tag line is "Screw It." I knew that you would appreciate that!

I always understood the concept of Wine Bouquet, but I never knew what "Wine Grades consisted of. I understand measures of quality but didn't know exactly what was considered standard. This particular website grades as follows:

Pure Grade		Value Grade
96-100: Outstanding quality wine		A- to A+: Can't beat this wine for the price
90-95: Very high quality wine		B- to B+: Worth just about every penny
86-89: Good to High quality wine		C+: You get a little more than you pay for
80-85: Decent quality wine		C: You get exactly what you pay for, no more, no less
70-79: Adequate, not complex		D- to C-: Your money is better spent elsewhere
60-69: Some minor flaws, not pleasing		F: Drink a beer instead
Below 60: Major flaws, not drinkable

An uncle of mine made wine recently, and on day one, it was definitely an 80-85, but after being open for a few days it was about a 50. It was lighter fluid all the way! While reviews seem a bit subjective, if done by someone who is very experienced and schooled, you can get a pretty accurate review. Where some people get confused is that the grading has nothing to do with personal preference, but in comparison to what the wine has set out to do or be.

As far as Wine Pairing, if you want to be a smarty pants and tell me that wine can't possibly go with a burger, think again. Accordng to the website, meat with barbecue sauce is paired well with a zinfandel or Shiraz. If the meat has a smokier flavor, like a burger thrown on the smoker, you would Cotes du Rhone or a Chateauneuf du Pape, which are french. Take that, beer!