Amazon.com and credit cards are dangerous things when you are home sick with the flu.  As I sat on my couch this past winter fighting an onslaught of vicious viruses I found myself bored to death with TV.   Besides, this website has sparked a hunger in me to learn more about wine.  However, not in a way you may think.   As I peruse Amazon’s pages and pages of wine related books, I find it hard to find a book that sparks my interests.  Books on how wine is made, how to enjoy wine (are you serious?),  guide to wines, how to order wine, etc. don’t receive more then a glance from me.    I am more interested in the stories behind wine;  history, people, and culture.

I order many books (I’m one of the reasons Amazon reported that it had a good holiday season).  The first book to arrive is “The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert Parker and Reign of American Taste” by Elin McCoy.    It’s a terrific book that tells a story while teaching quite a bit about wine.   I received a primer on French wine and regions.  I was allowed to glimpse at the world of futures, merchants, and investors in wines all the while being told the story of a truly remarkable man.

Before reading the book I had a strong dislike for rating wines and I was highly suspicious of those who rated them.    But after reading The Emperor of Wine, my attitude toward Mr. Parker has softened, though I still don’t care for ratings.  Robert Parker began writing The Wine Advocate because he was passionate about wine.  When he was first interested in wine he felt he had no guidance when it came to picking out wine.  The Wine Advocate is his way of remedying that situation for wine enthusiasts.  Based on  HIS palette and expertise, Robert Parker rates wine basically from 50 to 100 (all wines receive 50 points just for showing up).  

What began as a passionate hobby turned into a huge responsibility and burden heavy laden with the power to make or break a wine.   But it is not Robert Parkers huge ego or confidence that gave him that power,  it’s the lack of confidence and individuality of wine buyers.    Rather then trust their own palette the wine buyers only buy wines that Mr. Parker recommends.    The only problem is that Mr. Parker has a definitive style that brings in high scores.  This style is what appeals to his palette and only those wines that suit his particular pallette receive a high score. 

As I visited wineries to preview for the site I figured out my style of wine.  It’s the polar opposite of Mr. Parker.  My palette likes low alcohol, integrated tannins, and high acid.  I like the wine to be smooth and easy to drink while having enough acid to quench my thirst.  I like low alcohol because I can taste every little nuance of the wine.  I especially appreciate an appropriately aged wine with fully integrated tannins.  However,   I am a California Girl, so I do like a lot of fruit as well.  That’s my style.   I found it by visiting wineries, asking questions,  and paying attention to the similarities of the wines I enjoyed.

I am by no means a wine expert.  However, when previewing wineries for Small Lots Big Wines, I try very hard to focus on quality, not style.  I can appreciate the bold complex elegance that comes from a “fruit bomb.”   I understand why some winemakers use French oak and some use American or Hungarian.  Still others use new while their counterparts use neutral.   Some winemakers love a crisp un-oaked, no malo-lactic acid chardonnay, while others want their Chardonnay to resemble a dollop of butter.   Sauvignon blanc can be grassy, citrusy, or reminiscent of stone fruit such as apple and pear.  These are all individual styles of making wine.   And thank God.  Variety is the spice of life.  It’s what makes the world interesting.  At Small Lots Big Wines we embrace all styles of winemaking.  What decides whether or not a wine makes it on the site is quality.  We encourage you try all wines.  Experiment with different varietals from different appellations and different winemakers.   Pay attention to what you like and before you know it you won’t need Robert Parker or anyone else telling you what to buy, you’ll have figured it out for yourself.