| Wine is divine or so the saying goes. To | | | | dickey is a device that slides up and over the top |
| understand the divinity of the drink of the gods, | | | | of an open wine bottle. It keeps the wine from |
| you need to speak the language of wine. In this | | | | dripping down the side after pouring. It is often |
| article, we look at unique and helpful terms | | | | called a "drip dickey." A good, practical thing to |
| beginning with D and E. | | | | own. |
| Decanter - If you enjoy red wine, a decanter is | | | | Earthy - As soon as you start drinking wine |
| something you should make every attempt to | | | | regularly, you will hear someone refer to a wine |
| acquire. A decanter is used to let a wine breathe. | | | | as "earthy". Does this mean it tastes like dirt? |
| Red wine evolves when exposed to air. Many | | | | Sometimes! The more common meaning, |
| people mistakenly pop the cork on the bottle and | | | | however, is it has an aroma or taste that reminds |
| think this is enough to let it breathe. It is not. A | | | | one of wet leaves, vegetation and, yes, dirt. |
| larger surface area needs to be exposed to the | | | | Some wine enthusiasts find dirt to be an |
| air. A decanter is a device for doing this. It is | | | | attractive characteristic. I must admit that I do |
| usually glass and looks like an elegant pitcher | | | | not. |
| angled at 45 degrees. This angle creates the | | | | Entry Level Wine - This is a phrase that refers to |
| maximum air/wine surface area. Just pour the | | | | cost, but not always quality. An entry level wine is |
| bottle in and let the breathing begin. | | | | the lowest cost wine produced by a winery. That |
| Delicate - A delicate wine is light and has very | | | | does not mean that the wine is of poor quality. |
| subtle flavors. This is important to know if you | | | | There is a general overall correlation between |
| are serving the wine with food. Food that has | | | | price and wine, but not an exact one. There have |
| strong flavors will overwhelm any flavor you | | | | been many, many tests where a $8 wine has |
| might notice from the wine, so make sure you | | | | been admired more by "gurus" than an $80 bottle. |
| are not eating or restrict consumption to light | | | | Put another way, there are many quality entry |
| foods with very mild tastes. | | | | level wines. If you are just getting into wine, |
| DOCG - This refers only to Italian wines. It is the | | | | entry level wines can be a good place to start |
| abbreviation for Denominazione de Origine | | | | when developing your personal preferences. |
| Controllata. DOCG is the highest rating for Italian | | | | Whether you are an old pro or a newbie, wine |
| wines, so you know you are getting something | | | | drinking is a good time for just about everyone. |
| good if it has this rating. There are four additional | | | | Grab some cheese and crackers, invite some |
| lower tiers below the DOCG rating. | | | | friends over and have a good time doing a few |
| Dickey - Remember, we are talking wine here. A | | | | tastings. |