What do an ideal cup of coffee and an ideal glass of wine have in common? To answer that question allow me to introduce Giorgio Milos (above), master barista for the high-end Italian coffee company Illycaffè. For a while Giorgio maintained a blog at the Atlantic, and in a post written on the heels of his first visit to the U.S., he took high-end cafés here to the torrefaction woodshed. Their offense? Too much coffee in the coffee. “The biggest mistake I’ve seen, “ he writes, “is the enormous quantity of coffee being used – way too much. I’m talking about 20 to 25 grams of coffee for a single espresso shot. It’s like making a mojito with half a mint leaf, one ice cube, a few grains of sugar, and a gallon of rum!”
“The right beans in the right proportions do a beautiful job all on their own,” he insists, “and this applies to French press, pour-over, vacuum siphon, and any other method, just as it applies to espresso.” His words are an appeal for coffee drinkers to learn to appreciate something we like to call the classical proportions — a kind of alimentary architecture long believed to be compatible with the human palate and digestion and traditionally considered an important signifier of quality.
In any endeavor, observing the classical proportions means organizing the various parts in such a way that each makes an optimal contribution to a humanly-scaled, harmonious whole. And what’s true of coffee is equally true of wine. “Fruit, acid, and alcohol in the right proportions do a beautiful job all on their own,” Milos might have said, and been right on target.
A big part of the wine world revolves around scores and points and top ten lists. But it’s clear that in blind tastings, where the ratings game is played, it’s the more concentrated and intense wines that make the biggest impression. “If some is good, then more must be better” summarizes the reasoning of many winemakers and their constituents.
But this approach ignores one very important detail: tasting is not the same as drinking, and the two should not be confused. In our view, an appropriately scaled, properly proportioned, skillfully crafted wine is one that (a) one can drink a half bottle of without losing either interest or enthusiasm; (b) neither eclipses nor is eclipsed by the food it accompanies; (c) leaves you feeling great. Such a wine may not be perfect, but in the moment (which is where we all live, after all) it may well qualify as ideal.
This week in the wine corner . . .
THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 3-6 PM – THE RIGHT BEANS
2015 Pianogrillo Terre Sicilaine Grillo, $21.95
2016 Togni Rebaioli “Martina” Valcamonica Rosé, $23.95
2015 Guimaro Ribeira Sacra Tinto, $21.95
FRIDAY AUGUST 10, 3-6PM – ALL ON THEIR OWN
2016 Domaine Quenard, Vin de Savoie ‘Les Abymes,” $17.95
2017 Château Payral Rosé, $13.95 #hitofthevintage
2017 P-M Chermette “Origine” Beaujolais, $19.95