Letter from Boston Wine Tasting By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
ワインの試飲 雅子さんのアパート近くには、値段は高めですが、ワインの種類を多く取りそろえた酒屋があります。無料のワイン試飲会があると書かれた張り紙を毎日横目で見ていた雅子さんは、昨年末に、初めて立ち寄ってみました。

I don't know if it's because there are so many students in the area, but Allston-Brighton seems to have a higher concentration of liquor stores than other regions in and around Boston. There are at least four liquor stores within walking distance of my apartment. On weekend nights, one can see lots of young men lugging kegs of beer out of the stores.

Brookline Liquor, a large liquor store a block from my apartment, has a different feel from the other liquor stores. This store is famous for its wine selection. Given the high cost of wine, it doesn't seem to have as many students among its clientele as the other liquor stores.

I had never entered the store until a few months ago because it is shaped like an old warehouse and the entrance is not very inviting. However, I had looked at the "WINE TASTING, WED 5-8, SAT 1-5" sign every day for years, so I decided to drop by the Saturday tasting one day late last year.

I had heard that they served a selection of cheeses during the wine tastings. There was no excuse not to go: It was close to my home and free!!

Each wine tasting has a theme. At the end of the year, they served port, which is fitting in cold weath er. On New Year's Day, they served celebratory champagne. Before Valentine's Day, they will be serving "Wines for Valentines." Although these events may sound a bit gimmicky, one can tell that the proprietors select the wines carefully.

They provide a detailed menu every week, including the names of the winery owners, where and how they grow the grapes, how they age the wine and any prizes the wine has won. The notes also include the characteristics of the wine, and there are sections where one can record one's own opinions.

The proprietors choose from a wide price range, so one can try decent wines that cost under $10 (¥1,040) a bottle. The wines are served in tiny plastic cups, but a wine glass of each kind of wine is also displayed, so one can properly observe the color of the wine. Many regulars bring their own wine glasses. There are jugs of water placed around the table so one can rinse one's cup before trying each wine.

The wine tasting has become something of a weekly ritual for me. This week, the theme was "Wines from the Pacific Northwest" (not connected to any holiday). The wine-making states of Oregon and Washington are not as famous as California, but it's nice to learn about little-known wines. The store makes an effort to serve not only famous French and Italian wines, but also wines from places like New Zealand and the Iberian Peninsula. Since I'm a beginner, I appreciate getting this broad exposure.

There is also a selection of about five or six cheeses during each wine tasting. I have enjoyed many different cheeses, including a wonderful Portuguese cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's milk, which I ended up buying. The cheese counter is small, but the people are knowledgable and friendly. They are eager to give suggestions, opinions — and samples.

One of the men behind the counter is an absolute pro at weighing the cheese. I once asked him for a half-pound of cheese, and when he cut off a chunk and put it on the digital scale, it weighed exactly 0.5 pounds!!

I like the interaction I see among the tasters and between the tasters and the staff. I was chomping on some cheese when I heard a man ask a staff member, "Do you remember a wonderful cheese from a few weeks ago that started with `C'?"

I quickly chimed in, "It must have been the Chaource." I had seen it at another market only a few hours before, but I decided not to buy it then, since the village name was not the same as the one of the cheese at the liquor store. Unfortunately, the liquor store was out of stock. The man seemed disappointed, and so was I.

In addition to all of this, the store maintains an excellent e-mail newsletter summarizing each wine tasting and providing news on new wines and sales. I can't believe that they do this all for free. And I can't believe that I missed out on it for so long.

Shukan ST: Feb. 4, 2000

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