October '07 Entertainment—Celebrity Chef Connection Column

CHEF LES KINCAID, a frequent guest on Celebrity Chef Connection, had his first culinary job at the age of 14. He has taught cooking and wine appreciation classes thru the continuing education, or Outreach department at UNLV for over twenty three years and is a consultant to restaurants and hotels all over the west from west Texas to Oregon since 1983. He has written several cookbooks with the latest, “Never Trust A skinny Chef.” He started broadcasting several radio shows and on September of 2000 created a unique wine show, “Les’ Wines & Vines, America’s first wine show that has a live audience and tastes wines during the show while interviewing the winery owner, winemaker, wine writer, sommelier or master sommelier. This is a nationally syndicated show into over 26 million households every Thursday evening from 7–8 p.m. on CRNI.net here in Las Vegas.

Chef Les Kincaid recently answered the question, “How much should I pay for a bottle of wine?” Below is his answer. (©2007 Les Kincaid)

I’m asked all the time, “Can you recommend a great wine that costs less than $5?” Or the second frequent question is, “I was given this bottle as a gift: can you tell me how much it cost?” The answers are: “NO, unless all you want is a wet tongue” and “who can put a price on generosity?” However, I can tell you how to find great bargains in your retail wine store.

Most people think they could taste the difference between a wine priced at $5 and one at $50, it gets trickier when the difference is between $15 and $30. And yet, most everyone would prefer to shell out $15 quicker than $30. However, some of the difference between wines can be attributed to lower yields in the field: by removing grapes from the vine through the growing season, this allows the remaining grapes to get more nutrients and produce better tasting wine. However, fewer grapes results in less wine that’s a bit higher.

French Oak Barrels

Many other factors contribute as well. Is the vineyard land expensive because it has a more desirable eastern slope that captures the gentle morning light rather than the hotter and harsher afternoon sun? Is it in a region famous for its wines such as Bordeaux or a lesser known area still trying to establish itself? Does the winery use expensive Wine with Gold Flecks

French oak barrels to age the wine or cheaper ones from Hungary? Did the vintner pay a design firm $100,000 to create the label and brand image instead of a company that is more inexpensive?

The materials and craftsmanship in wine differ as widely as factory-made clothing from Taiwan or hand-stitched haute couture from Paris: if nuance and quality matter to you, then you must be willing to pay the premium. However, these cost factors still don’t tell us why a $200 wine doesn’t always taste ten times better than a $20 one. As wines get more expensive, price depends more on intangible factors such as rarity, prestige, tasting scores, auction records and, of course, the winemaker’s ego.

Does that mean you need to stick to the fast foods of the wine world: E&J Gallo, Mondavi Woodbridge, Fortant de France, Mouton Cadet, Wolf Blass, Lindemans, Jacob’s Creek and Yellow Tail, among others? No. Just keep the following tips in mind when shopping:

Stick with the grapes that are a specific region’s strengths, the ones with which they’re most experienced and make their best wines. In Italy, for example, go for Sangiovese (which makes Chianti) rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. Cool climates such as northern France, Germany, Canada and New Zealand are ideal for the elegant, food-friendly wines made from Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. Hot climates like next door in California or Chile and some regions of Australia focus on bigger, bolder wines, such as robust Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Look for lesser-known, but very good, regions in wine producing countries, such as Washington State rather than Napa California; southern Italy (Campania, Sicily, Sardinia) rather than Piedmont and Tuscany: in Spain, Priorat or Rueda rather than Rioja; and in France, the Languedoc, southern Rhône and Loire regions rather than Bordeaux or Burgundy.

Seek out Old World regions, such as Germany and Alsace that have never gained mainstream popularity in America and therefore offer a great value. As well, certain grapes (Riesling, Grenache, and Mourvèdre) and wine styles like (Sherry, Madeira, or Dessert wines) have never become as fashionable as Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, but are often very good deals.

Buy the “second labels” of the great Châteaux. These aren’t second-class wines; they just don’t meet the winery’s exacting standards like its top labels. In fact, some Châteaux declassify up to half their production every year. The grapes may come from less-advantageous vineyards, or from younger vines. Still, grapes in second-label wine grow in the same excellent soil, receive the same winemaking care and are usually aged in the same first-quality oak as the great wines. As a result, they often have the same elegant style—but are ready to drink much earlier and are often only a third to a half of the price. For the stellar 2000 vintage, The Wine Advocate scored certain second labels an average of 90.2 points, not so far below the 99 for the first growths—and yet the Grands Vins sold for an average of $405 on their release and the second labels for $54. All five of the first-growth wineries in Bordeaux make second labels as do vintners from around the world: Grand Archer (Arrowood Vineyards in California), Robert Mondavi Private Selection (Robert Mondavi), Y Series (Yalumba in Australia) and Preiss (Dopff & Irion in Alsace).

With these tips in mind, you don’t need to pay liquid gold for your pleasurable wine. But that reminds me of the third question I’m asked quite often: “What is your favorite wine?” The answer: “The one someone else pays for.” Wine is Food. (©2007 Les Kincaid)

I thank Chef Les Kincaid for his time and expertise. Remember to tune into his show, Les’ Wines and Vines Radio Show on Thursday, 7 to 8 p.m., CRNI.net. To contact Chef Les Kincaid, go to www.leskincaid.com.