If HMOs Ruled The Wine World

For the longest time, I’ve always suggested that your best source of wine information is your local wine shop. The most I can do is give you an idea if California pinot noirs or Australian rieslings are worth the effort to go out an try them. If the wine world was an HMO, I’d be the primary care provider who refers you to your WRS (Wine Retailing Specialist).

Nevertheless, people still want concrete, specific recommendations and search mightily for highly rated wines. Meanwhile, they miss out on super wines that somehow fell off the wine reviewer’s radar, but could have been easily suggested by the more anonymous sales associate. And so it goes.

I bring all this up today to tell you that I just don’t talk the talk. This past summer, I started teaching wine and food classes for Cook’s Warehouse in Atlanta. Cook’s is affiliated with Sherlock’s Wine Merchant, which has a top flight WRS staff. When I do these classes, I have a specific idea of what types of wines I want, but I leave the selections to the specialists.

When I teach at Cook’s/Sherlocks in Decatur, I rely on Don Hackett, Michael Nix and Warner Lawrence. For example, with my Holiday Roasting and the Big Wines That Love Them class, I wanted to show attendees proper roasting techniques and why wines like cabernet sauvignon go so well with roasted meats.

I asked Lawrence for a couple of wines under $20, which he had in stock, but he was comfortable and confident enough to ask: “Hey, have you tried the Pietra Santa from Cienega Valley?”

“The who? From where?” I replied.

He explained there is this obscure wine region east of Monterey, Calif., that is starting to make some pretty good wines. They offer great value because people can’t pronounce Cienega (si-NAY-ga), let alone find it on a map.

This wine was so good that if it were not for my flaming sword swallowing trick at the end of the class, it would have stolen the show. So, you can start hunting for the Pietra Santa (I’ve been told there a several dozen cases in Georgia) or you can start looking for your own WRS.

2002 Pietra Santa Cabernet Sauvignon, Cienega Valley, Calif.

• $19

• Two Thumbs Way Up

• Lots of ripe, dark and red berry fruit flavors, but also a lot of smoky, leathery, chocolate notes that gives it a Bordeaux quality. Well balanced and incredibly fresh for a six-year-old wine.