BUZZ: Extra alcohol sounds like a good quality to me.
MARNIE: Wines are stronger today than they were 50 years ago, in part because we know how to make better wine and in part because we're growing grapes in sunnier places. Alcohol is a direct result of grape ripeness and so is flavor. A wine's strength is part of the quality recipe, but not the whole story. There are fine wines in the light and medium-bodied categories too.
BUZZ: Medium-bodied and nice legs. An excellent combination.
MARNIE: We're talking about wine, Buzz. High alcohol gives wine a rich, "full-bodied" texture - something we associate with fine wine but also with modest wines from hot regions.
BUZZ: How does alcohol make wine drip funny? My bottle of rye is 80 proof, but I don't see it shedding tears.
MARNIE: It's a quirk of chemistry that has to do with the proportion of alcohol to water. With too much alcohol, the liquid sheets down the glass - like with your whiskey. If there's not enough, the same thing happens - as with light-bodied Rieslings and pinot grigios under 13 percent alcohol. But swirling a wine that has 13-20 percent alcohol creates the legs effect.
BUZZ: An effect that allows a guy to flirt with a sommelier without getting into trouble.
Marnie Old is Philadelphia's highest-profile sommelier. She has designed wine lists for restaurants like Parc and Bar Ferdinand. Her latest book, "Wine Secrets," is acollection of wine advice shared by top wine professionals. Check her blog at sauceblog.marnieold.com. Buzz's musings are interpreted by Daily News City Editor Gar Joseph.
