SCREW U

WITH RENEGADE VINTNERS, PUNK RDCK SDMMELIERS AND ZERI PRETENSION, THERE'S ND BETTER TIME FDR DRINKING WINE. HERE ARE THE NEW RULES ? FTHE GRAPE AND HDW TD BREAK THEM Meet the WINE DUDE • Patrick Cappiello is the poster boy for a new breed of sommeliers who pride themselves on their anti-snob approach. The wine director and owner of New York's Pearl & Ash and Rebelle (and a Playboy.com contributor) wants to steer you toward obscure and deli­cious wines you've never heard of, the way your hippest friend introduces you to new bands. "You don't need to be academic to enjoy wine," says Cappiello. "Let us find something you like so you can get drinking." NATURAL • The coolest new vinous trend is natural wine, a broad term used to describe wines made with minimal to zero chemicals and that typically have in-your-face flavors. Cappiello recommends Jean Foillard and Marcel Lapierre for beginners, and Jean-Pierre Robinot for super funky, dirty-in-a-good-way weird stuff. USE 3 YOUR HOW TO TALK TO A SDMMELIER (WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE AN ASS] BE YOURSELF 7(7/ the som-melier what you prefer. If wu like j)inot noir from Oregon hut not California, say so. TALK STRAIGHT Ditch tin' wine-speak. There's no shame in silting ton think a good clianlonnat should taste like popcorn. SHOW AM) TELL Take smart -phone pictures of wines you've tried and liked, and show them to the sommelier for inspiration. KNOW YOUR LIMIT Stale your price range lo lielj) narrow down the search and keep \oitr bill with in reason. KEEP IT SIMPLE WITH GLASSWARE THE ONLY THREE GLASSES YOU NEED THEGDDD STUFF • Riedel Duverture red-wine glasses work well with white too. Save them for your fancier wines. ($24 for two, riedelusa.net] EVERYDAY DRINKING • Stemless wineglasses can easily go in the dishwasher, and they can also be used for cocktails. ($2.95 each, crate andbarrel.com] THETD-GDCUP • Using Ball jelly jars as glassware can seem pre­tentious, but add rose and a lid. and fora picnic they're genius. ($15 for IE, amazQn.com] 4 screw 5 SET YOUR SITES • The vast wealth of vino info online can overwhelm. Mere are three sites to get you started: ISIIMRTSnRRI 1 he online home ol California s egendary wine store offers real-time inventory updates and opinionated entries. kitmthnffi^^^^ Unique, hard-to-iind wines selected by top-notch restaurant sommeliers. HXQSS^Q^^^^Q it vi>u re looking tor a specilic wine, chances are you'll be able to find and order it on this vast benchmark wine search engine. 41 ALL ABOUT ABU • "Alcohol by vol­ume" is just about the most telling numberona bottle: Typically, a higher number means bigger-bodied; lower means lighter and more food-friendly. 11%—13% Best with fish and lighter white-meat dishes. 13.5%-15.5% Best with rich beef and pork dishes. 1 THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE • Nuvino's un-oaked, picnic-perfect South African chardonnay goes down easy. (nuvino.com) • This quaffable Oregon pinot noir comes in a downright manly metal vessel. (unionwine company.com) • Fuori Strada Off Road sangiovese lets you live the dolce vino in a Tetra Pak carton. (1glwines.com) WINE IN A BOX (OR BAG OR CAN] IS FINALLY GOOD Get Your DEGREE If you're drinking red wine at room temperature, you're missing out on its best flavors. Stick reds in the fridge for 20 minutes, and the alcohol, flavors and aromas will come into balance. Conversely, let white wine sit out for 20 minutes after it's been in the fridge. Super cold, straight-from-the-fridge white wine is too tight and needs to open up to taste its best. REDS WHITES MAKE THE CASE g • If you want to go deep, buying a mixed half case is the best way to learn about wine. Go to a wine shop and ask for a case mixed by grape, region or country. If your wine seller can't do that for you, then it's not a good shop. STEVEN GRUBBS (OF GEORGIA'S EMPIRE STATE SOUTH AND FIVE & TEN) ON BETTER WAYS TO DRINK BIG WINES •¦¦¦• Be selective: "Syrah isn't supposed to be big. In its best form, like Qupe from California, it's more savory and not as huge." Play to type: "Drink wine from a grape that's actually supposed to be big, such as an agliaiiiro from Italy." Grab a (classic) cab: "Go with a cabernet sauvignon from legacy Napa wineries Mayacamas or Dutch Henry." 11 SABER SMART • If you're going to open a bottle of champagne with a saber, you should do it with the proper equip­ment (and study an instructional video). This Ital­ian knife has a finger guard for extra safety. ($98, kaufmann-mercantile.com]