Wine Lovers Enjoy Making Their Own Selections

 

If you are a fan of French red wines, fine white Italian wines, and other aged options, you will likely find one particular passage in A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles particularly disturbing. The book, which tells the story of a Count living out his days under house arrest in Moscow’s luxurious Metropol hotel, takes place during the rise of the Soviet Empire in the early 1900s. One evening while dining an inexperienced waiter announces that there are only two wine choices: red and white. In an effort to avoid the competition that often comes with ordering a fine bottle of wine, the powers that be ordered all of the wine labels removed. All of the wine is now the same price and can only be ordered by indicating red or white. And lest the reader mistakenly think that this was the end of the collection, the waiter explains that it took 10 men 10 days to delabel all of the bottles.
Even if you are not someone who knows the difference between an inexpensive sparking wine and a high dollar selection of French red wines, you understand the insanity of what the hotel was forced to do. As the author goes on to show any number of ways that the day to day life of this one Count was affected by the rise of the Soviet power, the reader gets an idea of what it was like to live through one of the most challenging times in modern history.

Finding the Perfect Rare Wine for Any Occasion Is Simpler Today
For a generation of consumers who are used to shopping online for red wine and white wine, the idea of not having access to a full menu of choices is unthinkable. Consider some of these facts and figures about the wine and alcohol industry and the impact that it has on the nation’s economy:

• U.S. wine retail sales are expected to increase by 11% by the year 2020.
• Research indicates that drinking two glasses of wine a day is linked to an 18% drop in a person’s risk of early death.
• Among U.S. wine lovers, 38% choose red as their top choice, followed by 32% selecting white.
• 90% of all the wine that is produced in the U.S. comes from California.
• How do I know when to call a personal injury lawyer?
• Total alcoholic beverages sales in the U.S. have now reached $219.52 billion.

Wine selection is an important part of many menus, both by individuals and large hotel staffs. A preference for French red wines, for instance, often dictates the menu that is served at a specific event.