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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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COMPUT.RG
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1993-06-18
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THE WINE TASTER
By Robin Garr
The Louisville Times SCENE, Jan. 24, 1987
Hugh Johnson, the amiable English wine critic who's turned out a
five-foot shelf of excellent wine books, has gone as electronic as R2-D2, the
lovable robot in "Star Wars."
Hugh Johnson's Wine Cellar (A Wine and Food Companion) computer-software
program will turn your personal computer into a top-notch wine adviser.
It's $69.95 from Simon & Schuster Software. (You can order direct, and
pay with MasterCard or Visa, from 1-800-624-0023.)
It is currently available only for the IBM PC, PC/XT and PC/AT with 256K
and two floppy-disk drives or a disk drive and hard-disk (if you have one,
you'll know what this means); the publisher says a version for Apple IIe and
IIc (128K) will be available next month.
The program is remarkably easy to use. Instructions are clear and
precise, and almost unnecessary, for the program itself leads you along with
detailed help as close as the press of a key.
In short, it's a well-designed computer program: "User friendly," as
hackers say.
Is it better than Johnson's books?
That depends on how you feel about the new technology -- computer access
and retrieval -- versus the old -- information printed on paper.
If you want lots of detailed information, you'd still better turn to
books on paper. Johnson's "World Atlas of Wine," his "Modern Encylopedia of
Wine" and even his popular pocket-size guides contain much more information
than these floppy disks.
If you want quick answers, though, this software will amaze you.
Looking for a wine to go with flying-fish roe sushi? No problem: punch a
few keys and within seconds, Johnson will suggest a Pol Roger vintage
Champagne or 1983 Carmenet Sauvignon Blanc.
Lamb chops? Try a mature red: a Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino or maybe
an Hermitage from France.
(Some of his recommendations aren't too realistic for most of us. With
rack of lamb he suggests well-aged Chateau Petrus or Chambertin -- wines
likely to be found only in the most exclusive cellars.)
In addition to wine-and-food matches, Johnson's software offers notes on
1,000 wines and vintage information for wine regions all over the world. It
will set up an inventory of your wine cellar and print out tasting forms or a
wine-shopping list. You can combine functions to use the computer, for
instance, to get a recommendation, check your cellar to see if you have a
bottle, and add it to your shopping list if you don't.
It's a good program, fun to use, and it can make wine seem simple, even
if it isn't as thick as a book.
Don't take it too seriously, though. The program's extremely
specific recommendations for matching wine and food may lead you to conclude
that wine-and-food matching is a highly critical skill with little room for
variations.
It's not so, as wine writer David Rosengarten points out in his article
on wine and food, included in Johnson's instruction book.
"Relaxation is the first real key to enjoying wine with food,"
Rosengarten notes.
"Wine simply tastes good with food -- and this applies to the vast
majority of wine with the vast majority of foods."
I'll drink to that.
For this week's column I tasted one of the first 1984 Bordeaux I've seen
in this area: A Chateau Marquis d'Alesme-Becker Margaux ($14.59).
The 1984 vintage offers a temporary stop for breath in the accelerating
hype that's been boosting excitement -- and prices -- of these fine French
wines. A spring freeze that destroyed the Merlot crop and autumn storms that
damaged many grapes resulted in a vintage that's not expected to live up to
the excellent 1982s and 1983s or to the much-ballyhooed 1985's, which we
won't see for another year or so.
Don't write off 1984, though, or you'll miss many a bargain. Remember,
even a poor year in Bordeaux still produces much good wine, and 1984 wasn't
poor, except perhaps in the regions where Merlot is dominant.
The d'Alesme-Becker, product of a tiny but respected maker, seldom seen
in the United States, seemed typical of the early reports on 1984 Bordeaux.
As with 1980, the vintage produced relatively light wines, delicate in the
traditional Bordeaux fashion (as opposed to the richly fruity wines, more
like California than France, that made 1982 special). Best of all, many 1984s
-- particularly those in the lower price ranges -- will be precociously ready
to drink.
Chateau Marquis d'Alesme-Becker Margaux, 1984. (Mar-go.) This clear,
inky-dark garnet wine's aroma mingles cedar, pine and good wine grapes with a
faintly earthy scent as pleasant as a woods after a rain. A suggestion of wet
cardboard is a minor flaw. Its unexpectedly soft flavor and palatable tannin
make for an exceptionally approachable young Bordeaux, but I'm doubtful about
its potential for keeping. (3 1/2 stars.)
SCENE Wine and Food Critic Robin Garr judges table wines on a one- to
five-star scale determined by quality and value. Write to him with
suggestions or questions about wine and dining in care of The Courier-Journal
and Louisville Times, 525 W. Broadway, Louisville KY 40202, or send Easymail
to 73125,70.