Q&A Tuesday: A palate for the vine

Greg Psilopoulos is the owner and sommelier of Aloha Discount Wine and Liquors in Carson City. He has spent years focusing his education on studying wine and spirits in order to help people pair and select the perfect alcoholic accompaniment to a meal.

The store offers wine tastings every Friday, beginning at 5 p.m.

Does the time of year affect what wines people should be drinking? Yes and no. If you are a fan of deep, dark reds, those aren't necessarily summer wines, but you can drink them in the summer. If you are trying to pair a wine with a steak, you probably want a red, instead of a light white wine, which is considered a summer wine.

What are the basic rules for choosing a wine?

Always drink what you like. You can't go by a magazine article or what I would recommend to you. You can't go by what everybody else says; you have to pick your own favorites.

Is there an often-overlooked summer spirit?

Definitely a lighter, white viognier. It's a great, light, floral white summer wine that a lot of people don't know about. Champagne is also often overlooked, but can be a wonderful summer spirit.

What's a good choice for new wine drinkers?

Generally, a white wine that is on the sweeter side. The best thing you can do is come to a wine tasting to sample different wines and figure out where you are at. Getting into wine can be an expensive learning experience if you pay $15 for a bottle of something you can't stand.

What's the biggest mistake novice wine drinkers make?

They listen to someone else's tastes and don't listen to themselves. I have people come in and say that they were told you need a cabernet with a steak. Well, if you are only drinking white zin(fandel), a cabernet is not for you.

What are ice wines?

They are harvested late in the fall and usually before 10 a.m. during the freezing temperatures. The fruit has been ultra-ripe and then the grapes are pressed when they are frozen so the water is ice and gets left behind. So you get more acid and sugar that remains. It's a smaller output, but it's usually very sweet.

Any other spirits that people might not know about?

Pomegranate liquor is fairly unknown. It's a spirit made from pomegranates that is either used to make martinis or pome-margaritas.

What's your personal favorite glass of wine?

The one in front of me.