Ok, ok so as my friend Dan reminded me, its been a while. Between my wife breaking her ankle and work I haven't had much time to taste and write so one of them had to go for a while...the writing of course! Now before we get into some tasting and writing about it let me tell you about this new little fun thing we are doing at work. Much like myself there are a few people at work that love to taste and drink wine. They like most of us (yes even you who don't admit it) have no idea what the big connoisseurs of the world mean by oaky, nutty, flowery, blah and more blah. They just want to taste great wines and talk about why they taste so good. Every Friday we rotate between 4-5 of us bringing in a bottle we have discovered sharing it and then talking about it. I highly recommend this, if your job allows it of course. I don't want to get anyone drunk and of course fired.
I was asked recently what the best way to taste wine is. well that's a great question because as you are tasting a glass of wine you want to try and get everything out of that taste that you can. I have been at many many tastings and a few countries for tastings and what I can tell you as that there are many different styles people use to enjoy the tatses of their wines. From our friend Bertrand in France who sticks 92% of his nose in the wine glass in order to "experience its floral bouquet" to the owner of my favorite wine shop in Chestnut Hill, Winestone (shameless plug) who sniffs from a distance to get that hint of fruit and flower. However the fundementals remain the same. Here are your full proof tasting techniques. Do this everytime you taste a new glass of wine:
1. Don't overfill your glass. There is a reason why you are often served wine in large glasses when they only fill it by about a third.
2. Tilt the glass against a white or light surface to take a look at the color.
3. Swirl the wine around to release the flavor. 'Professionals' swirl the glass in their hand, but this can be difficult for beginners. Instead, put the glass on the table and move it (the glass, not the table) in a circular motion. The table gives you more control, making you less likely to spill the wine.
4. Smell the wine. You often hear people tasting wine making unpleasant snorting noises when sniffing their wine. This is because the smell receptors are at the top of your nose - to get a real smell of the wine, it is important to sniff hard.
5. Drink! Take a little wine into your mouth and appreciate the taste of the wine. There are two methods of getting the most out of the taste of your wine.
* Many wine drinkers swish the wine around their mouth, like mouthwash. But for others, this gives too much of a taste of alcohol and not enough taste of the actual wine.
* The other way is to suck air into your mouth. As the air passes over the wine, you get a stronger sense of the flavor. Be careful, its easy for the wine to go down the wrong way!
6. Notice the aftertaste of the wine. Some linger for a long time, others don't. Give yourself a minute before you comment. Think about the taste. Does it taste like anything you have ever had?
7. Repeat! Keep drinking until you get. Then have someone drive you home. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!! PSA
Now we will be practicing this every Friday afternoon at work and you are welcome to join! Hey I would be more than willing to come to your house and practice with you as long as you supply the wine of course. But above all remember, enjoy the process of learning and tasting and of course whats more fun than enjoying the wine!
My weekly picks (I PROMISE WEEKLY MOVING FORWARD):
2006 Landmark Syrah: A great year for syrah in california! 95 points and if you have never had a syrah before now is the time! Dark berry in color with intense flavor, full bodied and lots of complex flavors. You can find this for about 30.00, drink it now or buy a few and hang on for the next 5 years.
2007 AP Vin Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands: Ok this ones a bit more pricey but man is it good. This is for my boy Joe who loves pinot noir! Im giving this one 96 points!! a beautiful taste of fruit explodes at first taste and then softens in the aftertaste. very dark and rich. Find this for about 45.00 again a little pricier, but worth the buy!
2007 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc: In the spirit of spring and warmer weather I am going to recommend this fresh tasting chenin blanc. Consistently very good each year. Pale yellow in color and opens with a pleasant tropical fruit and citrus. I'm giving this 87-88 points for being a great everyday wine and you can get it for about 8-10.00
2007 Pacific Rim Riesling: This is a great sweet wine. Some enjoy it for dinner and some for dessert either way you will be surprised and excited about this taste. Super ripe fruit taste. An 86 point dessert wine for about 11.00
There you have them. Now you know what to buy and how to taste them. Let me know what you think or tell me in person when you invite me over for a drink, hint, hint! Either way Happy tasting!
-A
