Today I took a Tasting 101 class, went to a Wine Expo, and then a wine store's tasting. It was a day of endless exploration and enjoyment, and below I am going to share some highlights.
Wine Tasting 101 Highlights
In addition to learning vocabulary, and the source of the tart and sweet flavors of wine, we were able to ask questions as the class went along. Below are some pointers any wine drinker could use.
- Which sparkling wine is dry, which is sweet?
Forget your wine vocabulary in this case, it will lead you astray. Brut sparkling wine is dry, and "very dry" sparkling wine is sweet. I know its confusing, but a professional from Wine Enthusiast herself shared this information.
- Whats the difference between prosecco and champagne?
Prosecco is from another region, and is sweeter. Only sparkling wine grown and made in the Champagne region of France can be called champagne. Other sparkling wines must go by a different name. There's no real quality difference, its a matter of taste.
- What is the deal with oaked wine?
Sometimes vintners taste their wine as-is, and they think it needs a little more flavor. When this happens, they might store the wine in an oak barrel for a short period of time. Sometimes French oak is used, sometimes American oak is used -- the decision is based on which oak would accent the wine best.
- Is wine in bottles with cork better than screw cap wines?
"Better than" is completely subjective, and as people in the wine industry will tell you, there really isn't a hard and fast standard to judge by. That being said, "Old World" (Western European) vintners are traditional and old-fashioned, and prefer corks. There are problems with corks though -- they can affect the wine's flavor, they can "cork" the wine, making it go bad, and they can break when you're trying to remove them. Finally, cork trees are extinct so its not sustainable practice to use them. In the alternative, many "New World" vintners are using screw caps or plastic corks. The wine industry continues to search for a good bottle sealant that is easy to use.
- Some foods are better than others at cleansing the palette
To really cleanse your palette between wines, use bread or crackers and water. Cheese is tempting for many wine lovers, but it can leave too much flavor in your mouth and coat your taste buds so that you don't really know what you are tasting.
Stay tuned for more information from class!
Tips on Wine Expos
My wine tasting class was attached to a wine expo that I went to. I hadn't been to a wine expo in a while, so I forgot what they are like. In case you haven't been to one, or can't remember going to one, I am sharing tips for those.
- Have a plan for your tasting
There are many wineries and wines at these things, and they get swamped as time goes by. It is best to know one of the following:
- what type you like to taste (ie: Merlot or Zinfandel), or
- a region you like to taste from (ie: France, Finger Lakes, California), or
- find a winery that has a lot of wine so you get bang for your buck (not literally)
The wine expos are swamped and there is going to be a lot of wine that you won't like. It's true. If you like sweet wine, and you're not planning your approach, you will taste a lot of dry wines. Also, you will be waiting behind people who consider it their God-given right to hog the attention of the person serving the wine, so if you're going to fight for your taste, it had better be what you like. If you don't know what you like, or you are exploring, find a winery that is tasting multiple reds and whites. That way, your fight through the line will reward you will more tastes.
- Be prepared to ask for what you like
At some wine expos, you can buy a bottle of what you like then and there. In some cases, though, you need to tell the winery that you want to buy their product, and you need to ask how you can do that. The scary truth is, very often your local store won't carry the wine yet. Don't walk out of the event with a list of wines you love without asking how to get them. You may never see the wines again!
Lessons from a Store's Wine Tasting
I ended my day of wine passion by going to a local wine store's tasting of four wines. I knew they were giving Syrah tastings, and I like Syrah, so I went. For the first time, I enjoyed all four wines I tasted in a wine store, including a white wine! Tonight they tasted three reds and one white, two from France and two from Italy. Therefore, I knew they weren't from one winery. My next guess was that they are from the same distributor. I was told that they are -- Pollaner -- as in, Pollaner jelly! My take-away from this was that I probably will like other wines that Pollaner distributes, and if so, I may one day be knocking on their door for a job!
Final Tips
This may be obvious to some, but eat and drink water if you have a wine tasting day that's this long. Otherwise you'll be so drunk you won't remember anything! You're there to enjoy wine, not abuse it. ;-)
By the time this day of wine ended, I was ready for dinner and a glass of my familiar Argentinian Malbec at home. Its good stuff!
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