better late than never. one hopes.
It's week 7 of my sommelier certification course and unlike my earlier autumnal promise - I have been hoarding my knowledge for myself. But no longer! I'll attempt to truncate basic knowledge into an entry before I meanderlust into regions.
Wine appreciation can seem complex and pretentious. Too many things to remember. To simplify it, think about your senses. In wine, your senses of sight, smell, taste, touch are engaged (sorry - there are no aural wines. yet.) So consider them when you try to appreciate it. I like to taste a wine in this order:
sight: what color is the wine when you tilt it slightly to your left against the light? Is it nearly clear, yellow, deep ruby, garnet, etc? remember that both red and white wines 'brown' as they age.
smell: swirl the glass on the table, with your fore and middle fingers steading the stem - rather than picking up the glass with your thumb and forefinger - you have more control this way. park your nose inside the wine glass and inhale deeply. what does the bouquet (scent) remind you of?
taste: sip a small amount into your mouth - and let it swirl all around your tongue, cheeks, roof of mouth. swallow and exhale through your nose (this is the secondary smell called seve). does the wine feel light or heavy? what flavors do you pick up? fruit, floral, vegetale, animal, roasted? (more on this later.)
touch: how does the wine make your mouth feel? does it dry your teeth, gums, mouth? or does it make your mouth salivate? does it coat your mouth? how long does the flavor last - and does it change at all?
It may seem like a lot to juggle at once, but it will come naturally, as long as you remember sight, smell, taste, touch. Or even better: point to your eye, nose, mouth, then look at your hand. and try to ignore the people looking at smart little you, a little funny.
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