Wine Tastings Can Be Truly Eye Opening Experiences

Opening a bottle of wine and drinking a glass will give you the opportunity to taste that one varietal produced by that one winery. For those with some wine tasting experience, drinking that one wine will give them an opportunity to assess the pros and cons of the wine. But, to truly experience differences in wines, you need to sample two or more wines at a time. That’s why doing wine tastings is so important in learning about wine.

The ultimate way to do wine tastings is at a winery or a wine bar that serves tasting flights. In these settings, you get the opportunity to have a couple sips of a variety of wines. And often, it can be eye opening.

At a winery, you usually start with white wines unless they produce rosés or sparkling wines which are a great place to start. White wines are lighter and more delicate in their flavors so that’s why you start there. Then, you’ll move into the red wines that have the bigger and bolder flavors.

But, the most important part of any wine tasting, whether it’s two wines or more, is the side-by-side comparisons and the opportunity to go back and “revisit” a wine. Even those with little or no wine experience will find doing side-by-side tasting interesting. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had multiple bottles opened and served a person one wine and then a second wine. And, the responses are usually the same - “Wow! I like the first one but this second one is really different!” Yes, indeed, they always are!

So, whether it’s a visit to a winery, trying a flight of samplers at a wine bar, or just opening a couple of bottles at home with friends and family, ensure that you take the time to sample the wines, one after the other, to truly understand differences in the wines and to better understand your personal wine preferences. Cheers!

Wine - It's an Experience

A friend was recently talking about wines that he received from a winery’s wine club. He had visited this winery a few years back and really enjoyed their wines. So, he joined their wine club. Every six months he gets a shipment of wine and puts them away for special occasions. A very common scenario.

But, my friend recounted, the last few bottles that he’s opened were just not as good as he remembers.

At the winery, he said, the wines were simply outstanding. They were unlike wines he had ever tasted. They had unique aromas, complex flavors, soft tannins and a finish that seemed to just go on and on. He remembers the wines were amazing!

He talked passionately about returning to the winery soon. To seeing the vineyards, to stand in the quaint little tasting room and sip wine while chatting once again with the very friendly owner. He couldn’t wait.

This is a scenario that plays out regularly with us wine lovers. The wines are often not as good at home as they were when we purchased them at the winery. Are we storing them properly? Does the wine need more time to age? Or, did we wait too long to open the bottle? Why isn’t it as good as we remember?

Or could it have been the vast rolling hills of vineyards, the beautiful winery facility, the fun little tasting room stacked high with wines aging in their oak barrels, the owner standing behind the tasting room counter and telling great stories as he pridefully poured the wine?

I can’t wait for my next visit to wine county. I know I can depend on finding a bunch of outstanding wines and enjoying every moment of the experience. Cheers!

Where You Drink a Wine Affects How it Tastes

Have you ever noticed that wines can taste really good at a restaurant, wine bar or especially at a winery? It's the whole experience, not just the aromas and flavors, that affect our sense of taste.

As I've discovered, a $15 bottle of wine, when served in a high-end restaurant (where they charge you $45 for that $15 bottle), will taste especially good. Somehow, the lavish surroundings, the great service and the wonderful company at the table just makes the whole wine experience so much better.

And, at a winery it can be even more powerful. You are typically in a beautiful setting surrounded by vineyards and being served by someone who is very knowledgeable about the wine or maybe even the winemaker. This experience can significantly heighten the taste of the wine.

This fact is well understood by the publications that do wine ratings. So much so, that they don't allow their tasters to review or rate wines at wineries or restaurants.  They ensure their tasters are in a neutral setting in order to allow them to focus only on the wine (which, by the way, they are tasting 'blind' with no knowledge of who produced the wine or what it costs).

So, keep in mind that the amazing bottle of wine you recently had at that fancy restaurant was probably made even better by all the other glamour around you. And, that's exactly what the wine experience is all about. Cheers!

Is Your Wine Sweet or Does it Just Taste Sweet?

During a recent wine tasting, one opinion given of the wine was that it was sweet. My reaction was that it wasn't sweet at all. So, how can a wine seem sweet and not sweet at the same time?

Well, as you'd expect, everyone's perception of taste is different. But, are tastes so different that one person can find a wine to be sweet while someone else can find it not?  The answer, of course, is yes. It's possible.

To understand this, you first have to understand that taste has a lot to do with smell. As soon as you smell a wine's aroma, you are detecting distinct fruit flavors. And, many of these fruit flavors are associated with sweet fruit. Think about black cherries, plums and blackberries. These are all sweet fruits. But, they are also flavors you can get from many red wines.  The wine we were tasting was a Cabernet Sauvignon and it indeed had aromas and flavors of these fruits.

When your brain senses these aromas, you automatically and subconsciously associate them with sweetness. And, with a first sip, your brain will continue you down that path as you taste the various fruit flavors. Sweet fruit flavors. But the wine, as was the case with this Napa Cabernet, had little to no residual sugar (RS).

As we started talking about the wine, it became apparent that indeed the bright fruit flavors were there, but the wine wasn't actually sweet. So, this wine had great flavors of sweet fruits, but having little to no residual sugar, it really wasn't sweet.

The wine world is a fascinating adventure. Get out and try some wines, different varietals or wines from different regions of the world.  You'll find a world of flavors!  Cheers!

Wine Q&A: Wine Tasting at a Winery

For some, going to a winery for a wine tasting is a bit intimidating. There are so many questions and concerns that keep people away, especially those who are new to wine and just learning. But going to a winery for a wine tasting is actually a perfect way to learn about wines.

Q: Isn't it intimidating to go to a winery if you really aren't a wine expert?

A: Far from it!  Going to a winery is a great place to learn about wine if you are just beginning. Your wine server is there to help you experience their wines and to educate you, if you are interested. You'll get an opportunity to taste a variety of wines from rosé to whites, reds and sometimes even a dessert wine. They'll help you to find the wine that's for you.

Q: Does it cost a lot to go wine tasting?

A: Wine tasting costs are varied. Sometimes you can find coupons for free wine tastings, or two-for-one tastings on-line, at your local hotel, or through other wineries. Without coupons, costs can be as little as $5 or up to $20. And, typically if you purchase wine, the tasting is free.

Q: How many wines do I get to taste?

A: Typically, a tasting at a winery will include 5 or 6 wines. But, if you show interest, or identify a particular style of wine that you like, they'll often pour others.  And, depending on the circumstances, they may also provide you with tastes of other wines not on the standard list, including some of their wines intended just for wine club members.

Q: So, how much do they pour of each wine?

A: A typical pour is approximately 1 ounce. That is sufficient to be able to have a couple of sips of each wine.

Q: I've heard they provide spit buckets for use during tasting. Do I have to spit?

A: No. The bucket on the bar is there if you choose to spit out the wine instead of swallowing it. It's also there to pour out the remaining wine in your glass if you are through tasting any particular wine.  And, don't feel bad about pouring wine in the bucket.  They won't care.

Q: Is there a lot of pressure to buy their wines after a tasting?

A: Not at all. The servers at wineries are not commissioned salespeople and do not provide any pressure. They are simply there to help you experience and learn about their wines.

Q: Am I expected to tip the server?

A: Not normally. But if you have someone that's gone above and beyond to give you a great experience at a winery, you can certainly show your appreciation by tipping.

So, go out and do a wine tasting. You'll find it to be a very friendly atmosphere and it can be a lot of fun. Cheers!