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Wine Tastings: 101

Many years ago while living in the deep South, my wife and I were invited to our first home wine tasting with other neighbors from our community. Neither of us knew quite what to expect, as we were both novice wine enthusiasts, but were very interested to learn.

There were four or five other couples present and the hosts greeted everyone at the door with a shot of something clear and ominous looking, which smelled reminiscent of turpentine, maybe even shoe polish (in fact, I'm pretty sure someone did mention the word "shine"). Since I drink primarily wine (as does my wife) and never anything I can't pronounce or identify, I surreptitiously fed mine to the house plants by the front door, which seemed to droop almost instantly.

When the wine tasting started, the host, who was a loquacious, self-proclaimed wine aficionado, explained that we were to drink each wine, offer comments, and ultimately score the wine from one to ten. He was a barrel of a man and poured heavy-handedly. It was fortunate that everyone walked to the tasting, as it became clear within a short period of time that driving would be out of the question - maybe even walking for some. Scores kept getting higher and higher as the tasting went on until almost every wine earned a perfect score (or higher), whether you could taste them or not. Needless to say...this is NOT the best way to host a wine tasting.

Fast-forward twenty years, with a dozen or so in the wine business, and I often laugh at the absurdity of that evening. A wine tasting is fun; a great excuse to get together with friends and a great opportunity to try different wines without footing the bill for each one. But after all, it's called a tasting for a reason. Here are a few tips for those interested in hosting one and how to get the most out of these events, as I have either attended or hosted many.

First, if you start the night with a cocktail (or worse, as above), you won't taste the wine that follows, as your palate will be severely numbed. While this may seem prudent if you know ahead of time that you're not fond of your host's cooking, it's not recommended in order to keep your palate fresh for a wine tasting. Secondly, just as in any professional tasting, spitting the wine is a must so you can stay coherent and be able to make good observations about the wines. For most folks, this is the biggest hurdle. While spitting in baseball is a show of machismo among other players, it's usually met with disdain or even incomprehension by onlookers. So, while we were taught that spitting is not part of gracious social etiquette, it's the norm and in fact, the best way to taste wine at a wine tasting. If it's a home party, then you can always enjoy a little of the wine after the tasting - if, of course, you're not driving.

You can start with any theme, but here are a few for you to consider:

  • Ask everyone to bring a wine (red or white) within a predetermined price range

  • Choose a specific grape varietal like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay

  • Pick unusual wines like Vermentino, Godello, Viognier for whites and or Nero d'Avola, Primitivo or Cabernet Franc for reds


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URL: http://outlet/www/wineconnoisseur0901.shtml Updated: 08/18/10 16:29:19  
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