If you have been reading along with me for some time, you may have noticed I like a glass of wine. Well, I like a few glasses. Sometimes the whole bottle. And if you read my posts on the wine regions of New Zealand, the wineries of the Hunter Valley, or how I spent my days in Margaret River, you will know that I learn about wine through wine tasting.
But, like me, have you ever been intimidated when handed a wine list in a restaurant? Page after page of wines of every conceivable grape, from every conceivable region. Where do you start? Some restaurants employ a sommelier, which often makes the situation worse. How to not sound ignorant. Or hint that you don’t know what you like, and want. How to pick a wine under the steely gaze of the “expert”? Go for the second most expensive option? Then you have fallen into the most common trap set by restaurants. Knowing that you will probably avoid the most expensive wine on their list, they will stick the wine they want to sell the most of as the next most expensive. You feel like you have got a better deal. The restaurant has sold the wine they originally wanted to sell. Confusing isn’t it?
For me, this confusion felt very similar when I first started visiting cellar doors. Walk through the large, old, brown wooden doors, into a cool space, greeted with a smile, and a “how can I help you?”. A sense of panic grips you as you are faced with racks and racks of expensive looking wine. You feel like you are in the wrong place. You are not ready for this. You are not experienced enough. You feel inadequate.
Well, you are wrong. You just want to try some new wines. Have some fun. Learn a little more about the wonderful world of wine. Maybe even buy a bottle to go with tonight’s BBQ. Or you need a good bottle to take to the BYO restaurant (bring your own, a very popular concept here in Australia) you have dinner reservations for at 8.30pm. But which wines should you try? Do you have to try them in order? Do you swirl your glass around? (apparently yes, with everything expect sparkling wines). And should you smell the wine, or drink it? (it turns out that it is both).
What are the big open receptacles on the counter for? Well, these are for spitting out the wine, not drinking wine out of. Don’t copy Paul Giamatti in the hilarious film “Sideways”, where a couple of mates spend a weekend in the hills near Napa Valley drinking Merlot, amongst others.
You may have seen those well versed in wine tasting do a little swirl of the stuff in their mouths. Making a little inhale of air as they do it. It is harder than it looks, and takes some practice. If you don’t want to choke on your Cabernet, I wouldn’t suggest you try it for the first time at the cellar door.
Wine tasting can be daunting if you try and follow any rules. My advice is, don’t. Relax. Look at the tasting list, which will be order from the lighter wines, bubbles and white, through the reds, and often onto the dessert wines, and port style drinks. Often called “stickies” in Australia. And decide what you want to try. If you are not driving, and preferably you won’t be, having availed yourself of an organised tour, I would suggest you try a bit of everything. Work through the list, top to bottom. Don’t be shy. And don’t be afraid. It is what most people do. This allows you to really test your palette, and work out what wines you like.
Like a lot of things, wine tasting is subject to personal preference and taste. One man’s sensational Semillon, will be another woman’s bitter Barolo. We all like different flavour profiles, and trying lots of different wines will allow you to find yours. Wine has hundreds of flavour profiles, but don’t let this daunt you. All you need to know is which ones taste nice in your mouth, and after you have swallowed. Which leaves a good “finish”? And which will you empty in to the spittoon?
Go on, get tasting. Dive into the wonderful world of wine, and leave me a comment below on what wines you prefer. I am always on the lookout for a new drop, or a new region to try.
Salud!
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