Musings on Wine Tasting

Musings on Wine Tasting

Wine tasting can be a very complicated affair, when experts, also called oenologists, are challenged to determine grape variety, country of origin, and region. The French coined the name terroir which is now used around the world to describe the overall feeling that a combination of soil and climate and vinification techniques give to a specific wine region. Sometimes tasters have to reach beyond this and identify a specific winery. They need a full understanding of varietal wines named after the type of grape, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. as opposed to regional classification which identifies a wine region such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc.

To the non-expert taster, although still a complex matter, it is more of a challenge on how best to use the senses of the human body. Smell and taste along with the sense of sight are involved which requires a lot of effort and experience. I am not, in my estimation, a particularly good taster.

My first experience with tasting alcoholic beverages was as a teenager following the weekly Sunday rough and tumble of a game of football, soccer to Americans. On a neighbor's farm we would lie under the open tap of a cider barrel and quench our thirsts which was not exactly "Cider with Rosie".*

I still recall my first taste of beer and how bitter it tasted. In my beer days at the brewery we were called upon weekly to taste the beer after it was in bottle a certain number of days. I could certainly identify acetics or the vinegary smell and taste given off when the beer was overexposed to air as if the bottle top were cracked when capped. A more pleasant scent was the buttery flavor imparted by fermentation caused by the Pediococcus bacteria causing a butterscotch aroma. Though not appealing in our beer it was desirable in the Belgian lambic style beers. A similar bacteria, Lactobacillus, is often used by wine makers when producing Chardonnay which provides creamy and buttery flavors.

Local wine tasting groups have sprung up in many communities with the intention of learning some of the skills necessary to identify wines. I wonder how many of them dissolve into wine drinking affairs rather than serious wine tasting which requires much effort, dedication, and experience. Experience can mean age, and age here can be a challenge. The sense of taste lasts as we grow older, but the sense of smell decreases with age.
When oenologists taste wine they often use a process known as the five esses (S's); see;  swirl; sniff;  sip and savor.
These will be explored later.

*"Cider with Rosie" is a book written by English author Laurie Lee about life, post W.W.I, in Slad, a Cotswold village about 10 miles from my home village of Slimbridge.

Michael S. Evans was born in England, worked as Brewer for Guinness. Moved to U.S.A. in 1992. Since then has been in sales and distribution of imported and domestic beers and wine.

Now lives in Texas, semi retired. Interests include golf, reading and crossword puzzles. Maintains web site on crystal stemware, and enjoys cooking and slurping wine.

Business name. Slimbridge House.
Business URL. http://finecrystalstemware.com
Blog URL http://finecrystalstemwarenews.com

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