Long live the non-Winegeeks!

What I love more about wine, are the wine lovers. 

Those who appreciate the arrival of a new wine but always have this one, their special one, to which they remain loyal and have lots of stories to share.

My point is that you do not have to care about the annual rainfall of the country of origin, the sunlight hours during the period of the harvest or the irrigation system used, in order to be able to fully appreciate a wine. Winegeeks often forget about the simple pleasures of drinking wine and they end up analysing every single sip.

Riesling Summit 2012

The non-Winegeeks often complain that they do not know how to talk about wine and when I ask for their opinion they laugh shyly and say: "Why would you ask me? You are the expert, I do not know how to describe a wine!" This is one of the biggest lies ever told regarding wine.

I like to think that a tasting process of a new wine is very similar to the process of meeting a new person. Well, yes I admit it! I talk to my wine...but please let me explain my idea. When I open a bottle of wine reminds me of shaking hands and when you pour the wine into the glass it reminds me of sitting down and say: "So, what’s your story?" Wine-relationships, this is a phrase that I regularly use and people around look me suspiciously. But I know I am right, because think about it! What is the first thing you do when you meet someone for the first time? You look at him/her trying to isolate these characteristics that best describe the person.

The eyes are the window to the soul- Appearance

So you hold your glass, you find the right angle to have the maximum amount of light and start identifying  colours, highlights, intensity and of course clarity. It seems like looking the eyes of a person; they can tell you a whole story. Let’s say you have a fresh white wine in your glass, and instead of lively green highlights you end up with slightly brown ones. You know you don’t like them but you can’t tell really why, if you are not a wine connoisseur. Same happens with people, you mostly need a quick look to describe somebody. 

All of you are able to describe the color of a wine, you can refer to many shades of yellow for instance. You see the lemons, the peppers, the herbs and the melons. You know many shades of red and rose, just feel free to use any kind of terms you want.

 

There is chemistry between us- Nose

What is the wine that can raise your heart beat and make your palms sweat? That can make your dopamine levels reach high levels? This is how you feel when you sense a person’s unique and personal scent, its pheromones. Pheromone comes from the Greek words phero (φέρω) "to bear” and hormone ,hormi (ὁρμή) - "impetus”. Researchers are still working on the role of pheromones and how they can have affect the feelings of attraction, but one is clear and simple; if there’s chemistry, you might have a good reaction. There is a clear similitude.

So, please, do not feel embarrassed to say if you like or not a wine, not even the best palette in the world can convince you otherwise. Your taste is unique and you have to satisfy your taste buds. You do not have to be able to identify cork taint or know what this molecule does.

Do not feel that you have to agree with the expert of the table, life is too short to drink wine you do not enjoy!

London in a wine glass

 

A person’s way to their heart is through their …- Palate

Well, if the previous 2 stages of the recent acquaintance are successful enough you may proceed to the real taste of it. When referring to actually tasting the wine, you are most likely to have read or heard people talking about the "body". This, I believe, is one of the most real and easy terms in wine tasting, because you can really imagine what it means. Light-bodied or ethereal and elegant; medium-bodied or full and fruity; full bodied or powerful and robust, we all mean the same.

It is a very funny and clever way to learn more about wine and tasting; just sit down with your family, friends or colleagues and feel free to express yourself. Say all those things you were beholding all this time, like "reminds me of cheddar cheese in a coffee pot"!

The joy of wine

Have fun,

 

à bientôt!