So, wow....
Just took my first wine class. 3 hours, 6 wines, 1 nose. Phew! So much smelling my nose is still twitching a bit!
I attended "Red Wine Detectives" to help move from my position as a sewer of wine to more of a connoisseur of wine, at least reds.
It was really good for me as a beginner. At the beginning, I had a terribly frustrating time putting names to wines (6 wines unmarked, we had to differentiate based on smell and color from our short descriptions). Towards the end of the class, I had at least a better sense of how different the varietals were (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon was really quite different from the Pinot Noir).
The main varietals we tried were: Cab Sav, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese (in a Chianti), Gamay (in a Beaujolais Classico), and a Grenach blend from the Rhône region of France. We also had a sparkling red Shiraz as a sort of treat, I guess you'd say.
I think the Pinot Noir was the big surprise for me in terms of excellent enjoyment level. It was Robert Mondavi Winery (their higher label wine), 2001, Pinot Noir, Napa Valley of course.
I was very surprised at how the smells all seemed to blend together at first, but after having them described, and having about 15 samples of the smells on hand (i.e. strawberries, vanilla bean, anise, mushrooms, pepper, butter, cherries, blackberries, etc.) I could at least start to sense a multitude of smells blending together in my mind.
Wine glass note: We used very small wine glasses for the smelling, which was difficult -- especially after the instructor brought out 2 monster-sized red wine barrels, err, glasses. With the small glasses, you run out of smell before you are done smellin'! The big glasses gave a much more complete snapshot of the aroma.
Upon arriving home, I attempted to follow up on my recent education with a Merlot-Cab Sav blend, Les Terres De Benoce, a vin de pays D'oc region of France, 2001.
It was a darker, garnet red with hints of purple in it. I swear I smelled asparagus. Some cherry (of course, most reds have some cherry smell). Not woody, but perhaps earthy. Surprisingly light body, given the color and high acidity (acidity: pucker factor, salivating feeling on sides of tongue) and high tannin levels (tannin: that sort of dry, rough feeling I get in the front of my mouth when I swish it around). Very smooth on first sip, but a longer finish as you let it really touch your palate. Still a very light red for a merlot/cab sav blend.
Dang, I could get to love this "wine vocabulary" crap!
All around a pleasant experience, and really a way to delve into the depths of wines and begin to tell them apart. I've put a special cap on the wine for the night to remove the air, so we'll see how different it tastes after resting a day.
Excelenté!
Or Cheers as I like to say.
P.S. -- This morning I tried my new nose on my Nespresso coffee. It's a new flavor for 2004 from the Yunnan region of China. What I'm finding is that upon initial smell, well, the odor is coffee. But then I sort of start thinking of possible smells: chocolate, earth, melon, etc. and suddenly I can say "Yes, that's right" or "No, not quite that smell."
Not that I'm suddenly a nosy expert, it's just a good technique to try and give your brain something to sort on. BTW - the Yunnan is lighter in color, sort of caramel, medium-body on the tongue, and an earthy, melon-y type of sensation I get.
Good stuff.
Posted by BilFish at March 26, 2004 08:06 AM