Questions Uncorked Archive

Hi Will,
Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. This is a question that comes up almost every time I conduct a tasting. It can be a little tricky to figure out at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself swirling everything!
The most common mistake that folks make when they are trying to learn how to swirl, sniff and taste is that they start off with their wine glasses filled with way too much wine. And that’s a sure way to end up with some sort of spill! Pour only an ounce or two of a white wine into a wine glass (I recommend starting with either water or white wine as it makes clean-up easier if you spill – red wine stains can be hard to remove from cloth or fabric). Then, hold the stem of your glass firmly with your fingers and start making circular motions with your hand. Now, 2 things to remember – 1) try to keep your hand motions smooth and 2) try to keep the motion from being an up and down one. If you go up and down, the wine is definitely going to start sloshing. If you go with more of a side to side motion it will be easier. You can make your circles clock-wise or counter-clock-wise, either way is fine.
If this doesn’t work too easily, another way to start to get the hang of it is to keep your glass on the table (as opposed to holding it in the air) and holding the base of your glass and keeping it pressed firmly on the table, you can make your glass go in small circles on the table. Just try to do this on a smooth surface – sometimes if you try it on a table cloth the table cloth can bunch up and the glass can get caught.
Once you try it a few times, I am sure you will get the hang of it very quickly! Let me know if you have any more questions!

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for stopping by the blog with your question. Your question is an interesting one. You are correct in that the only wines allowed to use the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (A.O.C.) Tavel are dry Rosé wines. Archeologists believe that winemaking in Tavel, which is in the Southern Rhône, dates back to before the second century AD, when the Romans occupied the region. The rose colored wines of Tavel were particularly well-known in the Middle Ages, as they were a favorite of King Philippe le Bel and the popes who resided at Avignon. In the 18th century, they were drunk by Louis XIV and in the 19th century, praised by writers such as Balzac and Frédéric Mistral.

When the A.O.C. laws were first being introduced in France, Tavel was one of the earliest regions to adopt the system, establishing the AOC Tavel in 1936. At that time, the laws were written that the AOC Tavel could only be used for Rosé wines from the region that were made from a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, and Carignan. Many will tell you that it is the long history of the region, the unique combination of these grapes, the warm climate, the lengthy growing season and the stony soil that have all come together to create an appellation that is only allowed to produce Rosé wines.

I will also add that the AOC laws in France are not just a random assortment of suggestions for wine production. Rather, wine growers will tell you that they are laws that have been put into effect because of hundreds of years of trial and error. Vignerons in Tavel figured out over centuries of grape-growing that their region is one of the best for rosé wines and so they stick with what they do best and they have even put it into the law by specifying the AOC for just rosé wines. For a wine to be able to use a specific AOC, such as the Tavel AOC, it must abide by the rules of that AOC. The AOC controls the production area, the grape varieties permitted in the wine, in some cases the minimum and/or maximum alcoholic strength of the wine, the yields, and other aspects of how the grapes are grown and how the wine is made. If a wine does not meet these qualifications, then it will not be permitted to use the AOC and the wine would be declassified. So a producer might be able to make a red wine from a vineyard in Tavel, but he would not be able to label it as AOC Tavel – that AOC can only be used for Rosé wines.

While Tavel rosés are great for drinking anytime, luckily for us, rosé “season” is right around the corner. So if you have never tried a rosé wine from Tavel, keep your eyes peeled – you will definitely be seeing some featured in your local wine store very shortly!

Hi Rick, Thanks so much for your question! I love your St. Vincent’s Day celebration idea! After checking in with the folks at the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), the trade association for all wine producers throughout Burgundy, I was able to get a little bit of information for you. Right now, the Grande Saint-Vincent Tournante of Burgundy will be in Chassagne Montrachet and the St Vincent Chablisien, will be held in Tonnerre. There is a new website that was recently launched that might have a bit more information for you (for now the site is only in French, I’m sure that more information will be available in multiple languages at a later date) that can be found here.
At the moment though, that’s all the information that is available. But hopefully that will give you a bit more to go on as you plan your trip to Burgundy in April. And continue to check back with the blog, I’ll be sure to post more information when I have it!

Thanks so much and have a great trip!

Sheri

Hi Jennifer ,

I’m so pleased you enjoy the blog! Your question made me laugh – one of my friends just asked me that very same question just last week! I’ll be honest – no, I do not only drink French wine. I have a deep love and appreciation for wines from all over the world. I’m a big fan of wines from Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Washington State, Oregon…in fact, when I started to think about all the different wine regions I love, making a list began to get a bit ridiculous!

It is true though, that I tend to drink a very large percentage of French wine. I chalk this up to the fact that there is such variety when it comes to French wine and also because I am always finding something new to taste (there are so many producers to discover in France!). And, of course, it also has to do with the fact that I find French wines to be so very food-friendly, and in my house, you will most frequently find me drinking wine with my dinner, so food-friendliness is key.

Thanks again for your question and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog!

Cheers,

Sheri

Hi Wendy,
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog with your question. That was very nice of your daughter!
The bottle she brought you is made from the Gamay grape and from the Beaujolais region of France. If you click on this link here, you will find an essay I have written about Beaujolais and the different wines of the region. In a nutshell though, there are several different categories of Beaujolais, one of which is Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is the wine of the new harvest. It is released onto the market on the third Thursday of November each year to much fanfare and celebration. You’ll see signs in Paris bars (and elsewhere around the world) announcing “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!” Beaujolais Nouveau is fresh, grapey, fruity and low in tannins and it is meant to be drunk usually between 3 to 6 months after release.
The bottle your daughter brought you is made by Marie-Claire and Christophe Braymand. Their domain is called Domaine de La Mantellière and it appears to have been in the family for several generations. While they don’t have a website, I was able to locate an email address for them, should you wish to contact them. It is domainemantelliere@yahoo.fr

I suggest that you open and drink the bottle you have sooner rather than later, as Beaujolais Nouveau is best enjoyed while it is still youthful and fresh. I would also recommend that you chill it slightly before drinking it. You can enjoy the wine with a variety of food such as chicken, quiche or ham. Cheers!

Hi Diana, Thanks so much for submitting your question – it is a question that I think a lot of people have, so no need to feel at all embarrassed about it! Food pairings are sometimes really tough. There are truly only a few food and wine pairings in this world that I would say are really awful and wrong - in general, this is a very gray area with few absolutes.
Your friend is somewhat correct in saying that white wines do typically go well with fish, but this is not an ironclad rule. Tannins, which are typically found in greater concentration in red wines than in whites, can be a tough match for fish, so that’s why most people will steer you towards white wines over reds. I would tend to say that a very light delicate fish would be overpowered by most heavy red wines, but that doesn’t go for all wines and all types of fish. There are certainly some lighter red wines that could make for a nice pairing with fish – not to mention that it will also depend on how the fish is cooked. And in your case, a fattier, heavier fish like tuna is certainly capable of marrying well with several red wines – I’ve paired a tuna steak with a Syrah from the Rhône many times. And I am also a big fan of pairing salmon with Pinot Noir.
In the end, I will tell you what I tell everyone when it comes to food and wine. I can make suggestions and guide you to certain pairings, but ultimately, it comes down to what YOU enjoy and how it tastes in YOUR mouth.
So next time you are having dinner with your friend, be confident in your pairing and tell her to mind her own palate.

Hi Christie. Thank you so much for your note; what a wonderful gift idea for your boyfriend! Here is what I would suggest:

For a book choice, either Côte d’Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy by Clive Coates, M. W. or New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine by Andrew Jefford. Both are fantastic and contain a tremendous amount of information.

If you go with the book on Burgundy, then I would recommend buying three bottles of Burgundy. I would look for a Chablis (some producers to look for would be Vincent Dauvissat or William Fèvre) which is made with the Chardonnay grape, and then another Chardonnay from a village in Burgundy such as Puligny-Montrachet or Mersault (Joseph Drouhin is a producer you should be able to find and he makes both a Puligny-Montrachet and a Meursault that would fit your budget). Finally, for your third bottle, I would suggest buying a red made from the Pinot Noir grape (I would look for ones from villages such as Gevery-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny or Nuits-Saint-Georges. Wines from these villages by producers such as Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin or Bouchard Père & Fils should be easy to find and fit your budget).

If you go with Jefford’s New France, then I would select 3 wines from 3 different regions in France. I would choose one wine from Bordeaux, one from Burgundy and one from the Rhône. My picks there would be a red wine from Bordeaux (something like the Chateau Cantemerle from the Haut Médoc or Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou’s La Croix de Beaucaillou from Saint Julien), a red or white from Burgundy (see above for some ideas from that region) and from the Rhône look for wines from Paul Jaboulet Ainé or Chapoutier – two very reliable producers that will fit your budget.
Let me know if I can be of any further help!

Cheers,
Sheri

Hi Archie,
Thanks for posting your question – that is indeed a tough one! I had to turn to my fellow Master of Wine, Clive Coates’ book, Côte D’Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy (which I highly recommend), to double-check some of these. I think the answer should be (in order of size from largest to smallest): Les Cent Vignes (23.50ha), Les Marconnets (9.39ha), Clos du Roi (8.41ha), Les Perrières (3.20ha), and Clos Sainte Anne (0.73ha). Hope that helps!
Sheri

Hi Alexa,

Happy New Year and thanks for stopping by the blog. Yes, that is definitely a bit of a tough issue and I had the same problem myself – somehow we didn’t finish our bottle of Champagne either! There are a number of different “old wives tales” about preserving the sparkle in a bottle of sparkling wine. My favorite is the silver spoon trick whereby you just put a silver spoon down the neck of the bottle and put it back in the fridge. I know many people swear that this works, but I have never had any luck with it. Instead, I keep several Champagne stoppers on hand which I find to be the easiest and best way to preserve bubbles. Champagne stoppers fit tightly over the top of the bottle and can handle the pressure of the carbonation. You can find them online or at your local wine shop. While you might notice a slight decrease in the intensity of the bubbles the next day, there should still be some sparkle.

And remember, if nothing else, you can always mix the leftovers with orange juice for a great mimosa the next day!

Hi Pat,
Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. I love your idea – I think it sounds like great fun! There are a number of different ways that you could approach something like this, so you do have lots of different options. Let me present you with a couple of different scenarios.

Option 1 – Bubble Party
I would suggest doing four different courses with a fifth course for dessert and pairing each course with a different sparkling wine. I would look to use a mix of different styles of sparkling wines such as one slightly sweet sparkler with dessert, a dry rose with a beef course and would even throw in a sparkler from California just to show the diversity of sparkling wines from around the world.
First course – I would look for something like the Francois Montand Blanc de Blanc (around $12), a sparkling wine from France and pair it with an assortment of cheeses and a veggie tray to get the night going.
Second course – sushi bites paired an American sparkler, you could look for ones from Domaine Carneros or Domaine Chandon. Both of these are made in the same style as French Champagne.
Third course - chicken satay with peanut sauce paired with something like the Piper Heidsieck Brut (around $35) or the Pommery Brut (should be between $30-35)
Fourth course – spare ribs paired with the Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé
Fifth course – Fruit with chocolate fondue paired with Moet & Chandon White Star

Option 2 – A Journey Around France
This would be a selection of wines from around France that would show off the different styles of wines produced there. I added a sixth course here so to include some Champagne for the midnight hour.
First course – Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley (something like the Domaine Fournier Les Belles Vignes Sancerre). I would pair this with a green salad with a white wine vinaigrette. Top the salad with slices of French bread covered in goat cheese that you have warmed under the broiler for a few minutes.
Second course – Chardonnay from Burgundy (something like the Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne “Les Setilles”). I would pair this with an assortment of different appetizers like gougeres which are savory cheese puffs, stuffed mushrooms and maybe a baked brie.
Third course – A Syrah/Grenache blend from the Rhone such as the Perrin Côtes du Rhône Villages or the Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône “Parallèle 45″. I would pair this with baby lamb chops topped with a mint pesto sauce.
Fourth course – A Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from Bordeaux such as the La Croix Bonis St. Estephe or a Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend such as the Christian Moueix Saint-Emilion. I would pair this with small bites of tenderloin and mini roasted potatoes.
Fifth course – I would serve a Banyuls (two I like are the M. Chapoutier Banyuls and the Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls) and serve it with an assortment of different chocolate desserts.
Sixth course – Champagne and a fruit tray (I would look for a sweeter style Champagne for ringing in the New Year – something like the Moet & Chandon White Star).
I hope this is helpful – let me know if you have any further questions. And also, please let me know what you end up going with – this has given me some ideas for my own NYE party!

Sheri

Hi Michael,

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. It sounds like you have been treating your La Grande Dame very nicely – keeping your storage temperature at 55 degrees is excellent. Vintage Champagne is like any other very fine, well-made wine, which means that it is wine that is typically very age-worthy. Vintage Champagnes are only made in exceptional years, and so it is almost like a quality guarantee. Now, some vintages are better than others and there are some variations between Champagne houses, but generally speaking, the Champagnes from 1988, 1989 and 1990 are considered to be excellent. A high quality wine such as the La Grande Dame 1989, especially one kept in ideal storage conditions, should be capable of aging anywhere from 20-40 years.

In terms of your bottle though, you mention that it has been stored that way for the past 8 years – do you know where it was before that? As your wine is just about 20 years old now, I think I would lean towards telling you that you should probably start thinking about picking the perfect opportunity to open it. You can continue to store it, but my guess is that you will get the maximum enjoyment from it sometime in the next year to 8 years rather than waiting another 20. If you open it soon, be sure to let me know what you think!

Hi Jill – Thanks for stopping by the blog. When it comes to finding a special bottle of wine for a holiday gift you definitely have a lot of options. My guess is that since you used the words “very special” you are willing to spend a good amount on this bottle. You can read through my blog entry for some general tips on buying wine at the holidays, but to answer your question specifically, for a really special bottle of wine there are two avenues I would pursue.

The first is that I would suggest looking for a bottle of vintage Champagne or a bottle from a top Bordeaux producer. There are some delicious vintage Champagnes out there – look for some from the 1998 or 1999 vintages or consider looking for a grower Champagne (your wine shop can help with this – tell them you are looking for a “grower Champagne” which is what we call a group of smaller, lesser known producers in Champagne who are making fantastic wine). For the Bordeaux, I would suggest looking for a wine from the 2000, 2003 or 2005 vintages – these are three wonderful vintages that produced great quality wines. I would recommend in particular looking for wines from St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien or Margaux. These are the major villages on the Left Bank in Bordeaux and home to some of the most celebrated chateaux in the world.

There is one other thing to consider though when looking for a very special bottle of wine. Ask yourself if there is a particular producer or year or appellation that holds special meaning for the recipient. Did he or she spend time in France at any point? Have the two of you had a special meal together where you were served a wine that you both enjoyed? Sometimes it doesn’t have to be a really expensive wine to be a very special bottle – especially if the wine has meaning to you both.

Hi Paula!

What a great question – and yes, I definitely have some good ideas for you. There are gifts to be found at any price point, so you have quite a lot to choose from. If the person on your list is a bit of a “wine geek,” than there is no better choice than the book I consider to be the bible of wine – Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine. The new edition just came out last year and it is the ONE book that every wine lover should own. Mine is almost what I would consider a security blanket – I’m rarely without it and have been known to even travel with it (even though it weighs quite a bit!). But it is the one book that can answer almost any wine question, no matter how obscure.

Other great gifts for your favorite wine lover are those neoprene wine totes, a good quality corkscrew, and a set of good quality stemware. And of course you can rarely go wrong with the gift of wine. I like to create half and full cases of wines to give as gifts. You can easily put together a selection of wines using my list and just add a label or a tag to each wine with my tasting note/food pairing suggestion. Or you can ask a local wine retailer to make up a selection of wines for you within a certain price range – I’m sure that he or she would be happy to help! And lastly, a gift certificate to a local wine class is always a nice idea – and even better if you decide to sign up too – then it is something that both of you can look forward to doing together. Happy shopping!

Hi Samantha,

Thanks for stopping by the blog! Yes, stemware can be confusing – there are so many different options out there. To answer your question, yes, it is definitely possible to buy just one glass that can work for both red and white wines. You want to find a glass with a medium sized bowl and a flat or polished edge to it – you don’t want a glass with a rolled rim (it might sound a bit crazy, but it interferes with the way the wine enters your palate thus changing the taste of the wine – a little wine-geeky, but just trust me).

One glass (in the mid price range) that I like a lot that I use for both reds and whites is the Riedel Zinfandel glass. I find it to be a good size (not too big, not too small) and even though Riedel makes its stemware grape-specific, I find that this glass works for a very large range of wines. My other choice for stemware that doesn’t break the bank is Crate & Barrel’s Meg glass. I find it to be very similar to the Riedel Zinfandel glass in size and it is a good shape for being a multipurpose glass. And at only a few dollars a glass, I don’t worry too much about replacing them from time to time. One thought for your husband’s gift might be to buy several of the less-expensive glasses and then buy 2 premium glasses (say a set of the Riedel glasses that go with his favorite grape) that would just be for special occasions. Let me know if you have any further questions – I’m happy to play Santa’s helper!

This is a terrific question and one that is a challenge for all wine educators. The French word terroir actually doesn’t have an exact translation in English. So, the best way to describe what this word means is “the taste of a place.”

So what does “the taste of a place” mean? Well, for starters, it signifies that there are certain factors that influence every growing area to make no two regions in the world exactly alike. For wine, we tend to think of terroir as being the combination of grape, climate and soil that leads to a unique taste in the wine.

Terroir, or the taste that a place imparts to a wine, is especially important to grape growers in France. Part of this is because in France, historically there has been less emphasis placed on grape variety and more attention paid to where the grapes are grown. In fact the appellation system (the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée or AOC system) is based on the concept of terroir – that each grape-growing region is distinctive and even within a region there can be a hierarchy of quality. The AOC system also recognizes that different grapes do better in different regions.

The argument about whether or not a wine can show terroir can start to get very complicated and philosophical. In general, the smaller the vineyard area from where the grapes are being sourced, the more you are likely to taste a certain “distinctive-ness” in the wine. Wines that are made from grapes sourced from multiple vineyards scattered around a very large area typically show less regional character or typicity when compared to wines made from grapes from one vineyard.

I think what is most interesting about the idea of terroir is that it is something that you can experiment with and taste for yourself. You can experiment with tasting different appellations to see if you can find some common aromas and flavors. You can try doing a taste test to compare wines from France and California for example, or you could try doing a comparison tasting with wines from a particular region. You could take a wine from a basic regional appellation, Bourgogne Rouge for instance, and taste it against a smaller, more distinctive appellation within Burgundy like Gevrey-Chambertin. You could even take it one step further by tasting a wine made from grapes from a Grand Cru vineyard within Gevrey-Chambertin, such as Ruchottes-Chambertin. Granted, this experiment might start to get a bit pricey, but if you had some friends to split the costs of the bottles, then it could be a really fun way to try to taste “terroir.” And naturally, there is no better way to understand the concept of terroir than to actually try to taste it for yourself. Learning is always so much fun when it comes to wine!

Hi Meche – I am so glad you enjoyed the dinner last week! It was such a fun series to do. I am indeed familiar with the Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine – it is a delicious wine. I checked wine-searcher.com and there are a few places in NY and NJ that carry it, so you should be able to purchase it for enjoying at home.

If you aren’t familiar with wine-searcher.com, it is a wonderful service where you can look up a wine and locate it pretty much around the world. It can come in really handy when you are trying to find a wine you have had at a restaurant, but have never seen in your local wine shop.

Good luck with your search and let me know if you are able to locate the Domaine de Valmoissine through wine-searcher.com or if you have any other questions!

Cheers,
Sheri

Hi Julia!
Thanks for your question – it is a very interesting one. You could have a beautiful bottle of Champagne there. The 1989 vintage, along with the 1988 and the 1990 vintages, produced wines of outstanding quality and finesse. I say could because there is a possibility that storing this wine at room temperature for such a long period of time can cause some problems. Ideally, if you are going to hold onto a vintage Champagne, it would be better to store it at a constant temperature of between 50-60 degrees.

But, that being said, there is still a good chance that the wine will be very interesting and delicious. You have a fascinating situation that very few people find themselves in, that of being able to drink vintage Champagne that has been aged. Vintage Champagnes are only made in great years in Champagne and these wines are aged on the lees following the secondary fermentation for at least three years, if not more. Once the wine is disgorged (removed from the lees), it can start to age and change – the lees help to keep the wine fresh and youthful. Your bottle will not taste like most Champagnes that you have had in the past because it has aged for so long off the lees. Now that doesn’t mean that it will be bad – it just means that it will be different as it is an aged Vintage Champagne. So you can go ahead and open it, just don’t be surprised if the wine is very nutty with slight sherry or oxidative notes and hints of caramel. It will be rounder and have more pronounced toasty and almond-y notes than a non-vintage Champagne or a younger vintage Champagne would. For a wine like this I would definitely look to serve it with some appetizers – it is a full bodied Champagne with great acidity and flavor, so serving something savory will help to enhance that.

You have a very good chance that the wine will still be very tasty and so I would definitely recommend that you go ahead and find something to celebrate and open it up. Not everyone loves the character of aged Champagne, but you’ll never know until you try it. And give me a call when you do…I can be over at your house in the blink of an eye!

Hi Jean,

Thanks so much for your question – you’ve definitely come to the right place. I’m so glad that you are interested in trying some French wines – I think you will find a lot of wines that will suit your palate!

If you go to the website, you will see a header on the right side of the page with a sun-like logo that says “VIEW SHERI’S TOP WINE PICKS.” Click that button and it will take you DIRECTLY to a list of about 50 wines that are all priced at between $8 and $25 and are perfect wines for everyday drinking. You can search the list by the color of the wine, the major grape variety, where it comes from and even by price. You will find lots of information on each wine as well as my tasting note on the wine and a possible food and wine pairing suggestion. I hope that helps and makes it easy for you to find something to try with dinner this week. Email me back if you have more questions and also let me know what wine you pick to try first!

Cheers,
Sheri

Hi Denise! Bonjour to you too! Thanks for stopping by the blog and for your question. I believe that there are French-only wine of the month clubs out there, but my ability to recommend a specific one really depends on finding out where you live! Not all states allow you to participate in a wine of the month club that would ship wine directly to you. So while unfortunately I can’t really recommend one specific club, I do have some suggestions for you for what to look for in a good one.

First off, look for a WOTMC (Wine of the Month Club) that will provide you with background information on anything they send you. You definitely want one that has some sort of educational component to it – it will make the wines really come alive and they will be much more interesting. Secondly, look for a club that focuses on sending you wines from all over France and make sure that they are going to be wines that are a bit unusual or have an interesting story to them. You don’t want to participate in something that sends you wines that you buy all the time – this is a great opportunity to experiment and have fun!

While I don’t have the name of a specific person or company you should look into, I will say that it is worth checking with a neighborhood retailer that you like a lot to see if he/she runs a local French wine club and would send you a bottle or two each month. Another good option that is a bit more inter-active, is to get a group of 5-11 people together and arrange to meet once a month. You can set up themes in advance and have people bring different French wines to a party each month. That can be a fun way to learn about French wine!

So let me know if any of those suggestions might work for you and also, drop me a line back and let me know in what state you live. Once I have that information, I will look around and see if I can come up with a good recommendation for you..

And all you French wine drinkers out there, if you have a wine club that you enjoy, drop me a line and tell me about it – I’d love to listen!

Hi Greg,
Thanks for your question – it is a very interesting one. A few years ago, I received one of those wine chillers that is supposed to automatically chill your wine to the right temperature. I was excited to try it out, but after testing out several wines, I have to admit that I was sorely disappointed by the little gizmo’s ability to quickly get my wine to the right temp. Maybe my particular wine chiller was broken, but there are actually some other easier and cheaper ways to chill a bottle of wine efficiently.

If this is a white wine that has been at room temperature, the easiest method is to put your wine in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes. If it is a red wine, then chilling it for 15 minutes in your fridge should be fine. If you use your freezer though, you should think about setting a timer to remind yourself that your wine is in the freezer, as leaving it there for an extended time is a very very bad idea. (Just a hint, but frozen wine will push a cork out and wine slush can be hard to clean up…) And you also want to make sure that you don’t over-chill your wine in your freezer. So this technique works best when you have a white wine that is at room temperature that you need to chill quickly.

The second technique is to fill a bucket with a mixture of ice and water and add in a bit of salt. (While chemistry was never my strength in high school, I believe that the salt and the water lower the freezing point of the ice meaning that the temperature in a bucket of ice, water and salt would be lower than just a bucket of ice alone.) You should be able to quickly chill a bottle of white in about 15 minutes or so. If presentation matters to you though, you just might think about wiping the bottle off after you chill it in your ice bucket.

Enjoy!

Hi Raymond,

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Unfortunately, you have discovered one of the disturbing problems with the wine industry here in the US – our complicated and convoluted shipping laws. After Prohibition was repealed in the US, each state was given the right to set up their own laws regarding the movement of alcohol (particularly in regard to alcohol moving across state lines). An interesting system of distribution of alcohol was put into place for most states called the three-tier system, whereby alcohol has to move through a distributor (think middle-man) before it reaches the retailer and the consumer. Each state has its own laws on the books about alcohol distribution and whether or not it is permitted for alcohol to go directly from winery to consumer (bypassing the distributor). The idea of direct shipping has been a subject of much discussion in the wine industry and even the focus of a court case heard by the Supreme Court in 2005. While many states now do allow some direct shipping of wine from a winery to a consumer, there are some (such as your home state) that still do not permit it.

If you would like more information on the subject or would like to express your frustration with this to someone, I suggest checking out two websites for two (opposing) positions on the direct shipping issue: www.freethegrapes.org and www.wswa.org. Both sites have a lot of very interesting information on this very complicated issue and can be a valuable resource for those looking for answers about direct shipping of wine.

Hi Dave!

Thanks so much for your question – it is a very good one and one that I am frequently asked. Overall, there are many similarities between the two – both titles are considered the highest certifications that you can obtain in the restaurant and wine trade. The best way to think about the difference between a Master of Wine (MW) and a Master Sommelier (MS) is that a MS concentrates mainly on restaurant beverage (and cigar) service while the MW is a bit more theory based and focuses a good deal more on the business of wine.

Both exams are very difficult and have numerous parts to them. The MW exam is made up of three tasting exams and four theory exams with a dissertation at the end. The MS exam also has a tasting and theory component to it, but in addition there is a restaurant service test. I’ve heard some stories from friends who have passed the MS - about some of the challenging situations that have been thrown at them during the service part of the test - and you really have to be on your toes!

I would say that both titles are prestigious and very well respected. Depending on what you do within the wine industry one might carry more weight than the other (for instance, restaurants could be partial to the MS title while other parts of the wine industry that focus more on marketing and education might look for the MW credential). There are actually three men who hold both titles. At one point in time after I passed my MW exam I briefly considered looking into the MS certification, but my lack of any restaurant experience and my lack of desire to work in the restaurant business made me decide against it. But hopefully at some point in the near future there will be a woman who obtains both credentials!

Hi Suzi!
Thanks for your question. Yes, biodynamics is a bit of a confusing term, even for those who are familiar with it. Biodynamics is based on the writings of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. If you are at all familiar with the Waldorf schools, which are based on the educational philosophies of Steiner, then you might also be somewhat versed in biodynamics.

When it comes to the wine world, biodynamics is a term that is applied to viticulture. You can almost think of it as a step beyond organic grape-growing. Vineyards that are farmed biodynamically do not use any synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. Instead, there are a number of holistic preparations that are used during the year to keep the vineyard healthy. Where it starts to get a bit confusing is that all vineyard work and all applications of the preparations are done according to the solar and lunar calendars. The use of the cosmic calendar has led many people to describe biodynamics as a bit of “hocus-pocus,” but those who practice it, such as Nicolas Joly, Olivier Humbrecht and Michel Chapoutier, are entirely serious, talented and dedicated winemakers.

Biodynamic producers focus on the vineyard as a living member of a larger ecosystem and this type of approach has certainly gained in popularity as there is more and more of a push to farm in an environmentally responsible manner. While there are several certification bodies such as Demeter, many wines that are made with biodynamically grown grapes won’t be labeled as such. While the total amount of grapes that are grown biodynamically is still very very small, the country with the largest share of the world’s biodynamic vineyards is France.

Hi Michael –

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog and also for your question. I think that is one that many wine lovers have struggled with at one point or another!

Keeping track of the wines that you drink can be a tough, but important task. There are any number of ways to go about doing it – the real key is to find the system that works best for you. Removing the wine labels from a bottle can sometimes be a good way of making sure you have a visual reminder of the wine that you tasted. The only complicated part there is that while removing a label from a bottle can sometimes be challenging. It will all depend on how the label has been affixed to the bottle. For some that are just glued on, it can be as simple as just soaking the bottle – the wet label will then just slide right off the bottle. However, some new labels and adhesives that are being used today can make removing the label a real challenge. There are clear adhesive stickers that are sold that you can press over the label and then peel off with the label attached to the sticker instead of the bottle. Either way, you then need to figure out where you are going to keep your label collection so that it is accessible and usable.

Collecting corks can be a fun thing to do – especially if you are going to recycle them into a corkboard or a trivet. However, with so many wines using screwcaps or synthetic corks, that plan can also be problematic. Screw caps frequently don’t list any information on the top and the same for many of the synthetic corks. So keeping those to help remind you of the wines you have tasted doesn’t seem very helpful!

The best system that I have come across is to keep a list on either a pda or a phone or to use a very small notebook that will fit in your pocket. I find that the phone/pda system is best as that is something that one is very rarely without. There are also several programs you can download to help you manage your notes on your pda and that can be worth looking into.

Whatever system you go with, the best advice I can give you is to be consistent about it. Keeping track of the wines you try can not only help you to get a better sense of what kind of wines your palate favors, but you will also find that it is a terrific way to learn even more about wine!

Hi Sam, thanks so much for your question! Yes, as you mention in your question, white wines are typically made from the juice of white grapes and the color of red wines does come from the skins of the red grapes. But did you also know that you can make a white wine from red grapes? When it comes to the color of a wine, it is all about skin contact. The amount of contact between the grape skins and the juice of grapes is the major determining factor for the color of a wine. Every grape has a different color and extraction potential.

When it comes to making rosé wines, there are a few different techniques that are used to make the color of the wine pink as opposed to red or white.

The first is a technique called saignée – which means that the juice is left in contact with the skins of the grapes for only a short amount of time, but long enough to extract some color from the skins. After a short period (12 hours or so is a common length of time), the juice is drained off the skins and then fermented. The result is a pink or rosy colored wine. This skin contact, although short, is also one reason why some rosé wines can have some drying tannins – one way to get tannins in wine is through skin contact. The second technique that can be used is to blend red and white wines together to create a pink wine. This blended technique is not as common as the saignée practice for making rosé wines, but it is still in use in some areas and in fact, it is one way they make rosé Champagne.

So if you were to drink a red wine made from Grenache and Syrah and a rosé wine made from the same two grapes, you would see for yourself the difference that maceration time (the time period where the juice and skins of the grapes are left in contact with each other) can make. A short maceration time will create a light, rosy colored wine while an extended maceration will mean that there is a lot of color extracted from the grape skins.

Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for stopping by. Yes, it is indeed really true that you should take boxed wines seriously these days. Many producers around the world have come to appreciate the advantages that boxed wine, or bag-in-box wine as it is also called, offer. For a long time it has been well understood that boxed wines were an efficient and economical way to package wine, but now, there are even more reasons to consider going this route. And here in the US (boxed wines are more popular abroad), we are starting to see better and better quality in the boxed wine category.

One of the big discussions going on these days in the wine industry is how to be more “green,” i.e., how to be more environmentally aware. One of the major problems that has developed recently has to do with the rise in fuel prices. Wines are shipped all around the world and that not only costs money, but there are environmental costs involved as well. When it comes to packaging, glass is a very heavy (and fragile) material – much more costly compared to aluminum, tetrapak or bag-in-box.

I think, too, that consumers have grown more adventurous when it comes to wine packaging. Perhaps what started as a closure revolution has blossomed into a packaging movement. There are so many high quality wines being packed in something other than a glass bottle sealed with a cork out there on the market. So, yes, more and more wine producers are using or considering using boxes for their wines. And if you wish you could see your favorite wine in a boxed format, consider dropping the winery an email. I’m sure they would love to hear your opinion on the matter.

So next time you see a new wine that is packaged not in a glass bottle, but in a box, take a closer look at it. Now is a great time to think (or drink) outside the bottle.

Hi Mike -

Thanks so much for visiting the blog. You have quite a collection - I’m envious!

It sounds like you have a great storage set-up and your temperature is
excellent. In terms of when I think you can start opening your wines, well, to be frank with you, that’s a tough question. There really isn’t a right or
wrong time to open your wine - it sounds like you have collected some
wonderful wines and I can promise you that you will appreciate them at every
stage of their development. A well-made wine, even at a young age, is truly
a thing of beauty.

You are correct that many of the great Bordeaux wines should be aged for
15-20 years. But many wines will hit a very drinkable stage at a much
earlier point, so you should not feel like you have to wait this long. I
would suggest that most of the wines in your cellar will be very drinkable
at between 8 to 10 years of age.

Given how much this collection obviously means to you, one thing that would
be a good idea would be to make a list of your wines and then check out the
ratings from three different experts - I’d pick Parker, the Wine Spectator
and either Decanter or Jancis Robinson. In each column I would put their
suggestions for when these wines will be at their “peak” and then you can
take the average of the three. Sort your list from low to high and then you
pretty much have the order of how you should go through your 700 bottles!

Let me know if you have any specific questions, though, and also if this is a
suggestion that might work for you.

Most of all, I want to make sure that you don’t worry too much about
aging your wines the “right” amount of time. It is more important to me
that you have the opportunity to taste the wines you have spent so much time
collecting. I don’t want you to miss out on such pleasure!

Cheers,
Sheri Morano

Hi Doug, thanks so much for your question! I remember going to one of my very first tastings. I was so nervous! I took tons of notes (which I still have in my tasting file) and I must have looked so serious that the guy sitting next to me turned to me and said, “you know, you can actually drink it, too.” Wine tastings are funny things. You will find a lot of different types of wine drinkers – everyone from novices to experts and everyone will have an opinion. The nice thing to keep in mind is that everyone is there because they enjoy wine.

In terms of protocol, it is good to remember a few things. The most important thing to know is that at most tastings you are not given a whole glass of wine, but just a sip or two. This is important because a tasting is just that – a tasting; the opportunity to taste a lot of different wines. Just having a few tastes as opposed to a few glasses will mean that your palate will stay a bit fresher, longer (and you won’t regret it in the morning). At some tastings, you will also see people spitting out their wine into buckets. This isn’t mandatory, but I do recommend that you consider it. It is another way to keep your palate sensitive as you taste through a number of wines.

As you are tasting along, I recommend having a sip of water in between wines when you are changing type of wine (going from white to red, dry to sweet, sparkling to still). Now, if you are going to be going from sweet wine or a dessert wine to a dry wine, then I would recommend having a piece of bread or a cracker between tastes. Sometimes sweet wines or fortified (higher alcohol) wines will leave a stronger taste in your mouth and a cracker or a piece of bread can help with that. A cracker can also be good if you have been drinking a lot of tannic red wines and all of a sudden you see a white wine that you really want to taste. And remember, if you are going to be tasting for a long time, then having some bread or crackers can be a good break between groups of wines to keep you going (not just your palate).

I hope you enjoy your tasting, and don’t forget to come back and drop me a line to let me know how it goes! And I would love to hear if you taste something you really love.

Cheers!

Hi Nicole! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I’d be happy to answer this question for you. Caloric content can vary depending on the exact type of wine, but overall, it is safe to assume that when you are drinking 4 ounces of wine, you are consuming between 90 and 110 calories per glass. If you are enjoying a glass of sweet wine (a dessert wine or a fortified wine) then you are probably closer to 160 to 190 calories a glass.

Overall, it is generally thought that one glass of wine can be part of a well-balanced diet. Of course if you are trying to cut back on calories, then it might make sense to consider wine as more of an occasional treat while you are dieting. But really, if you consider that a soda is about 200 calories, then one glass of wine at around 100 calories seems like a much better deal! Cheers!

Hi Tom – Thanks for stopping by! A decanter can be a really useful (and beautiful) present. There are a couple of different scenarios where a decanter comes in really handy. The first is when you are drinking very old wines that have a lot of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Older wines and Vintage Ports can need decanting “off their sediment.” The sediment isn’t anything bad or harmful, it can just be messy and not much fun to drink, so decanting the wine first can make it a lot easier to pour. When you are decanting a wine like this, I recommend that you either pour the wine from the bottle into the decanter very, very slowly and carefully, or that you pour the wine through a layer of cheesecloth or an un-dyed coffee filter to catch any sediment.

The other time that a decanter can come in handy is when you are serving a very young wine. Decanting a very young, tight Bordeaux, a wine with a lot of tannins to it, can help the wine open up a little bit. Decanting allows the wine to come in contact with more air – compared to when you just take the cork out and leave the bottle on the counter. If you think about how a wine can evolve and “mellow” in your glass after a while, a decanter can do much the same thing.

And while you don’t need to decant most wines, there is something elegant about serving a wine from a decanter. So go ahead and decant your wines into your new decanter – just two words of caution. The first – be careful when washing it and always make sure you rinse it really well and the second – if you know you are not going to finish a bottle of wine, then don’t decant the whole bottle into your decanter. Just decant what you think you might drink and leave the rest in the bottle. Cheers!

Hi Emery, and thanks for your question. Allow me to explain: The Vin de Pays wines are considered to be the “country wines” of France. There are three different levels of Vin de Pays wines – regional, departmental and local.

You can think of these three levels as being like concentric circles. The largest ring would be the regional designation. The departmental level is the next, smaller circle - within each region are different departments. And then the smallest circle is the local designation – within the different departments you will find the local Vin de Pays. If you wanted to (sort of) compare it to the USA, then the regional level would be like the East Coast, the department would be similar to New York and the local could be Long Island.

So, to answer your specific question - where is Pays d’Oc? - Vin de Pays d’Oc is a regional Vin de Pays that covers wines produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon area in the South of France. The Vin de Pays d’Oc is the most important and the most productive of the different Vin de Pays in France. If you want to see it on a map, check out the Vin de Pays website. You can find a lot of wines on my list from the different Vin de Pays – this category of French wine is known for being a great source of delicious and affordable wines. If you want to try one specifically from the Vin de Pays d’Oc, you can click here  – this link will take you to my list organized by region and here you can find the Vin de Pays wines. Cheers!

Hi Madelyn,

Yes, I have the same problem on occasion, too and it can be frustrating. I have often said that wine packaging was not designed by someone who only has a glass or two of wine at a time!

First of all, you are on the right path in terms of trying to preserve your leftover wine. The only thing I would recommend that you add to your routine is to use one of those vacuum systems that pumps the air out and then seals the wine, rather than just re-inserting the cork. I find that doing that does really help a bit more in preserving the fruity flavors of the wine. Then putting the bottle in the fridge is also a good way to help give your wine a bit of a longer life span.

You mention that you usually drink the wine within the next day or two and to be honest, I find that even with the air pump and putting the wine in the fridge, two days is just about all you really get. You can push it to three, but you will notice some deterioration in flavor at that point. So, really, you knew the answer all along…about two days is how long the wine will remain “good for drinking.”

A few other suggestions for you though – have you mentioned to your local wine store that you would like to see them carry a bigger selection of half bottles? Sometimes your local wine merchant can help you with a special order. Also, there are a few companies that you can find online that might be able to help you, depending on where in the US you live. And finally, have you tried looking for a good quality boxed wine? There are better and better wines being packaged in bag-in-box containers these days and they are well worth tasting. The ideal aspect to boxed wine is that the bag in the box keeps the wine from being exposed to air and helps to preserve the wine. I find that when you are just looking for one glass of wine, this can be your most efficient way to go! Let me know if that helps you! Cheers, Sheri

Hi Becky-
Thanks for stopping by! That’s a great question and I would be happy to give you my two cents on this issue. First of all, there are two different scenarios that you might encounter with something like this. The first is that you order a wine and it comes, and the wine waiter opens it, offers you a sip, you taste it and discover that it is flawed. Perhaps it is corked (smells like wet, moldy cardboard) or has been stored improperly and tastes oxidized (it might smell or taste like cooked fruit or like vinegar) – either way, the first thing you should do is to tell the waiter (or waitress) that there is something wrong with your wine. The better the restaurant, the more likely it is that the wait staff is wine knowledgeable and will be quick to taste the wine and deal with the situation. Be sure to tell your waiter or waitress exactly what it is that you feel is wrong with the wine.

Now, if your server should start to question you and begin to give you a bit of an attitude, then it is time for you to put on your toughest face and ask to see a manager. If you are sure that the wine you have been served is flawed in any way, then you should absolutely be able to send it back and get a fresh bottle or make another selection. The one key here is that NO wine server should ever make you feel like you are stupid or don’t know anything about wine. If it is a wine by the glass, just be sure that you choose a different wine or make them open a new bottle.

The second scenario you might encounter could go something like this: you order a wine, it comes, you take a taste and just don’t like the wine. Perhaps it is an oakier wine than you wanted or it is a bit sweeter than you were expecting – either way, the issue is that the wine is a bit of a surprise. HOWEVER – and this is a big however – the issue is NOT that the wine is technically flawed. And that is really the big difference between our two scenarios. If the wine were flawed, then you are within your rights to return it. But, if it just doesn’t taste all that great, my opinion is that you should go ahead and keep it. If you are in a very high-end restaurant, you could go ahead and mention to the wine waiter (or sommelier) that the wine is not what you expected – he or she might offer to change your selection. But most restaurants will tell you that you have made your choice and now you have to make the best of it. So how do you make the best of it? Well, in many cases, you are going to be better off saving the wine for drinking with your meal. The food-wine combination might just improve what’s in your glass. The other option is to make sure that the wine is at the right serving temperature. If it tastes a bit flabby or hot, then try putting it on ice for ten to fifteen minutes and see if that makes a difference.

And if all else fails, then chalk it up as a learning experience. But whatever you do, don’t hold back next time and revert to ordering to same old wine every time you are out – because the next time just might prove to be a complete and total success.

Hi Emily,
Thanks for your question – I’ll admit, it is a bit of a tough one to answer! First off, there isn’t anything wrong with only liking sweet wines. Every palate is different and there truly isn’t one type or style of wine that everyone should drink. Given you like sweeter styles of wines, that is wines with residual sugar in them, I would recommend that you explore drinking wines made with grapes such as Riesling or Chenin Blanc. I think you might like the Domaine Pichot Moriette Vouvray or the Barton & Guestier Vouvray, both of which have some residual sugar to them.

If you are looking to try to develop a taste for dry wines, which isn’t something you have to do, but would be something that will widen your options when it comes to choosing a wine to drink, I would suggest you start with wines that are dry, but on the fruity or aromatic side. The Pierre Sparr ONE or the Mommessin Beaujolais, which are both fruity (but dry) wines would be good wines to start off with. My other suggestion is that you consider the foods you are pairing your wines with. Sometimes wines can taste dry or acidic on their own, but when paired with certain foods they will be softer and fruitier. A dry wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot might seem too dry for your tastes if you try them alone, but pair one of these with a steak and you might start to change your mind. Let me know if you try any of these suggestions and what you think of them – the fun thing about wine is that there are so many options! Keep trying and I promise you will find a good selection of wines that you can enjoy.

Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for stopping by, and an even bigger thanks for your question! Have no fear, you were absolutely right to go ahead and drink that wine, there was nothing wrong with it – you weren’t seeing glass shards or anything that would harm you. Instead, what you saw on the cork and inside the bottle were tartrate crystals, a natural sediment that is commonly found in white wines. Many wines that are available today go through a process known as cold stabilization, which means that they are cooled to a point where most of the tartrates precipitate out of the wine and then the wine is filtered to remove the crystals and then bottled. However, some producers believe that this process can strip the wine of some of its flavor and character and therefore, they will skip this step. If a wine that hasn’t gone through cold stabilization is chilled, this can lead to some tartrate precipitation and you will see those small white crystals. While many consumers are used to seeing sediment in red wines, see it is white wines can be a bit disconcerting. But tartrate crystals are completely harmless and just another indication of that fact that wine is a natural product!

Hi Vivian,

Thanks for stopping by the website and also for your question. The Master of Wine title is an internationally recognized qualification awarded by the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and is generally considered to be the highest level of certification that one can obtain in the wine trade. The IMW was originally started for the benefit of the UK wine trade in the 1950s and it has since become a world-wide organization.

In order to become a Master of Wine, you have to pass a 4 day exam that is the culmination of many years of study. The exam covers both the theoretical and the practical sides of the wine industry. There are 4 theory papers that cover all aspects of the wine industry and each paper involves writing several very detailed essays. There are also 3 tasting exams where you are given 12 wines and then asked to identify the wines and some of the winemaking techniques used as closely as possible. After you have successfully passed all of the different parts of the exam you are required to submit a dissertation on a topic of relevance to the wine industry. Once you have completed all of these steps you are awarded the title “Master of Wine” or, as many call it for short, “MW.” Becoming a Master of Wine was definitely one of the most difficult, exciting and demanding challenges I have ever accomplished!

Currently, there are 264 Masters of Wine from 22 different countries around the world. If you would like to read more about the IMW and the MW title, please check out the Institute’s website which can be found at www.mastersofwine.org.

Ah, Anthony - if I had a dollar for every time I have been asked this question, I’d be a rich woman! This is always a quandary for wine drinkers - myself included - as there are many times when a bottle of wine is just a bit too much for one or two people.

There are a few things that you can do to help make the wine last for a few days. The first thing to do is after you have poured out what you plan to drink that evening, go ahead and seal the wine back up. Or, if you have an empty half-bottle on hand, pour the leftover wine into that. You want to eliminate as much contact between the wine and air as possible and in a smaller bottler there would be less oxygen to speed the deterioration process. Next, you want to try to remove the remainder of the oxygen with either one of the vacuum systems that sucks the air out of the bottle or one of the inert gas sprays that displaces the air (look for both at your local wine store). After you have displaced the oxygen and closed the bottle, I suggest that you put it in the fridge (even the reds) as cooler temperatures will slow the deterioration process further. If the wine is a red, then just take it out of the fridge a half hour or so prior to drinking. All of this will allow you to preserve your leftover wine for 2-3 days.

Another option is to pour your leftover wine into an ice cube tray and freeze the wine. Once the wine is frozen, you can store the cubes in the freezer and then next time you need wine for cooking, you can just pull out a wine cube!

Hi Sarah, thanks for the question! This is an interesting one and you aren’t the first one to ask, so it is definitely NOT a silly question. Essentially, the answer is that no, it is not true, but let me explain a little more about why this is so.

First of all, many readers out there might be asking, what is a punt? A punt is the indentation on the bottom of the bottle - some punts are deeper than others and some bottles are essentially flat with no punt. I think one reason why your friend told you that punts can be markers of good wine is that one long-standing assumption in the wine world is that the heavier the bottle, the more expensive the wine. Now we all know though, that expensive doesn’t always equal drinkable and enjoyable! And these days, as winemakers become increasingly environmentally conscious, there is a large push within the wine trade to bottle all wines (regardless of how cheap or expensive they might be) in lighter glass bottles. Lighter bottles will help reduce the expense of shipping the bottles around the world and that is a good thing. In fact, you will see lots of different types of packaging for wine on the market these days and environmental concerns is one of the major reasons why!

But that is bottles in general. Regarding the punt, it is really just a packaging choice. Sparkling wine producers tend to use bottles with a deep punt because of the way they have to stack the bottles when they are aging the wines. Some producers think a punt makes a bottle look more impressive, but that doesn’t mean that the wine will be. And finally, there can be a use for punts - it can be a good place to put your thumb when you are pouring the wine!

So, in conclusion, don’t judge a bottle of wine by its punt. The best indication of quality is how the wine actually tastes in your mouth. Cheers!

Hi Robin,

Thanks for your question and no, it isn’t a silly one! Wines are pretty unique in their aromatic complexity. It isn’t uncommon to talk about notes of black currants and cassis when discussing Cabernet Sauvignon or to think of plums when we smell Merlot. When a Chardonnay has been aged in oak barrels, the oak can add a smell of toast or spice or even dill to the wine. Now these fruits, spices or herbs haven’t been added to the wine; the main reason we talk about different fruits or herbs is that lacking something better, wine experts have, over time, developed a wine vocabulary that is based on a food vocabulary. It can be very hard for a wine taster to try to convey how a wine might smell or taste – everyone’s sense of smell and taste is very different. Using a common food vocabulary can make it just a little bit easier.

One of the questions I frequently get asked is how someone can improve their wine vocabulary. This is actually easier than you might think. The simple answer? Use your nose to smell everything around you – especially what you are eating! When we go to a grocery store we are so used to buying fruits and vegetables that aren’t really in season, so many of us don’t have a great idea of what really ripe, fresh strawberries taste like. But, if you start to really look for fresh, ripe produce your nose will get quite a workout. And building up your food smell vocabulary will really help you in sniffing and describing wines!