Some Wine Talk
“You don’t really write that much about wine� Richard noted the other night, while were wine tasting at Whole Foods. I stared at him. “You’re right. Not because I don’t drink wine, but mainly because I can’t remember the names of the wines that I drink.�
I’ve decided to get better about the wine part of my blog.
I joined Richard and Melissa for a wine 101 class at Whole Foods. It was the very opposite of wine tasting at a winery, with the insipid chatter and explanations from slightly tipsy pourers and tour guides. Quite the opposite, our instructor pointed out that he was not allowed to drink on the job and spit out every taste.
We began by discussing the five basic tastes, sweet, acidity, fruitiness, tannin and alcohol, tasting liquids that exemplified each taste. And then we moved into the wine tasting, trying to use our newly discovered taste buds to determine how the wine fit into the taste profile(s). We asked a lot of questions, talked about what we were tasting, looked at maps of where the grapes were grown, munched on cheese.
We tasted four whites and two reds. Richard and I agreed that we liked the reds much more than the whites, enjoying the complexity and presence that I have a hard time finding with whites. Melissa disagreed. Luckily, no chairs were thrown. It was a wine tasting, after all.
Of the whites, we had a Conte Brandolino Pinot Grigio; a Chateau St. Michelle Saint M Riesling (grown in Italy and sold under the Washington-based St. Michelle brand); a Joseph Dourhin Saint Veran (a white burgundy!); and Kendall-Jackson chardonnay. All were from 2005. I liked all, and would happily drink all (especially the white burgundy), with the exception of the last. I just do not like oaky, buttery California chardonnays. However, I did discover that I enjoy unoaked chardonnays, the white burgundy.
I liked both reds, a Barnard Griffith Syrah and a Charles Joguet Chinon, or cabernet franc. The first was jammy, but very drinkable and opened up nicely. I absolutely loved the second (and had a second glass before leaving); inky red, full of depth and rich flavors and complexity.
I put my newfound knowledge to work this weekend. I’m a big sucker for labels, and was seduced by the 2005 “Bitch� from Australia. Yes, that is the wine’s actual name. It wasn’t really that great, not matching up to the promise of the name and cute pink label, incredibly jammy and not in a good way.