Sunday, July 6th, 2008...10:05 am
How to Enjoy Wine: My Advice to a Friend
Here is a letter I sent off this morning to an old friend who tells me that her “boyfriend LOVES LOVES LOVES wine” and she “just can’t get past the alcohol taste”–even after a tour in Chile and Argentina.
Dear Michele,
Life is wonderful! I never thought I’d be back in Walla Walla, but I love it here now.[...]
About the wine issue, here are some ideas.
Wine is an acquired taste for many. Start with whites. Actually, what do you like to drink normally? What’s your beverage of choice? And as far as food/snacks, do you like sweet, salty, meaty, savory, fruits, fish, herbs, ketchup? What do you like to eat and drink? But start with drinks first… That gives us an idea of what your palate is like and what our best bet is for a good match.
What is it that you Don’t like about wine? Is it just the alcohol? You may find a good way to start enjoying wine is with white wine spritzers. (Wine lovers, don’t shoot me! ) Many wine lovers are appalled by the thought. But I say if you don’t like it, don’t drink it. So let’s see if we can find something you DO like.
Take a white wine spritzer. 2 parts wine (maybe try a Riesling or Pinot Gris), 1 part club soda. Start with the wine and top off with the soda. Serve immediately. Refreshing summer beverage. There are a ton of modifications you can make too, adding fruits and other flavors.
That’s a start. Then focus on the experience of tasting wine.
What color is it? What does it remind you of? Look at it in good light with a white background if you can. Evaluate the color itself. Is it a consistent color throughout? (Hope so.) Is it a crisp color or is it kind of cloudy? (Could indicate a problem.) Do you see any sediment (which is okay) or — and this sometimes happens — bubbles?
I have been drinking a rosé recently that is slightly effervescent, so as soon as I pour it in the glass there are tiny bubbles. Not like major carbonation, but enough to notice.
Once you’ve noted the color, move on the the smell.
Savor the “nose.” Get your sniffer down into that glass after you’ve swirled it (aerates the wine and releases aroma). What do you detect? Try a Viognier, for example. Typically: Floral, honey aromas. Just smell it for awhile. Appreciate the complexities of it.
After you think you’ve identified all the specific smells you can, take a small sip and the process starts for tastes. Sip it. Roll it around and get it on all your taste buds. What exactly do you taste? What flavors can you identify? Does it remind you of anything else you’ve ever encountered?
Sometimes wines remind me of places, trips, people, chocolate, pineapple, car tires, diesel, tundra, berries, river rocks, cigars, roses, honeysuckle, pomegranate, pine nuts, deodorant, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, coca cola, vanilla, caramel, old leather, moss… the list goes on. It’s the identification/tasting process that is really enjoyable for me. Do I LOVE all the above tastes? Not necessarily. But even if I don’t enjoy the taste, I enjoy the complexity, and the process.
I know people who didn’t like wine AT ALL when we first met, and now they genuinely enjoy whites and reds (and rosés).
Take your time to enjoy the nuances. Try to pay attention to what’s there besides the alcohol. You can even do this with the spritzer, although I’d be careful about swirling it much : ) I can see disaster written all over that one. Great advice, Amy! Shake the carbonated beverage?!!
How’s that for a book this morning?
Seriously, let me know about your tastes and I’ll see if I can point you to a couple wines to try that you just might enjoy.
Lots of love,
Amy
6 Comments
July 6th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Great letter. I think your balanced approach was the right way to go. Rather insisting on wine be appreciated one way, you left the door open for exploration. Wine drinkers who find their own way ultimately enjoy it more than those who had to follow someone else’s strict likes and dislikes.
Another for summer: Kir or Kir Royale.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Bradley,
Thanks for the feedback. And I love a good Kir Royale. Fantastic suggestion!
July 6th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Usually I don’t start people drinking wine by itself, but strictly with food - a bite of food and a sip of wine, a bite of food and a sip of wine, then rinse, lather, rinse, repeat… Especially those who are white wine drinkers, but want to learn how to drink the reds - - food pairing is the trick. By pairing the food and wines together, it is more about how they compliment each other and less on the alcohol.
Also, when smelling the aromas: start smelling the glass of wine a few inches above the rim of the glass. Often people miss aromas by plunging their nose straight into the glass. Plunge your nose into the glass during your “second” smell. Anymore than 2-3 “smells” can confuse and cloud up your nostrils that you don’t have a clue what you are smelling other than alcohol. When that happens, make the next thing you smell is a glass of water. Smell the water the same as if you are smelling a glass of wine for the first time. Like water does for our palate, water can refresh the nostrils - - seriously.
July 6th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Catie,
Thank you for your pointers. A great strategy for beginners. Since this is a letter to a friend, some things went unsaid. And I will try to remember in the future that blog readers don’t know the inside story unless I tell them. Like her wine touring in South America and the tasting experience she already does have.
But the lather bit seriously sounds like a problem. Not sure I want to lather. I haven’t said a bad word, have I? And I hope I’m not rabid. On second thought, if it’s Aveda shampoo we’re talking about, sometimes I do want to taste that stuff. Yuummmy!
That said, I agree about people overwhelming their senses sometimes. Maybe it’s helpful to think of Chemistry Lab and how you could get in trouble for huffing. Think also of “What About Bob?” and all those “baby steps.” I like to approach a wine bit by bit, slowly, to savor.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Amy, they should start with an off dry white like riesling or gewurtz.the sweetness balances the heat and they go with a lot of foods! Trey
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 am
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