Happy Friday everyone! We have relatives visiting us this weekend and we are planning to do some fine dining at home (chicken breast wrapped in turkey bacon….so fingers crossed!). Fine dining usually comes with fine wine so I thought I should share some simple wine tasting tips that I have learned with you…
You like to drink wine but not sure if you know what you’re doing when presented with a bottle to sample the wine before your entrée? I have that problem 99% of the time because I can’t tell if I’m drinking the best wine but I sure know if the wine is bad. A couple years ago, hubby and I met up with an old friend of his, Pasquale, visiting from Italy. Pasquale happens to be a Sommelier and while dining out I asked him how to sample wine. He graciously offered his 5 simple steps to find that great bottle of wine whether you are dining out or just plain wine tasting.
Acidity: Does the wine make you pucker? If yes, it’s high in acid.
Tannins: Does the wine dry out your mouth? It’s probably high in tannins.
Alcohol: Does the wine warm up your mouth? It may be high in alcohol.
Body: Does the wine linger on your tongue? If so, it’s full-bodied.
Aromas & Flavor: Does the wine’s smell or taste remind you of a flower, food or anything else?
What does “body” in Wine mean? As a general rule of thumb, the more alcohol in a wine, the more body it will have. Wines made of grapes with higher sugar content (more sugar to convert to alcohol) have more body.
Why do some wines have an ‘oak’ flavor? Oak barrels used in wine making develop a toasty, caramel or vanilla flavor from being fire-charred. The barrels can be toasted depending on the winemaker’s preference. Those barrels can hold wine while it ferments or while it ages.
Well, we can’t all be Master Sommeliers like Pasquale but now we can at least know how to choose a wine that will appeal to our personal preference. Visiting a wine shop is a wonderful way to experience different wines served with some great advice. Specialty wine shops usually focus on small-production wines but some of the best wines come from these vintners. Another great place is finding a great neighborhood wine hub with a knowledgeable staff is the best place to experience new wines
Once you have mastered on how to find that great bottle you can visit and order some fantastic wines from the online wine makers. Earlier this year, I received a NakedWines gift certificate from LeTote. I didn’t know you can order wines online so I ordered the beginner’s package and then some more. Although each selection was limited it sparked my interest to start looking for other online winemakers that carry luxury and super premium wine but at lower prices.
While doing the research I stumbled upon Quilceda Creek , Leonetti Cellar, and JJBuckley and other sites. I was really impressed with JJBuckley’s Wine Wizard. They can guide you with the best wine selection based on your wine knowledge and your food pairing preference. With the anticipation of the visit I decided to do a virtual wine tasting on JJBUckley’s wine wizard. Based on my personal preference in terms of price and food pairing, they recommended the 2008 Langmeil Winerey Shiraz Orphan Bank & 2009 Turkey flat vineyards Shiraz. So we will see how well these wine pair with the entree! Do you have other online wine tasting makers that you can recommend? Cheers and have a fabulous weekend!
