In order to appreciate wine it is important to understand the characteristics that different grapes offer.
Muscat should always be spicy, sauvignon blanc a touch herbal, zinfandel zesty with pepper and wild berry flavors, cabernet sauvignon is marked by plum currant and black cherry flavors and firm tannins just to name a few. In the Rhones we can go from violettes to tar and plain barnyard when you pop up the cork....
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Understanding what a grape should be as a wine is fundamental and to know what a grape can achieve at its greatest is the essence of fine wine appreciation.
In Europe the finest wines are know generally by geographic appellation [ although this is gradually changing]
Elsewhere however most wines are labeled by their varietal names. even sometimes by grape combination.
In the USA the process of sorting out which grapes grow best on which soil is still ongoing.
In Europe with a better history of matching grape type to soil and climate the research is more conclusive.
We all know that Chardonnay and Pinot noir are the grapes of burgundy and Cabernet sauvignon the grape of Bordeaux.
TERROIR
So if you hear about “terroir” that is what it means, the soil, the grape, the climate and the weather . Good , bad or medium , all depends on the weather, a great muscadet from 91 can fall flat on his nose in 2002 because of uncooperative weather.
The vintage maps can really help in this case.
TANNINS
Tannins are the substances who get in to wine from their skin, stems and seeds of grapes , you will notice an astringency inside your cheeks and on your gums, and a sense of bitterness in the back of your mouth. like when you drink very strong tea.
Wine can also pick it up from oak barrels Tannins will drop out as they age .
That is what causes the sediment on the bottom of the bottle.
Good winemakers will strike the right balance.
LEES
Lees are dead yeast cell and grape solid who settle to the bottom of a white wine during and after fermentation.
CORKY BOTTLE
When the wine has a pronounced corky [like a molded cork smell] taste it is probably because it was not stored properly, mostly too dry or too humid and it has affected the cork and gave this unpleasant taste to the wine. This is the time to send the bottle back and ask for another one!
Also this is why it is recommended to taste the wine you just opened before you pour it in the glasses to avoid spoiling the good wine already served. You can pretty well tell by the cork if it is healthy or spoiled, that is why some restaurants give you the cork but I trust my palate more than the look of the cork!
Wine regions of France
Champagne, Loire, Alsace, Burgundy, Rhone South and North, Provence, Corsica, Languedoc Roussillon, Bordeaux.
Laws and labels
France’s method for naming wines is hierarchical and knowing this can help you determine why one Burgundy costs $18 and another $80.
According to French law they are four possible classifications a wine can carry from lowest to high prestige.
Vin de Table [Table wine] [about 14% of all the wine made in France] and lists only France as his geographic appelation.[the red cabernet franc we tasted “ Chateau de Fesles” from Anjou was a table wine from a AOC]
Vin de pays {Country wine] 31%
Literally “Country wine” indicates the wine is from a non classic, often emerging region, which is usually much larger in size than the 2 classification which follow below. The official name of the appellation would appear after “ Vin de pays de........”
Vin Delimited de Qualite Superieure VDQS [Delimited wine of Superior quality] 1% Indicates the wine is from a lesser classic region . This term would appear below the name of the wine
Appellation Origine Controlee AOC about 54%
Indicates that a wine is from a classic region, on the label it appears in small print under the name of the wine, Appellation.............controlee. Between those 2 words would be the name of the official place name from which the wine hails.
Got that? Ok now there is a tricky part [French wine laws are all about tricky parts! You understand that AOC wine/places are at the top of the quality pyramid but now you should know that, as in life itself some wines are deemed better than others for any numbers of reasons, including pedigree, reputation, demand, etc
Why? it has to do with terroir and how specific the references to that terroir is, meaning it’s all about specificity.
The more specific the place described in the wine name , the better the wine is generally considered to be, and the more expensive it will likely be.
TASTING WINES
Reason for tasting and writing notes:
To keep a personal record of each wine tasted
To describe a wine when explaining its positive or negative qualities to others or when making a purchase decision.
To monitor the progress of a wine
Glasses: they should be completely clean, dry. Make sure they are washed in hot water only, without detergent which leaves distinct odor. Glasses should be broader at the base and narrower at the top this shape aids by guiding the aroma towards the nose.
The actual process: The best time to taste is before a meal, the absence of distracting odors is very important. Scents of perfume and aftershave affect the bouquet of wine and it makes it difficult to taste properly. Be healthy, having a cold or the flu makes tasting a waste of time. Freshen your palate by eating a small slice of bread or sipping water. You shoudn’t have had recent contact with chocolates, cigarettes, strong spices, drinks or mints. To taste accurately only a small amount should be poured into the tasting glass. To fill it more than one third full makes it difficult to perform some of the following operations.
All wines have certain characteristics :
sweetness/dryness - Acidity - Tannins - weight or body fruit
Visual: Consider appearance. Look at the wine against a white background by tilting the glass away from you. The first indication of quality is in the intensity, shade and color.
Swirl the wine in the glass to open the aromatic elements[breathe]. The exposure to oxygen helps make the wine more open.
Clarity : is the wine bright and healthy looking or is it hazy or cloudy?
Intensity : is the color deep or pale?
Color : Hold the glass at an angle and note the color.
Red wines begin life as purple, changing with age to red,
mahogany and eventually brown.
legs : The appearance [or non appearance of legs ] in the glass doesn’t
really tell you anything that you can’t determine by tasting the
wine. It shows the presence of some viscosity in the wine which
may be the result of sugar, glycerin or alcohol. After being
swirled the slower the wine legs move down the glass the denser
the flavor But since the sense of taste is a better way to gauge
the wine’s texture than merely watching it drip down the glass,
checking legs maybe fun , but as far as the wine is concerned, it
is not a very useful exercise !
Smelling: Smell for subtlety, “the nose” The key to good wine is a fresh intriguing bouquet. The first impression you get of the aromas of the wine are crucial and are more accurate than later sniffs. Be alert to vinegary or moldy scents that indicate a bad wine.
Condition : How does the wine smells?
Intensity : Is its nose week or full?
Character : The description of the fruitiness can be difficult at first. With practice however one will become more skilled and able to recognize certain fruit and flower characteristics. Some note characteristics of currant, flowers, cherries or berries.
Tasting: This is the most important step of the process. The taste of the wine is known as “the “palate”. After the wine had a chance to “ breathe” take a small mouthful, let the wine hit every part of your mouth. Different areas of the mouth taste different flavors.
Use a spittoon to discard the wine after tasting to allow yourself some time to admire the taste in your mouth and note the length of its finish.
Observe the weight to judge the body of the wine. Also observe the sweetness, acidity, alcohol and tannins to judge the balance of the wine.
Evaluate the finish. Pay attention to the wine after you swallow it. Really good wines make the strongest impressions with their smell and their aftertaste.
