Damn, that's some good-ass cheese!

[mr_bad_example]

"Everytime I learn something new it pushes something old out of my brain! Remember when I took that home winemaking course and forgot how to drive?"
"Homer, you were drunk!"
"And how!"

Yeah, it was a little bit like that. gismonda and I took the "Grape Juice 101" class tonight at Solo Vino Wines. It ended up being exactly what I was looking for: a nice little introduction that described some of the things to check out when you're drinking a glass of wine. Very accessible, very unpretentious. And we also got to try some fruit and a couple of cheeses, just to start thinking about wine and food pairings. The whole thing was reminiscent of a fancy Arsenio Hall wine and cheese party.

We tasted both whites and reds, three of each, selected to emphasize fruit, acid, and tannin. I've never been to an actual wine tasting before--though I have been to several wine guzzlings--and I was surprised what a difference it makes to discuss exactly what it is you're perceiving. "Hmmm, pears and citrus? Why yes, now that you mention it..." I also really learned to appreciate the value of having a couple of different wines to compare and contrast. All of which are the most fundamental things you learn about wine appreciation, but I've never done this before.

The real surprise of the evening was discovering that I actually have half an appreciation for white wine. Before tonight, everything I knew about white wine I learned from Bette Davis. Now, I'm not saying I could drink my way out of a vat of Riesling, but I think I could enjoy a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc every now and again.

I'm still working on developing my palate. There was a lot of stuff I was sensing, but I wasn't quite able to articulate. I'm getting a bit better, though--I can actually notice some of the different characteristics of the different kinds of wine I tasted and describe how one is different from the other. I could never really do that before, beyond "Hey, that's a red!" or "Hey, that's port! or "Hey, that's Jack Daniel's!"

As an aside, this wasn't actually the first time I was able to describe the taste of a wine. One day they were giving out samples at my neighborhood wine shop, and I sampled a Sauvignon Blanc. I identified a slight note of asparagus. I did this by observing that it tasted just like drinking a big glass of asparagus. It put me off white wine for a while. (And hell, I even like asparagus.) (I also like the word "asparagus.")

So, I'm still learning. Even now, my favorite part of learning about wine is that I get to drink a lot of wine. Of course, that was also my favorite part of learning algebra. You probably went to a better school than I did.

Comments

[somesuch.livejournal.com]

For times when wine may not be handy or appropriate, there's always jelly beans (http://www.winexmagazine.com/jellybean/).

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

This one (http://www.winexmagazine.com/jellybean/carmen.htm) is my favorite.

[karyn.livejournal.com]

i know what you mean! when i took my class someone would say "melon" and i'd be oh yeah! then they'd say "grass" and i'd say oh yeah! i couldn't figure out what it was until someone mentioned it, then it made sense.

and i think whites definitely have more variety than reds overall. it seems like for reds there is tannic/not tannic, bold/not bold, the end.

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

Yeah, once somebody mentioned something, i could spot it right away. All part of the learning process, I guess.

[anterastilis.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way. If someone says "ooh, there's a bouquet of nectarines" or "I taste...a hint of cheesy poofs" then I'll be able to pin down the taste. A few months ago I did correctly pinpoint an "oaky" flavor (probably from the barrel) and was very proud of myself.

I'd love to be a wine snob. A wineaux, as it were.

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

I can never identify oak. I'm sure if I could compare and contrast an oaked wine with a non-oaked wine, I'd pick it up in a minute. At the moment, not so much.

[half-double.livejournal.com]

Wait, wait. Your favorite part of learning algebra was that you got to do a lot of alegebra, or you got to drink a lot of wine?

If it's the 2nd, then I'd say you definitely went to the better school!

Glad to hear you had a good time on your adventure.

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

Truth to tell, the school I went to was pretty good in terms of education. If it had been a little bit more supportive of its more eccentric students, my life might have been different. But that's neither here nor there.

Mmm, aparagus

[gismonda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's the weirdest part for me, picking out the layers of smell. I'm glad you are getting it, because I think my nose only works to a certain point before giving up. I couldn't smell a difference between the first two reds last night, at all, although I could taste a difference. Maybe it was too subtle for me.

Re: Mmm, aparagus

[mr-bad-example.livejournal.com]

Well, you see, I spent most of my early adolescence reading Daredevil and Wolverine comics, so early on I made attempts to sharpen my senses. I am not making this up.