Drumroll please... Wine is not for experts only. Wine is not only for the wealthy and sophisticated either. Wine is for everyone. After all, it's only grape juice! However, if you pick up a wine magazine and read some tasting notes written by a critic, chances are you may disagree with my observations. A perfect example:
"A decadent and spicy Piedmont red, with game, stew and berry aromas and pure and beautiful fruit. Full bodied, it has blackberry, cherry and grilled meat flavors and extremely well-integrated tannins. Very long and caressing." Give me a break! No wonder why wine intimidates so many people. What happened to "rich and fruity, complex and tasty, an excellent wine!" If I ever smelled grilled meat in my wine, I think I'd dump it and ask for my money back. Then again, if my nose and palate were that sharp, I'd probably be getting paid for writing this stuff. The Essentials A tasting note is a basic description of the wine that usually covers color, texture, flavor, sweetness, dryness, acidity, tannin, balance, body, length and any kind of flavor the taster can detect. The purpose is to give the reader a basic preview of the wine - just enough information that may help in the buying decision. Face it - when you are staring at 2000 bottles that all look the same, the more you know ahead of time the easier it'll be to choose one. The most important thing to remember when reading tasting notes is that the description (no matter how ludicrous it may sound) you are reading is based solely on that taster's impressions and palate. Just because he can pick up a lush mouthful of ripe berry and spice, dripping with chocolate and sage does not mean that you will too! There is no shame in plain old fruity, zingy and very interesting. Yummy and yucky work perfectly for someone I know very well... What To Do Next When trying to decipher the tasting notes, just stick to the basics. Look for general fruit descriptors (citrus/lemon/tropical), comments on texture (smooth, dry, sharp, tannic, acidic) and other broad terms like oaky, fruity and earthy. Don't get too carried away - chances are you'll only get discouraged when you can't pick out pine forest, mocha, cedar, anise and quince (what?!?) like the big fancy-schmancy wine critics. I'm not Robert Parker Jr. and neither are you! One thing I like to do is to shop for a wine that was recently reviewed and test it out. Once I've written my notes, I compare them with the review and try to learn what some of their descriptors smell like to me. Fun? - yes. Necessary? - no. The only thing that is really important is whether or not you like the wine - if you do, then it's a good wine. If you don't, then it's a bad wine - no matter what the review said or how high the wine scored. Why even bother? Tasting notes are actually very useful tools once you've gotten over the fear. First, they can help you remember what you tasted so you know what to look for next time you go shopping. Writing and reading tasting notes also can help you improve your own tasting methods. Once you get familiar with the jargon, you may find yourself beginning to pick up some of the fruits and flavors that the wine critics are writing about. Learning to unlock wine's hidden treasures in the glass can increase your enjoyment of wine and also teach you that the world's best wine critic is facing you in the mirror when it's time to make your next wine selection. Nobody knows your tongue better than you do. TASTING NOTES - hey, give me a break - I'm not Robert Parker, Jr.! 1999 Barossa Valley Estates Shiraz - Barossa Valley, Australia: Deep purple/red, almost opaque, looks like a monster. Intense dark fruit on nose with pepper and vanilla notes. Full bodied, firm tannins, chewy texture. Big wine that is rich and flavorful, long finish with licorice notes that develop as the wine opens on the palate. Lots of wine for little money (less than $10)- the best kind around! Only 5,000 cases produced but worth the search. GOLD MEDAL 1998 Greg Norman Estates Chardonnay - Yarra Valley, Australia: Golden yellow color, nice citrus fruit on nose, well balanced with just a hint of oak. Silky smooth on palate - this one is fruit driven, unlike many other Aussie Chard's that taste like 2x4's with butter on top. Delicate and clean, not bad for an over-the-hill golfer. GOLD MEDAL 1999 Barossa Valley Estates Chardonnay - Barossa Valley, Australia: Tropical fruits dominate the nose - pineapple/peach/melon. Very smooth with a touch of toasty oak. Well balanced, nice dry finish. Yummy! GOLD MEDAL 1998 Jacobs Creek Shiraz-Cabernet - South Eastern Australia: Purple in color, sweet red fruit (plums?) and hints of oak on the nose. Very smooth and round on palate, very easy and pleasant to drink with loots of ripe fruit on the palate. Not a serious red, but enjoyable and cheap! 74% Shiraz/26% Cabernet. SILVER MEDAL 1998 Seaview Brut - South Eastern Australia: Light in color, almost watery. Lots of tiny bubbles - look fast, they don't stick around for long. Apples and yeasty/doughy notes on the nose. Well balanced, good acidity, moderate finish. Excellent quality for the money - you can find this for $7-$8 if you look hard enough. Try it with raspberry Fig Newtons if you can. SILVER MEDAL 1998 Banrock Station Riesling - South Eastern Australia: Brassy yellow color, slight apple/lemony nose. Difficult to get much of an aroma. Sweet fruit on palate, good acidity, short finish. Not very exciting or flavorful. Simple at best - probably a good wine for rookies that are breaking in their taste buds. BRONZE MEDAL That's it - thanks for the visit. Please feel free to write me at cellarbrat1@yahoo.com with your comments, questions and suggestions. Everyone gets a reply! All feedback is welcome and appreciated. Know someone that likes wine? Send 'em the link - I'd love to increase my circulation to double digits! See ya next time from the cellar and remember, wine is more fun than you think... Gunerman writes "The Brat In The Cellar" twice per month for the Rochester, NY chapter of Wine Brats, found at www.ggw.org/winebrats/. Wine Brats is a national non-profit organization based in California. They are an active group of adult wine enthusiasts who are mostly young in age but absolutely young at heart. Wine Brats enjoy sharing their passion for wine with their peers and take pride in breaking down the cultural walls that for too long have mystified this beautiful beverage. Ultimately, as a non-profit organization, the Brats' purpose is to attract a whole new generation of adults to the wonders of life with wine. For more information, visit the national site at www.winebrats.org/. September 21, 2000
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