Wine Connoisseurs- Educate Us!

macpatti

I love wine and I've been to Napa Valley a couple of times and recently a winery in Arkansas. My husband and I love wine tasting, but we have no idea what we're doing other than "that one tastes good". Perhaps the wine connoisseurs in this group could help.

What do you look for in smell, taste and appearance?
What makes a bad wine bad?
What do you say if you don't like the wine? Do you finish it or have them dump it?
How is a certain aged wine really good when others get like vinegar?

I'm sure others will have questions, too. Thought we'd start here.

Thanks!

Topsking2010

Patti,

As part of my bucket list, I went to Sonoma County and spent the day visiting 4 wineries. I must being a novice, so I'm still learning proper wine etiquette.

When it comes to appearance, the design of the wine bottles catches my eye.

Since I prefer whites, I look for semi-dry wines.

When I don't like the wine, I say nothing but I do pour it in the container.


Does it matter to anyone if a wine is perserved in steel tanks or barrels?


Herb

skeezixk9

Patti,
I don't consider myself a connoisseur but I am married to someone who has wine as a hobby. We've been to vineyards in the US and Europe and have about 300 bottles in our basement. But I don't like to "talk wine" like my husband does. I like what I like (mostly red) and have trouble remembering the various grapes and terminology.

We did have a wine tasting a few months ago where we invited 3 couples with various levels of knowledge of wine. I ordered A Blind Wine Tasting Party Game from amazon.com and it was a big hit! You might consider that for yourself. It helps you to learn the "5 S's of Wine Tasting: Sight, Swirl, Smell, Sip, and Savor" and includes tasting note sheets that help to identify whether a wine is fruity, sweet, earthy, colors, etc. You could even bring the tasting tips with you on your vineyard visits, I suppose.

Wine is a personal taste and "that one tastes good" is really all that matters. Knowing more about wines does make it more interesting. If I'm tasting and don't like a wine, I feel no obligation to finish it or to provide an explanation when I dump it into the bucket. It's expected. Even if you do like it, you won't necessarily want to finish every wine that's poured.

If a wine turns to vinegar, it's because air got into it. This might happen if a cork gets dry, one reason sommeliers will hand you the cork after opening a bottle of wine.

Hmm... Maybe I'll have that last glass of Tati rose in my fridge to celebrate the 4th.

Cheers!
Carol

supermaninprogress

Not sure there is such a thing as a connoisseur. I used to read Wine Spectator and that is such an informative publication as far as giving options for wines to try. But the only one who knows what tastes good to you is you. One tip I did learn is in the tasting, make sure the wine hits all areas of your tongue so you get the full effect of the taste.

tonicandgin

i am a novice but I have been to a few tastings and learning to do the 'Sight, Swirl, Smell, Sip, and Savor' when trying a wine has helped me a few times when buying wine in a restaurant to realize when its 'off'--usually the smell will tell you right away.....at a tasting I know after the second taste if I like a wine and don't feel the need to finish it if i don't like and will dump it....i prefer strong reds but in this hot weather I am mostly drinking white.....most of the wines I have been buying lately are screw top which helps a wine from turning bad because of air getting in.

DeadMarsha

Does it matter to anyone if a wine is perserved in steel tanks or barrels?

Herb

I love Chardonnays aged in oak barrels, but other than that I really can't tell.

Good advice so far (I'm a novice myself)! The main things I took away from my wine tasting experience (8 wineries in 2 days, WOO!!) was to swirl your reds, take a deep smell, sip & make sure it gets all over your mouth & tongue (spit if you wanna look like you know what you're doing), then enjoy! If you don't like it, dump it, but you don't have to make a big deal about it. #1 Rule (which has been repeated again and again): Don't be ashamed to like what you like! If you only like whites, great! If you prefer ports, wonderful! There's no "right" answer as to what it good and what is not. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, so enjoy it.

kcox4166

Patti,

As part of my bucket list, I went to Sonoma County and spent the day visiting 4 wineries. I must being a novice, so I'm still learning proper wine etiquette.

When it comes to appearance, the design of the wine bottles catches my eye.

Since I prefer whites, I look for semi-dry wines.

When I don't like the wine, I say nothing but I do pour it in the container.


Does it matter to anyone if a wine is perserved in steel tanks or barrels?


Herb

kcox4166

Wine aged in barrels contains tanins-which gives a strong flavor which I have not gained an appreciation for.