On a recent trip to Napa Valley, the boys and I stopped by the Tamber Bey tasting room in St. Helena. It was a real treat and a rather nice way to end the day in the Valley. We had some promotional coupons and originally entered with the intent to taste just their wines but once we found out that we could have a side-by-side cookie-wine tasting, it was an idea too sweet to resist. ;)
Apparently they have a chef who created the cookie recipes exclusively for Tamber Bey's wines to create a perfect cookie-wine pairing. While I'm all for pairing food and wine, (see here) the cookies were unbelievably tiny, I almost felt teased by the bite-sized portions. Then again, maybe I just have a big sweet tooth!
{Our wine tasting line-up. Click for larger view}
I'm always a fan of a big, bold Napa Cab so naturally one of my favorites was their
2008 Oakville Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
{Small stack of gourmet cookies -
the bacon cookie was unexpectedly delish!}
{Jeroboam-sized bottles in the tasting room- fun!}
In one of my previous posts (here) I provided the basics of tasting wine. After having had some experience making my own wine, I have learned that when evaluating a wine (like say, comparing wines or judging wines in the industry) it is recommended that one take a more scientific approach.
In one week or so, the 2011 Syrah that I made--harvested at the UC Davis Vineyards--will be carefully evaluated by professors and other classmates. (Details about my Syrah project to be posted soon!)
I have created a sample ballot--this is what I will ask judges to use and fill out during my sensory panel of the four treatments of my groups' 2011 Syrah:
As seen in the above ballot, there are several methods for the sensory evaluation of wine, both of which involve trained testers:
1. To see how the two wines differ:
Use Descriptional Analysis, where the goal is to describe the aroma and flavor profile of the wine.
This includes the paired preference and the ranking preference
2. To see if the two wines differ:
Use Difference Tests, used to determine if two wines are reproducibly selected as different.
This includes the triangle test and the duo-trio
For instance, In the triange test, tasters are presented with 3 wines and asked to determine which wine is different from the other two:
After the testers have balloted their results, a statistical analysis is usually applied to determine if the number of times wine 359 (B) was selected as different is significant or not.
I tasted at Domaine Chandon for the first time this week. (Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm still stoked about being 21). I have of course tried Domaine's bubbly before, (huge fan of their Blanc de Noirs) but this time was different because I was able to taste certain blends that are only available at the winery. Plus I met with my good friend whom I met while studying abroad in France that day, which made it even more special.
I had an excellent experience in the Chandon tasting room. I tried the Prestige flight--one of 4 possible flights to choose from--plus some of the Vintages. Among the ones that I tasted, my favorite was a wine from the Vintage collection. I recommend that anyone who is a true fan of bubbly try this collection... and I promise I'm not getting paid to say this! :) It reminded me of a very special French Champagne I've tasted before. I loved it so much I had to buy a bottle of it myself!
{Chandon Bubbles.}
{Tasting wine together again--but this time in the U.S. instead of France}
A wine tasting can be a bit intimidating at first but with careful thought and with the help of this how-to, a tasting experience can be very rewarding. In this two-part series, I will reveal the secrets to tasting wine—and looking good at it. ;)
THE BASICS: (the five S's)
SEE
Look for color and clarity. Tilt the wineglass upright. As you look into the wine, take note of its color. Is it translucent, opaque, dull, cloudy or clear? Can you see sediment? Also take note of its viscosity as you swirl: is it thin or thick?
SWIRL
Give it a good swirl.Swirling actually helps vaporize some of the wine's alcohol ,releasing more of its natural aromas.
SNIFF
Go ahead, stick your nose in the glass. Take note of the 'nose' of the wine; its bouquet or aroma. What characters do you pick up?
This wine wheel may help lead you to the most well-matched aromas for your wine. (Feel free to print it out and use it at your next tasting!)
{Wine wheel by Professor Ann Noble}
SIP
Start with a small sip and let it roll around your mouth.
SAVOR
Really-savor it. Allowing the wine to roll around in the mouth allows for an optimal evaluation, since the the heat released by our bodies liberates the aromatics of the wine. It's even said that it is the mouth where the most complex taste experience of wine occurs.
Remember the 5 S's: see, swirl, smell, sip, savor.
P.S. You don't need a how-to guide in order to enjoy wine. (Only to look good while doing it-haha!) Do what you wish, it's all for fun!
