Wine Tasting Lessons

Lesson 1: Mouthfeel



Hey everybody, happy Saturday and welcome back for another installment. Hope we are all ready to change it up a little bit and do a little bit of a different focus today. I want to bring you more articles about learning about wine and making you a more savvy wine novice movinmg forward.  Lets learn about wine today instead of reading about a tasting of wine. I recently had to put together a food and wine pairing and it got me to thinking about how to teach people about wine in an enjoyable manner. To keep it simple and easy, lesson 1 will be focusing on recognizing mouthfeel from certain wines. Some wines are natrually lighter in body and some wines are naturally fuller bodied in the mouth. Being able to recognize this quality in the beginning will help you down the road with figuring out the kinds of wines you like. And that's what its all about, finding wines that you like!

Here's what we are going to do. You will need 4 wines to do this, so I recommend going to your favorite local wine bar or getting a few friends together and doing a BYOB. You will need 2 whites and 2 reds. Focus here mainly on the mouthfeel for this experiment initially, then have some fun with it, that is what wine drinking is all about after all. 

White #1= Vermentino.  A light crisp coastal Tuscan wine from Moris Farms or Tenuta La Badiola will do.

White #2= Viognier.  Muralia makes a good example wine here.

Red #1=Sangiovese.  There are many different labels to look for here, but the important thing is to try and find something as close to 100% as possible, and avoid Riserva wines or those with heavy oak influences. 

Red #2=Cabernet Sauvignon. Its okay so spend a little money here, but go for a well known producer. Look for one of the array of 'Supertuscan' wines from the Maremma.  Again try to find one that is as close to 100% varietal as possible. 

Now we have the wines selected. Of course still taste in the same manner as you would before, but when you are physically tasting the wine focus on noticing how the wine feels on your palate. For the whites, the Vermentino will be lighter and racier with higher acidity where the Viognier will feel thicker and more oily-richer across the mouth. The same should happen for the reds, but it won't be oily so much. The Cabernet will be higher in tannin and will feel differently than the light bodied high acid Sangiovese.

I hope we all get the chance to try this out very soon and it helps you to find the style of wine that fits you best. Remember to have fun with it, after all you are drinking good wine aren't you? Life is too short to drink bad wine. Grab some good cheeses and cured meats and make a party out of it all.  Salute!

Wine of the Month January 2011

Petra Quercegobbe 2007

92 Points Robert Parker-Wine Advocate (2006 94 Points WA)

The Quercegobbe vineyard is a small strip intermixed next to some Cabernet Sauvignon and backing right up to the woodlands on the property. It is a very special vineyard which makes a very special wine. Highly rated in 2006, and living up to its acclaim with the 2007 vintage as well. It is my belief that the 2007 is on the same path and will develop beautifully for many years to come. A dark ruby-heavy garnet color with a firm but clear concentration. The wine is intense on the nose, plump ripe plums and dark cherries bursting in the glass all set against a red flower and warm dark rocky earth component. The palate is long and strong, silky tannins caress the dry finish. There are notes of coffee and subtle peppercorn spices with notes of balsamic vinegar on the back. The wine is aged in 600 L French barrique for about 15 months, 50% new and 50% seasoned, followed by 10 months in the bottle before release.


For a full review of the line up from Petra Winery see the article of my visit.
http://www.petrawine.it/

Recipe of the Week 6-2-2011

Antipasti Toscana
The Classic Tuscan starter is very easy to prepare and stimulates not only your stomach, but also your eyes. You can prepare it in advance and when your guests arrive, you can sit right at the table.

Decorate on one or more white platters slices of Tuscan Prociutto, finely sliced Mortadella, different Tuscan salami, like the Finocchietta or wild boar salami, capocollo, or other “Salumi”, some slices of pecorino cheese, black and/or green olives, fresh figs (if they are in season), artichokes (the ones in oil) and/or fresh cherry tomatoes, or other vegetable in a good Tuscan oil. I also like it paired with a Caponata, see the recipe next week. Serve everything with fresh bread (but no butter)

The right wine you could pair this dish with is Viognier from Tuscany, for example from Tenuta la Badiola, Castiglione della Pescaia. Or try a good Morellino di Scansano, like that of Morisfarms, Maremma.