When it comes to wine, I am certainly not the authority on things like clarity and vintage. Descriptive words like "woody" and "full-bodied" only enter my conversation in the least-sophisticated sense possible. I do, however, know what I like, and, as far as my experience as a regular, non-wine expert citizen goes, that's all that really matters. I mean, who cares about the brewing techniques and hop-versus-barley content of Natty Lite? All I really need to know is that it tastes like garbage. Therefore, I encourage you, the amateur wine taster, not to take wine too seriously. All you really need is a simple guide to the different varieties of wine, and you're well on your way to developing your personal wine palate in a fun, no-pressure sort of way.
My experience with wine first started when I had the opportunity to visit France several years ago. In living with a Parisian family for six weeks, wine was part of the everyday culture. I, however, didn't really experience it because I was too timid to ask them to pass the wine at dinner, fearing in my uncultured, American brain that they would think I was a lush. So I limited my wine tastings to whatever was cheapest and to special occasions like Bastille Day, when I bought a 42-franc bottle of wine, equivalent to approximately US $6, from the local supermarket, thinking that I was getting a deal because I was in the heart of wine country and never once considering that such a thing as "cheap wine" existed - especially not in France. I, of course, was enlightened freshman year, when I grew to be familiar with the new phenomenon of "wine in a box" - a staple at so many amateur "wine tastings" which finally did prove that wine, too, can taste like garbage.
This summer, however, my base of wine knowledge greatly expanded when I found myself waitressing in a gourmet restaurant. Probably the best parts of training were the mandatory wine tastings, "forced" upon the underage members of the staff after a lot of coaxing. Being paid to consume alcohol was always something I promised myself I'd never do, but who knew it could be such an educational experience? As a result, not only did I amass a large collection of wine keys, but I also sort-of learned a little bit about wine! Here's the rundown:
First of all, it is important to know that wines are labelled in two different ways: by variety and by appellation. Varietal wines are simply identified by the type of grape used to make them, ie: Chardonnay or Merlot. Most non-European wines are classified this way, whereas European wines are classified by the exact region in which they are grown, often defined by specific soil, climate, sun and water quality. Bordeaux is a type of wine, but did you know that it is also a region of 1,000 square kilometers in southwest France, allowed by law to grow only one type of grape? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Secondly, like your laundry, wines can be divided up into two categories: white and red stuff that stains light cloth. An easy way to categorize these wines within their colors is to rank them from lightness to heaviness. This is also a good way to figure out what wine to drink with what food so as not to make the rack of lamb you whipped up for dinner tomorrow night taste like rust by drinking the wrong wine with it.
Red wines go best with red meats. Within red wines, there are essentially three levels of heaviness: a Pinot Noir wine being the lightest, followed by a robust-bodied Merlot, and with Cabernet Sauvignon being the big slugger best brought out with serious steak dishes. White wine, best with poultry and fish, is lightest as a Pinot Grigio, followed by Chardonnay, then finally Sauvignon or Fume Blanc. Both color wines can accompany fruit and cheese, although the compatibility varies from bottle to bottle.
Wine tastings can be a fun way to "learn" wine if you're an amateur. It's usually not too difficult to convince a bunch of friends to hang out and drink, either. Some planning is required, however. There are essentially two kinds of tastings for the purposes of learning more about wines. You could try a variety of different reds or different whites in order to determine the different tastes that result from different kinds of grapes, or you could try a series of different bottles of the same grape from different regions which is a good way to learn one wine in-depth. It is also important to experiment. Europe surely isn't the only cradle of good wine; there are great wines from Australia, Chile, and California. Any region that can grow a grape can produce wine, including Maryland, whose 11 wineries delivered 87,000 gallons of wine in the fiscal year of 2001.
Whatever you choose, it is important to taste the youngest and lightest wines before older, heavier vintages so as not to mask the tastes of the lighter wines. Before you taste the wine, you can get an idea of its density by swirling it around in the glass. This way you can judge its viscosity by watching its "legs," which run down the side of the glass when it is swirled. The more slow-moving the legs, the denser the flavor. Color is also a factor. As red wines age, they fade going from a deep purple to a brick color, whereas white wines grow darker. Next, when tasting a new wine, you should sniff it and note what kind of hints of flavor you detect: honey, citrus, nutty, etc. When you actually taste the wine you can judge its "balance". You can tell whether it is light, medium, or full-bodied by its weight in your mouth. Finally, the actual taste comes into play, right before the wine is swallowed, when the vapors hit the nasal cavities. The aftertaste is also a factor and is quantified by how many "caudalies" the wine achieves. Each second that the taste of the wine stays in your mouth after swallowing is counted as one caudalie, the thinking being that the longer it lingers, the better. But most of all, it is important to remember that wine tasting should be fun, so if the idea of counting caudalies sounds intimidating, despair not, for there are professionals out there who can help you.
There are a lot of events that make trying wine an easy and accessible thing to do. The Baltimore Museum of Art occasionally holds wine tastings and runs a wine special, charging only $18 for a select list of 14 different wines every Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its caf, Gertrude's. Local businesses also organize wine-tasting events from time to time; one particularly notable one being the Chesapeake Wine Company located on 2400 Boston St. in the Canton area. This customer-friendly store has incorporated a wine bar into an everyday retail liquor store, offering the chance to taste what you are about to buy before you drop anywhere from ten to one hundred plus bucks on it. It also hosts a wine tasting on Tuesday nights and classes on Sunday afternoons.
So, to sum up, no pressure! Wine tasting should be fun, not overly serious. Simply eat, drink and be merry. And, folks, there's a reason why that "be merry" part was added on at the end, and that's because (shhh) wine can get you drunk - and that's no fun if you're worried whether the wine smells flowery or has an impetuous taste. Cheers.
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