Taste Like No One Is Watching

I read an article once saying that one should pay attention to who is watching when one smells or tastes wine.  Well, I am going to be the devil's advocate (gasp!).  I "gasp" because anyone who knows me at all, knows I am a bit of a nonconformist who has a problem with authority.  These can be difficult personality traits for a nurse and a lawyer (my past careers), but not for a Stay At Home Mom (or Wino).

When I was considering what to write about for this week's blog, I thought back to when I first started drinking wine.  I laughed at the thought, because that is when I drank Strawberry Hill (Boone's Farm).  Wow, I really thought it was good!  Okay, so at that time I was not swirling, smelling and was barely tasting.  But a few years back, when I REALLY started to drink wine for real, I knew nothing!  I didn't know what I liked, or even how to determine what I liked!  I watched other, more experienced individuals swirling, looking, smelling.  Why were they swirling?  What were they looking at?  Were they smelling it to make sure it wasn't bad?  I had NO idea of the complex journey on which I was about to embark.

Over the past couple of years, one of the most important things I have realized when it comes to tasting wine, is to trust myself.  What I smell or taste, even if it completely different from what others smell and taste, is my own.  I bring my own history to the table.  I bring what my nose knows!  Also, many things go into winemaking.  Wine can be aged in oak barrels.  The oak can come from different regions and, just as I bring my own history to the table, where a wine originates has its own history.

My past in trauma nursing has made my nose extremely sensitive to the smell of alcohol.  Sometimes it is difficult, and quite frustrating, to get past that scent.  I find myself getting so excited when I can discern some other aroma!  I have to admit, however, that I have contributed some very unorthodox opinions to our wine class.  In reviewing tasting notes over the past two years, I found such adjectives as "plastic doll head", "leftover bonfire" and "lotiony" (which I don't believe is even a word).  Over time, I have become more comfortable with admitting to such craziness.  It is a learning experience - a journey.  Sometimes you will smell what is written on the back of the bottle, and sometimes you won't.  I have yet to see "plastic doll head" on the back of a bottle of wine, but you never know.

One good piece of advice I read was to, literally, take in as many smells as you can.  Be conscious of them, committing them to your "memory bank of scents".  The wider array of smells you experience, the larger your, so-called, database will be to draw from when enjoying your wine.  Another option, and the Winos are investigating this, is an aroma kit.  In this kit, are several bottles which contain the main aromas found in wine.  This is a great idea, since many of us don't know what things like cassis smell like.

Another important aspect of the nose, is swirling.  I never realized how swirling wine changes the nose!  I don't profess to be an expert at swirling, and still have to keep the glass on the table when I do so, or someone (me) will be cleaning up a mess.   Swirling makes a difference!  Swirling allows oxygen to get into the wine.  It releases the aldehydes, ethers and esters which combine with oxygen to yield the bouquet of the wine.  Basically, swirling aerates the wine and elicits a better smell.  You may take a deep whiff of your wine and find nothing to speak of in the nose, but swirl and it can open up an amazing array of enjoyable aromas.

For me personally, the nose has taken time.  I continue to struggle, at times, with discerning what I smell.  It takes A LOT of practice, which "forces" me to taste and smell a lot of wine.  :)  Ultimately, if you are new to the wine game, my novice advice is to take your time and lose yourself in your own thoughts.  Trust what you smell and taste and don't be shy about sharing it!  There isn't always a "right" answer.  Smell and taste like no one is watching.

Rockpile AVA

Last Friday was a treat for my wine friends and my husband. My latest wine club shipment arrived from Mauritson Winery. My husband and I discovered the winery 2 years ago on a trip to Sonoma. It has become one of our favorite wine producers. We especially enjoy their Rockpile wines, and received the 2010 Rockpile Jack’s Cabin Zinfandel and 2010 Rockpile Westphall Ridge Zinfandel.

If you haven’t heard of the Rockpile AVA (American Viticultural Area) before, it isn’t surprising. This AVA is one of the newest in the country, becoming official just 10 years ago on April 29, 2002. This AVA can be found just northwest of the Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma County. The grapes here are grown at a high elevation, at least 800 feet, with 95% of the grapes grown at 1,000 feet or higher. Because of its elevation and proximity to Lake Sonoma, fog is limited and the exposure to the sun is increased. Wind is also a factor, and the soil is quite rocky. All these factors help to produce smaller clusters of fruit with smaller grapes. As a result, some excellent wines are produced. We especially love the Zinfandels that come from the Rockpile area.

As I was saying, my husband and I discovered this AVA two years ago while visiting the Healdsburg area. We both love Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels, so we thought this area would be a great base. We stayed at a wonderful hotel, Hotel Healdsburg, which is located on the square in this charming town. The concierge recommended a number of wineries not to be missed. Mauritson Family Winery was one of these. One taste of the Rockpile Zinfandel and we were hooked. They produce four different Zins; Rockpile Ridge, Westphall Ridge, Jack’s Cabin, and Cemetery Zinfandel. All have distinct qualities; Jack’s Cabin is definitely the jammiest, with Westphall Ridge I find more refined. All have a great finish with varying degrees of spiciness. We also very much enjoy their 2009 Madrone Springs Rockpile Syrah.

So if you are ever in the Healdsburg area, the Mauritson Winery is definitely worth a visit. Try their wonderful Zins, or if you aren’t a Zin fan some of their other wonderful wines. The staff is friendly and if you’re lucky one of their Labs will be there! If you won’t be in California any time soon, visit them at www.mauritsonwine.com.

Cheers,
Beth

Healthy Wine

We are always touting the wonderful aspects of enjoying wine!  Check out this article on Foxnews.com
 http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/27/health-benefits-drinking-red-wine/

Join us for a virtual drink!

Here we are, three stay at home winos who want to share our amateur foray into wine with you!  This isn't for professionals!  This is for real folks who are just learning about wine or those who know just enough to be dangerous!  

We three amigos have a rotating wine class, testing three wines per class.  Sometimes there is a theme - a region or a type of wine - sometimes, it is three completely unrelated wines.  Our goal is to learn about grape varietals, regions, how to describe the nose, how to articulate what we taste, and anything else we can pick up along the way.  We are always looking for great resources (books, web sites, aroma kits, etc.) to help us expand our knowledge of a drink we have come to love - sometimes too much.  

After each class, we hope to share on this blog which wines we tasted, food pairings, what we thought and whether we would recommend each wine!  We will also do our best to indicate the price range for each wine.  

It is our goal to reach out to other individuals who want to know more about wine and desire an informal forum to share their thoughts with other like-minded individuals.  We welcome thoughts, questions and discussions about any and all wine related topics.

We don't profess to be sommeliers, but do enjoy wine enough to blog about it.  We have found that, when it comes to wine tasting, it is completely subjective and there are no wrong answers - at least in our world.  

Cheers!