Gift Giving for the Discerning Wino-The Decanter

So when it comes to giving a gift for the wino who probably has everything, what do you do?  It would never fail by giving a wonderful bottle of their favorite wine or maybe one of YOUR favorite wines.  But once that bottle has been enjoyed (as I'm sure it will be), you just have an empty bottle.  Now you could use the cork for some future decorating project ( Beth made a cool lazy susan) or put a candle wick in it for ambient lighting (Mary Jo made several of these from special bottles) or for the not so crafty person that I am, you have to come up with something else.

As for some favorite "toys" for the wino, one that is very useful and can be used over and over, is the decanter.  I do have to admit I have a couple of decanters that get plenty of use. So why a decanter?  What is the purpose of a decanter?





Well, for starters there are a couple of reasons one chooses to decant a wine.  One is for aeration.  This is mainly for full-bodied red wines whose aroma, flavor, and complexity can improve with aeration.  We have noticed that during some of our wine classes the wines change after the first tasting, then pairing with some foods and later tasting again once the bottle has been open for a while.  This decanter just helps speed up the process.  We've also noticed it can enhance the flavor of an inexpensive wine.  These don't have to be fancy but best to use either glass or crystal because they won't alter the wine's taste.  Also, make sure they are large enough to hold an entire bottle of wine and still have plenty of room. There should be plenty of surface area exposed to air.

Another reason for decanting is for removal of sediment.  Again, for full-bodied reds since, as they age, they can develop a deposit that settles to the bottom of the bottle.  The decanter helps to separate the clear wine from the sediment, because no one enjoys that unpleasant taste.

Now let's explore which wines should be decanted.  According to Andrea Immer Robinson, the Rule of Thumb: Older red wines (typically ten years and older, but visually inspect bottles with three or more years of age to be sure) may have sediment, and are thus candidates for decanting.  All vintage Port has sediment, and should be decanted--the older the wine, the thicker the sediment.  Young, very full-bodied red wines can benefit from decanting for aeration. 

Speaking of aeration, if you don't wish to enjoy the entire bottle at the time, using an aerator for pouring a glass at a time is the perfect solution.  My pick of choice is the Vinturi.  Just hold it over your glass, pour and instant aeration!  It's fun to try a little wine without the aerator and then after and taste the difference.  It's amazing how the wine really opens up.

 





Now if you are like me and really love pretty toys, I picked up a beautiful wine funnel from JordanWinery in California on our last trip.  It's not only functional but pretty to use.

 

So if you are looking for a fun gift or just want to enhance a wonderful bottle of wine, try a decanter!

Cheers!

Lisa



Wine Lesson Plan

This is a sample of how we prepare for our “wine school”. I hope it will help inspire you to learn more about wine.

Objective:  To explore, taste and experience three unfamiliar Spanish white wines.

Wines:  Martin Cόdax Albariῆo 2010 ($12.99 at multiple retailers); Louro Do Bolo Godello 2009 ($16.99 at The Wine Merchant); Hermanos Lurton Verdejo 2010 ($11.99 at Whole Foods)

Preparation:  This is where our group takes turns being the “teacher”.  We rotate who will host the evening. The host is then responsible for the topic of the evening and background research of the wines being served and the region they come from. With this class the grapes were unfamiliar to us, so we spent a lot of time talking about the grapes, and where they grow in Spain along with the climate and even some interesting historical facts about Spain. We have some great resources listed on the blog that can be used as references. Also, make yourself aware of the wine laws in the countries or regions you are learning about. As part of our research, we find some small pairings that should work well with our wines of the evening. We always have some cheese for pairing, and Spanish Manchego cheese was a perfect pairing with Spanish wines. We also tried pairing Goat Gouda cheese, Rembrandt Extra Aged Gouda, and guacamole. Usually, we add some chocolate too when serving red wines.

Set up:  Place three glasses at each place setting; a tasting note sheet (www.wine-tastings-guide.com/wine-tasting-notes-template.html );  small plate; napkin; and pen. It is helpful that at least one item, example tasting sheet or plate, is white to use a background when distinguishing the color/appearance of the wine. Make sure you have the wines at the correct temperature. Whites should not be straight out of refrigerator, let them sit out 15-20 minutes.

Swirl, Smell, Taste:  Time to begin. Over time we have found it helpful to try each wine one by one without adding any pairings. Basically we follow the tasting note sheet listed above. First we look at the appearance of the wine. Is it straw yellow, golden, etc. Next we give the wine a good swirl to get the aromas going. Take a deep whiff of the wine – what do you smell? Remember there is no wrong answer. It takes practice and helps discussing with others what you smell. A great source I found recently is The Wine Aroma Wheel, www.winearomawheel.com. And finally, it is time to taste. Try to leave the wine in your mouth for about 30 seconds if you can and swish it around if that feels comfortable to you. Don’t be surprised if with the second sip the flavor is enhanced. Sometimes it takes the first sip to coat the tongue with the flavors of the wine. Discuss and make notes regarding the taste. Some things to consider, tannins, acidity, mouth feel, type of fruit, etc. Repeat this with the next two wines. Try and hold off on the snacks until you have tried all of the wines. The food will change the palate.

Add Some Nibbles:  Now it is time to start experimenting with the food. Pick a cheese and try with each wine. Is there a wine that works better with a specific cheese? We like to leave room on our tasting sheet to add notes about the wine with the pairings. Make sure you sniff the wines when you try them again. You will be amazed how the nose may change as the wine opens up.

Final Thoughts: Be creative and do what works for you and your group. This is just a sample from one of our classes. We have done blind tastings as well. Sometimes we have added in the game, Winerd, which is a lot of fun. If you are nervous about starting this up on your own, I highly recommend the book, Great Wine Made Simple, by Andrea Immer Robinson. Her book takes you through the great grapes of the world and has tastings for you to try. Our first classes were based on her teachings; after we started feeling more comfortable we started adapting or adding on to her tastings to fit our needs. Before you knew it, we were designing our own classes. Remember, wine and foods are meant to be shared and enjoyed with friends.

Cheers,

Beth

Wine Fact:  Every wine contain some sulfites. They result as a natural by-product of the fermentation process.

Our Beginning

            I thought it might be helpful if I told you how three neighborhood ladies began our wine journey together and how you and your friends can study at home too!

     A few years back I decided that I wanted to learn more about wines. I had enjoyed wines for years, especially red wines from California. After taking a few classes at our neighborhood wine store called Fezziwig’s, I started looking for books that might assist my wine journey. I found a great one called Great Wine Made Simple by Andrea Immer Robinson. Each chapter is set up perfectly for creating your own wine school. Some lessons can be done in one sitting. Others work better over multiple evenings (which, by the way, is a great excuse for getting together with your friends or neighbors). At the end of each chapter, the author lays out a tasting with step by step instructions. After reading the first chapter of her book, I decided I needed to have my own tasting. You can gain a lot of knowledge about wine by reading but you really have to taste the wine to get a better understanding of the concepts. My only problem was it wouldn’t be much fun to taste alone, so I asked my neighbor Lisa to join me. She had taken the wine classes with me at Fezziwig’s so I knew we had about the same knowledge going in. The first wine school class was so much fun we decided we should keep it up. Due to the amount of wine opened for a class, it really seemed like we needed more drinkers. So we asked another wine drinking neighbor, Mary Jo, to join us. School was in session.

So, you ask, how did we set the curriculum for Wine School? In the beginning we basically followed ideas from Great Wine Made Simple. We also expanded our reference selection to include Wine Windows on the World Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. This is another excellent resource that we find ourselves referring to often. He also has some tastings to try. When I was preparing for a trip to Italy, I added Italian Wine for Dummies which was informative and a great reference tool. Now we go online a lot to find information and expand on tasting ideas we have read about in the past. For example, we may compare California and Oregon Pinot Noir. Or sample wines from a specific region in Italy or France. There is no end to possibilities. To share the load of planning a lesson, we rotate hosting school with the host deciding on the topic of the evening. In the beginning we just did tastings but we soon started adding cheese pairings. Yum, yum!! Lately we started to add some other small nibbles that should pair well with the wines we are trying. If the wines are red, you can be sure there is some dark chocolate involved!

There is a basic format that we follow for our classes, but we remain flexible. Each class consists of three wines. If we are comparing the same style of wine from different regions we try to stay in the same general price range for our wine so the comparison is more accurate. Other times we may vary the degrees of price ranges. Sometimes it will surprise you…you may enjoy the more moderately price wine the most. The setup includes three glasses for each person and a white plate or napkin for viewing the wine. We have learned that it is best to taste and make notes on each wine by itself before we add any of the food pairings. That way you can really see how wine and food are meant to be together. For our note taking we found a tasting sheet that we find helpful at www.wine-tastings-guide.com . This tasting sheet allows you to have all three wines on the same sheet for side by side comparison. We start with the color/appearance. Next we move to the nose, which we find is the most difficult to put in words. We have grown in this area, but continue to look for ways to improve here. Last, the mouth, how does it feel in the mouth, the finish, etc? After we have tasted each one, we go back and try them again with the pairings. Many times our least favorite wine becomes a favorite with the correct pairings. A new twist we have added to a couple of our classes is the Winerd game. Mary Jo received it as a gift for Christmas and it is a lot of fun. It challenges us on terms and general wine knowledge, so you learn while you play!

When all is said and done, we have fun, enjoy each other’s company and get to try new wines. Over these last few years we have become more that just wine loving neighbors. Now we are wine loving friends! I count myself lucky to call Lisa and Mary Jo dear friends.

Cheers,

Beth