"Environmental" hazards

There have been numerous studies conducted to measure the effect of surroundings (atmosphere, lighting, wall paper...you get the picture) on the taste of wine. Some also say that what we taste is really what we smell. What makes you want to buy a bottle of wine when you walk into a tasting room? Obviously the wine and winemaker have a lot to do in influencing your opinion, but when you walk into a room, so much of what you are experiencing when you taste the wine has to do with your environment, light, colors, windows, smells, music, etc...I have made countless visits to tasting rooms up and down the state of California and it is astounding to me how different each encounter can be! Ambient scents and sounds are important factors in creating tone but if a winery tries too hard to 'enhance' a tasting room to help intensify the flavor of the wines it is pouring, and I buy the wine, there is a risk of me taking it home and serving it under different surroundings and being sorely disappointed! When I present a wine to friends at a dinner, I remember the flavors that my brain encountered when I had the initial experience and I don't like being fooled! My best times in wine tasting have been where the room was well lit, there were vineyard views, and the colors inside were warm and inviting! Oh yeah, and the music, if at all, was not overpowering!!! (I tend to favor Brubeck or Pepper Adams). One of the most inviting tasting rooms that I have visited recently has been Locals Wine Tasting in Geyserville! It is located on the quiet 'main street' next to a very small block of businesses mainly consisting of gourmet Italian food, gourmet pizza and local shops. Proprietor, Carolyn, was manning the elegant bar and was very knowledgeable about each and every winemaker she represented! And here's another influence to one's tasting pleasure - what does the person pouring the wine recommend? This can either lead you to some real treasures that you might not otherwise have found, or to realize that you and your "host' have completely different taste in wine! It really is a very personal experience! At Locals, Kirsten and I appreciated Carolyn's recommendations and were very impressed with the Eric Ross wines!I especially liked the 2007 Struttin' Red Rhone Blend and I have to say that when you combine the ambiance of this quaint tasting room with the small town atmosphere, you will never want to leave!!!


2007 Eric Ross Struttin' Red Rhone Blend $24
35% Syrah, Lodi, 35% Cabernet Franc, Lake County, 25% Petite Sirah, Lodi, 5% Zinfandel, Lake County

2007 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino $23
The year 2007 was an excellent year for sauvignon blanc. Tasting the fabulous stone fruit, grapefruit and floral flavors in the grapes, it was evident it would be a superb white wine vintage.

2005 Arbios Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $31
The wines are ripe and intense with rich plum and cherry flavors and intriguing notes of olive and earth; a style that has been described as a cross between the new and old world.