At a recent dinner with friends, we sat around the table thoroughly enjoying a fantastic meal and as we sipped our wine the conversation turned to the fact that our college age kids were starting to take an interest in wine. What? No more vodka shots and beer? One of our friends said that her son was enjoying it so much he had even started to read up on the subject! That's a college kid for you! A few years ago, Kirsten and I attended 'Barrel Tasting Weekend' up in the Dry Creek Valley, and with picture perfect weather and good company, we dove into the crowds of enthusiastic wine lovers and made our way from winery to winery. It w
as hard not to notice that there were a lot of young folks (20 somethings) everywhere, some in large boisterous parties piling in and out of over sized limos and some that were just small groups of friends. It hit me that this is the next generation of wine lovers, and a lot of them are taking it very seriously! I have to admit I was a little taken aback by this sight as I came into my love of wine a little later in life. But as I looked out over the crowds of young people, glasses in hand, I overheard conversations and really good questions being asked of the people pouring; where did you source the grapes? how many acres do you farm? explain what 'legs' are again??? So much of wine exploration is being curious and asking questions and then trusting your own palate, and barrel tasting is a great place to start. Wi
th wine there is so much to learn and experience and discover and I have never stopped learning! The only thing I know for sure is that there is no right answer. No two people experience wine the same way and I tell my friends that even though I recommend a wine to them, there is no guarantee they will like it. Some people take years to try to develop a discernible palate and to be able to recognise a wine's region by taste, but for most of us all we really need to do is discern what works for us! And the adventure can be a lot of fun. One can start with Cabernet and Chardonnay and get into Pinot Noir, but also venture into lesser known varietals like Viognier, Malbec, or try out some interesting blends. Part of the exploration for me can just be reading the label on the bottle which gives me lots of information...the vintage (good year/not so good/too young or just right), the winery, grape varietal, appellation, county, alcohol content. Then there is the cork, is it wet/dry and what about screw top? Questions arise such as, how was the wine stored? How's the temperature? Too warm? Too cold? Ah...and once wine is in the glass your sense of taste, smell, sight and sound kick in to overdrive!!! But the ultimate test is after you taste it, if you like it, it's good!
Here are some fun wines for you to try!
as hard not to notice that there were a lot of young folks (20 somethings) everywhere, some in large boisterous parties piling in and out of over sized limos and some that were just small groups of friends. It hit me that this is the next generation of wine lovers, and a lot of them are taking it very seriously! I have to admit I was a little taken aback by this sight as I came into my love of wine a little later in life. But as I looked out over the crowds of young people, glasses in hand, I overheard conversations and really good questions being asked of the people pouring; where did you source the grapes? how many acres do you farm? explain what 'legs' are again??? So much of wine exploration is being curious and asking questions and then trusting your own palate, and barrel tasting is a great place to start. Wi
th wine there is so much to learn and experience and discover and I have never stopped learning! The only thing I know for sure is that there is no right answer. No two people experience wine the same way and I tell my friends that even though I recommend a wine to them, there is no guarantee they will like it. Some people take years to try to develop a discernible palate and to be able to recognise a wine's region by taste, but for most of us all we really need to do is discern what works for us! And the adventure can be a lot of fun. One can start with Cabernet and Chardonnay and get into Pinot Noir, but also venture into lesser known varietals like Viognier, Malbec, or try out some interesting blends. Part of the exploration for me can just be reading the label on the bottle which gives me lots of information...the vintage (good year/not so good/too young or just right), the winery, grape varietal, appellation, county, alcohol content. Then there is the cork, is it wet/dry and what about screw top? Questions arise such as, how was the wine stored? How's the temperature? Too warm? Too cold? Ah...and once wine is in the glass your sense of taste, smell, sight and sound kick in to overdrive!!! But the ultimate test is after you taste it, if you like it, it's good!
2008 Cobos (Paul Hobbs) Malbec Mendoza El Felino
Russian River Valley Viognier
2007 Estancia Meritage
2008 Colores Del Sol Malbec Reserva
2008 Dry Creek Vineyard
Dry Chenin Blanc
No comments:
Post a Comment