First Impressions

How important are first impressions?  We have all experienced being introduced to someone we don't know and I know that I usually have an immediate response to that person! No matter how much I don't know about them, I have a response.  Some of it may have to do with the look in their eyes, interested, or not...and a hand shake is always an indicator.  How do they speak...(how do they smell?) You get my drift.  I recently finished a book called "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell which sets forth his theory of 'thin slicing' which is the way we tend to make day to day gut level decisions in a couple of seconds. Gladwell made reference to two expert 'food tasters' in his book who, after years of experience in tasting foods could actually identify the ingredients of a packaged cookie, and exactly which factory it was baked in, and even what other products were baked in the factory! This is somewhat like a Sommelier's ability to identify the grape varietal, vineyard, and winemaker of a given bottle of wine.  Okay, I get that it takes years of experimenting with food or wine to refine your palate to this point of near perfection...but to me that is half of the fun!  It is in the experimentation phase, (which in my opinion never ends), that one begins to hone their craft, which in this case is their sense of taste, sight and smell.   As the 'food tasters' have made a very good living from their craft, I am humbly just looking to add to my internal (brain) resume of what I taste in wine.

Marketing also plays a big part in thin slicing as the book so pointedly stated. This leads me to the question...what 'thin slicing'  do you do when purchasing a bottle of wine or when tasting a glass?  There are the split second decisions that affect your initial perception of a wine...but with wine, that perception can change with each sip as the wine in the glass changes. I have all to often ordered a bottle of wine at a fine eating establishment only to be disappointed when it is served way too cold...ahh, but as the wine warms up in the glass, hopefully the true textures will come out and then you are able to better enjoy.  I think that decisions about wine are a combination of the 'thin slicing' theory as set forth by Gladwell and then patience, to allow the senses to absorb the experience.  I would love to hear your personal 'thin slicing' experiences...all too subtle are the conclusions that we have come to after the first sip but often that is a decision made in seconds and sometimes time can change these decisions significantly.
As we slide into the fall season, my 'taste' turns to full-bodied wines, and as the harvest draws closer, the anticipation of what the season will bring to the glass is exciting...looking forward to some cooler weather and even some rain, but not until after the harvest!

Here are some fall favorites thin sliced:

Taste:

CrossBarn (Paul Hobbs) Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2011

The Paul Hobbs CrossBarn Chardonnay Sonoma County is a wine that gives a great first impression in terms of its complexity.  It only takes one sip for me to know that I am a fan...the wine has a pleasing pale yellow color that is fragrant with flowers, pear and citrus.

Smell:

Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2011

My fist impression of the Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir happens in the glass...after a few seconds I know by smell that this wine is going to be enjoyed as aromas of wild berries and dried herbs float to my nose.  The deep ruby red color is also very appealing.

Sight:

Okay, there is one label that always catches my eye in the wine aisles…J Vineyards, black label.

I think it is the simplicity of this label that draws me to it...in that 'thin slicing' moment, I immediately know whose whine it is!  Sometimes less is more...