Behind the Counter – Wine Tasting

Introducing people to wine you are proud of is the rewarding finale to the year-long-plus of work you know went into making every drop of the good-stuff. With so many wines out there to choose from, when you can share stories behind the wine and the wine making process it adds a level of personal affiliation that connects customers to the wine.

Last week I had the pleasure of leading a wine tasting with some friends from out of town (well, out of country). It was a blast! Here was the count:

• 2 Seccos
• 1 Sekt
• 1 Weissburgunder
• 1 Grauburgunder
• 1 Auxerrois
• 1 Riesling trocken
• 1 Riesling Kabinett mild
• 1 Riesling Spätlese mild
• 1 Spontaneously fermented Riesling Spätlese feinherb

Now, with serious wine tasters, a wine evaluation starts with an assessment of colour, hue, and consistency, then aroma, then the flavour and mouth feel, and finally the finish.

When ascertaining whether a wine is great or not, tasters look for qualities based on the following criteria:

Varietal character: how much the wine represents the grape it comes from

Integration: how well all elements of the wine fuse together harmoniously

Expressiveness: how clearly defined and focused the aromas and flavours of the wine are

Complexity: that intriguing force that pulls you to the wine, sip after sip

Connectedness: how well the wine embodies the land and environment it comes from

This high-level evaluation is certainly not necessary if the point of visiting a winery is simply curiosity and the search for tasty, drinkable wine. However, it is always nice when people feel open to talk about the wine, the flavours, food pairing ideas, etc. This communication makes a tasting a much more interactive and exciting exchange.

In the end, nothing can beat pouring tasting after tasting, telling a story through the order of the wines, engaging in bright conversation, and enjoying a jolly, joyous wine-fueled atmosphere with friends and wine enthusiasts.