Wine World
A question of sight, smell and taste
Mairead Robinson looks at the basics of recognising and enjoying the fruit of the vine.
As most of you know, tasting wine is one of life’s great pleasures. While there is often a certain amount of snobbery around the subject, you should never be put off from finding out exactly what you like and why. A few basic guidelines will help you to get the most out of trying new wines, and can help to identify special characteristics of grape varietals and regions. So, let’s get started!
Wine tasting is about using your sense of sight, smell and taste. The entire process, from the first look to the lat swallow will probably take only a minute. Concentrating on what you are drinking will mean that the memory of the taste of a good wine will remain for a long time and the memory of a bad wine will mean you’ll never purchase it again.
Sight: wine should be bright and clear, observe the intensity of colour. White wines vary in depth from water pale to yellow, gold or green. Red wines vary from purple inky tones when young to ruby, garnet or in older wines brick or tile.
Smell: Swirl the glass gently to allow some air to mix with the wine. Hold the glass to your nose and ‘sniff’ the wine. Smells are usually floral, fruity, vegetal, spicy or savoury.
Taste: Take a sip and swirl the wine around the mouth to get the full flavour. Note the body or weight of the wine. Then concentrate on the finish – is it long and lingering or short and uninteresting?
In the next article we will expand on the tasting terms used such as acidity, tannin, sweetness, alcohol and texture. In the meantime I am going to look at some quality wines that show characteristics typical of their regional variety. So, let’s get tasting!
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We are still very fond of Australian wines, and the Barossa Valley in South Australia produces some of the finest Shiraz that the country is so famous for. While we like our wines big and spicy, we have moved towards a more elegant and refined red in recent years, and thankfully we are seeing some really wonderful examples of a finely crafted Shiraz on our shelves in recent years. One of my favourites is Terra-Barossa Shiraz from family owned Thorn Clarke. We have mentioned Thorn Clarke wines before and I recently tasted the 2008 vintage which is an excellent example of a great Aussie Shiraz. It is a deep red colour with plums and spice on the nose. It is very fruity on the palate, with plums, blackberry and sweet spice from the oak – this wine is aged for 12 months in American oak. Sight, smell and taste are all easily defined, and you can feel in your mouth that this flavourful wine will only improve with age. Let it open up a little in the glass, and revisit it after a few minutes. You will see what I mean. |
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Staying with Australia but moving to white wine, I have chosen one of my favourite white varietals – the very elegant Viognier. Readily recognised on the nose, Viognier smells of exotic flowers with underlying notes of peach or apricot. The palate is rich and opulent. While its native home is the Rhone Valley, it is also successful in Languedoc, Argentina, California and Australia. I have chosen d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab from McLaren Vale. Unusual name, great wine. While regularly found as a blend to add elegance to harsher grapes, in this instance we have 78% Viognier with 22% Marsanne. The nose is generous and expressive with apricot, peach and pear in abundance – typical of a great Viognier. There are also hints of honeysuckle and orange blossom. It is lively on the palate, with the Marsanne adding some pine nut complexity. You will experience a really good finish.
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We also tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon from d’Arenberg and found it also to be a great example of this popular varietal. The High Trellis 2007 has a typical Cabernet Sauvignon nose – juicy ripe blackberries with a hint of mint. On the palate we can taste blackcurrant, raspberry and blueberry with a hint of oak. There is a long finish, full in the mouth with juicy summer berries.
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One wine that is distinctly different to other whites is the unique Riesling whose natural home is in Germany and Austria. Riesling is an extraordinarily aromatic grape variety, its wines are nearly always finely balanced and they also have excellent aging ability. Sepp Moser from Kremstal in Austria produce a very clean example of a classic Riesling. It is a bright yellow colour, very typically Riesling on the nose, acidic structure on the palate with a lively finish.
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Finally let us go back to the Loire Valley in France for the origin of some of the wines we know and love. Sauvignon Blanc has been enjoying great popularity since people turned off Chardonnay some years ago (that is now changing, another story!) For a perfect expression of this aromatic grape from the climate and soil of the Cher Valley, Thierry Delaunay 2009 is pale gold in colour with complex aromas, elegant fruit flavours and a long refreshing finish. Just a beautiful Sauvignon for fish, seafood or as an aperitif.
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Finally the Chenin Blanc grape, also from the lovely Loire Valley is another variety that goes so well with fish and seafood. We loved the 2008 from Monmousseau Vouvray. It is demi-sec with pale straw-yellow colour and soft aromas of apple and lime on the nose that carry through to the palate. Wonderful summer and late summer wines.
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We will have more wines to taste next issue, and we are going to look at what is coming from South Africa – after the World Cup, what has South Africa to offer the wine world? Join us next issue and get to know some more great wines from around the world.
