Visiting wine country is another great way to learn about all aspects of wine. Many of our wine country experiences are chronicled here.

The dimensions of wine

Realize that wine encounters are multi-dimensional - they exist not only in breadth and depth of color, body, smell, taste, alcohol content, and feel, but they evolve in time too. The timing of smelling and tasting - the first few seconds of the wine on the tongue, across various parts of the tongue, and in the mouth initially and after it is swallowed all reveal different sensations. That same wine will evolve throughout the evening as it opens up and 'breaths'. And that same wine will reveal itself differently the next day and perhaps the day after that! And age-worthy wines will evolve over years or even decades! See my blog Collecting and Aging Wine - Buy the Case. (That's what those vintage charts area all about - to help track the age-worthiness and subsequent drinking window as wines from a given region and vintage mature, or reach and eventually pass their prime. That window will be different for wines of different varietals, regions as well as vintages. No wonder it gets complicated. More on all that below.)

We'll often taste a wine and put it away for later - saving some for later in the day or evening, the next day, and the day after that! Much will be revealed in this and patience will often be rewarded! (The drinking window for a bottle once opened however is days).

Next, another bottle of the same wine from the same producer from the same vintage will evolve over time and reveal itself differently as it ages. And finally, other vintages of that same wine from the same producer will reveal themselves differently, at a point in time and over each of these sensation dimensions and time.

Multiple wines from the same producer (or region) from different vintages are known as a 'vertical'. For example a 'vertical' tasting of Opus One would be a comparison from the different vintages, such as the 1990, 1991, 1994, and 1995 vintages of the same wine. Each vintage will have its own characteristics for each growing region, for each type of grape or varietal, and wine.

Examples of gala vertical wine tastings:
Gaja vertical tasting - An Evening with Angelo Gaja
An evening with Edouard Moueix - Dominus Vertical Tasting
An evening with Delia Viader

Multiple wines from the same vintage from a different producer or growing area or region are called a 'horizontal' tasting. For example one might do a horizontal tasting of a number of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignons from the 2004 vintage.

Horizontal Selection of 1981 Bordeaux from Rick's Cellar And a Vertical Selection of Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

As you encounter more tasting experiences, your 'vocabulary' or inventory of wine memories or conscious sensations will build, providing a broader, deeper, richer, more learned, extensive basis for appreciation and comparison. And of course all these dimensions are ever changing for each wine. And of course every year, each vintage for each region for each wine starts the process all over again. No wonder it becomes overwhelming! Hence the need to focus. Keep it simple. Don't try to master all wines from all regions from all periods. Experiment, find one you like, focus on that wine type and region, and then later, slowly branch out from there - same or different varietal, different vintage era, different producer and so on.

Focus

Another reason wine can be intimidating if not overwhelming is the sheer magnitude of choices - old world, new world, regions, appellations, varietals, vintages - it can be confusing at best.  Bordeaux has over fifty appellations and almost 10,000 producers. Even California's Napa Valley has seventeen different appellations and close to five hundred producers. While experimentation is part of the fun, its also valuable to zero in on what one likes. Once you find a wine that you like, make note of the identifiers of that particular wine - country, region, appellation, producer, vintage - (listed in order or sub-classification). Then, branch out from there within that wine-type or category. Indeed, having collected and tasted thousands of bottles of wine over three decades, 95% of our cellar is US, Australian and French - and the majority of those wines are Napa, South Australian Shiraz, and Bordeaux - areas of focus naturally gravitating to wines we enjoy. I find an Italian wine list as bewildering and confounding as the next person for the most part since that's outside our 'comfort' zone or area of focus. In the end - its all about enjoyment - at which point it becomes intimidating or stressful, back off - simply realize your outside your comfort zone, and carry on! 

Wine Types and Wine Glassware

Ever notice that or wonder why different wine glasses are of different shapes? Tests have shown that the shape and construction of wine glassware can significantly improve the exposition of the bouquet and/or flavor of wines. The size and shape of different wine glasses are meticulously tailored to a particular type of wine and the variety of grapes in that wine, to showcase its partnered

wine so that flavor and bouquet are transmitted in a truly "authentic" manner. The shape of the bowl and its flare are matched to a wine's bouquet and and tasting profile to present that wine to its maximum potential. the unique shape of different wine glasses' result in a specialized tool which will expertly present the wine to the palate - delivering the wine to that part of the tongue that best represents that wine's characteristics. The various popular wine glasses are featured on this page. (By the way, ever wonder why wine glasses have stems? The reason wine glass have stems is for holding the glass without warming the wine which one does when they hold the glass by the bowl).

Wine Prices

Oh, yes, - one more dimension is price. The good news is, as you practice and develop a more learned or experienced vocabulary, it will become more discriminating. The bad news is that you'll start to recognize and appreciate the difference between a cheaper wine and a more expensive wine! This means as your palate becomes more experienced and discriminating, you'll start to recognize and appreciate more expensive wines. The good news though is that there is a limit to this calibration. You might 'hit the wall' at fifteen dollars per bottle, or twenty-five, or fifty. Further good news is that you'll soon realize that there is not a complete direct correlation between price, value, quality, and your personal preferences. The ultimate fun and reward is finding that diamond in the rough - an inexpensive, affordable wine that you truly enjoy, regardless of price.  They are out there. Now go find them!

Wine Resources

There are many websites devoted to wine which offer a wealth of information, advise, and insights. There are also many wine books available to cover all aspects of wine for the neophyte to the oenophile. There are also many wine reviewers and reviews who write about wine to aid and guide tasting, purchasing and collecting. A useful on-line resource is WineSearcher.com - an search engine for finding wine by in stock at over ten thousand participating merchants - great for checking prices and availability. You can access WineSearcher on this WineSite main page here.    

Remember at all times, this is supposed to be fun. At any point it becomes work, back off. Also, contain your enthusiasm. I try to always be mindful that a wine-snob is someone who talks about wine more than those around him/her wish to hear about it!

Tasting

If tasting more than one wine, always start with the lighter and simpler wines first. A heavier or heartier wine will overpower lesser wines and you'll lose all sense of discrimination or calibration for them.

Spit or swallow

One doesn't have to drink wine to taste wine. If you are concerned about your consumption, don't hesitate to spit the wine out rather than swallow. Its acceptable and appropriate. Especially for longer or broader tastings - spit so you can enjoy more, or at least spit those you are less interested in and and savior and swallow only those special wines!

If you are tasting several or many wines, it is normal to reach palate 'fatigue' or overload. Pace yourself, take your time, and refresh or cleanse your palate in between wines. This can be done with water, cheese, fruit, bread, biscuits or some combination of such.

Serve wines chilled - whites at 40-50 degrees. Yes, reds too, but only slightly less so. We like to taste and drink our reds at 12-20 degrees below room temperature. Too often reds are served too warm - even in fine restaurants. Tell them so! We routinely find ourselves setting our red bottle next to and in between our glasses of ice-water!

Observe - color, thickness, opacity, and aroma.

Swirl the wine in the glass (remember to hold the glass by the stem, not the bowl - so as not to 'heat' the wine - that's for cognac! - that's why they have stems!), and observe further - the color, body, structure, opacity. Note the 'lines' in the glass as the wine drains back from the edges into the bowl. These are called 'legs' (or my British friends call them 'curtains';) and reveal the body and structure of the wine.

Sip and 'feel' the structure or body of the wine on the tongue and in the mouth.

Sip just enough to taste as the wine rolls across each part of the tongue. Taste the wine over a period of time. Note the 'beginning' or front, 'middle', and end or 'finish' of this process as the wine crosses the tongue and is swallowed. Note the finish can go for a minute or more after the wine is swallowed - a big or long finish!

These 'dimensions' are about where the wine meets the different tasting parts of the tongue and time in the mouth. Did you know that is why different wine glasses have different shapes? Differently shaped wine glasses are specified for different types of wine to reveal the aroma in the bowl of the glass, and to deliver or deposit the wine slowly or more quickly, narrowly or widely to the front, middle or rear of the tongue - all to marry the wine with the olfactory and tasting sensation parts of the tongue best suited to that wine's characteristics! 

Characteristics of the wine can be revealed through the 'mouth feel'.  

Hold the wine in the mouth and if you can, suck in air, or swirl the wine in your mouth to mix it with air to allow it to 'breath' in order to reveal more of its aroma and tastes. Amazingly, the wine will reveal different sensations and tastes at each of these various parts of the process!

Note that wine tasting notes often are indicated with numerous different descriptions! These are reflections of different parts and time of the process.

Swirl the wine in the mouth, and as you do, try to feel the texture, structure and once again sense the aromas and tastes sensations of the wine.

If the wine has exceptional olfactory sensations, hold the wine in your mouth and suck in some air (really). It'll create a slurping sound but will reveal the bouquet further as taste sensation.