Why do people taste? Showing off? Elitist posturing? Or does it make sense? “Tasting” means tasting. Nothing else. Sometimes, the mumbling and mumbling of wine connoisseurs is almost grotesque, but it still makes sense, because our tongue distinguishes between sweet, salty, sour and bitter.
Anyone who fulfills the following points can claim to be a wine specialist:
We don’t drink. We research!
First we examine the glass (preferably with a very serious expression), because the color can reveal important details about the grape variety and quality.
Once we have had our fill of the color, we slowly bring the glass to our nose and inhale deeply. We take our time and are not satisfied with a “nice bouquet”. We discover the different aromas, delighting in the nuances of Cypriot wild blueberries in the morning dew, honey or tar before our tongue has even touched a drop. Then we close our eyes and take a sip. We let the grape juice roll around in our mouths and pay attention to the texture. Does it feel velvety and melting? Crisp and refreshing? Or even oily? Can we find the aromas we had in our nose?
As wine connoisseurs, we don’t just differentiate between “white” and “red” wine
A Pinotage from South Africa tastes completely different from a Shiraz from Australia and a Chardonnay from Burgundy cannot be compared with a white Merlot from Ticino. Even a professional wine connoisseur like a sommelier does not know every grape variety by heart. However, it is helpful to know the characteristics of the most important grape varieties.
We pay attention to the temperature
As a rule, white and sweet wines are drunk cold. Low temperatures reduce the taste sensation, which means that a white wine with high total acidity does not taste sour, but pleasantly refreshing.
Red wine is drunk warmer, as the aromatic substances become more volatile at a higher drinking temperature. However, the evaporation rate of alcohol also increases at higher drinking temperatures, which can be perceived as unpleasant in the nose. This aspect also explains why full-bodied red wine is often enjoyed below the recommended drinking temperature.
Although rosé wines are made from red grapes, they are vinified in the same way as white wines. Rosé wine can therefore also be equated with white wine in terms of drinking temperature.
We know what “Zapfen” tastes like
A zippy, corky wine has no fruit, no intensity. Tastes dead, musty, simply horrible and gives you goose bumps. If you’re not sure whether the wine in your glass is tasty or whether “it just has to taste like this”: dilute the wine with 4 times more water and then smell it again. Then the goosebump effect comes out very strongly and you can be sure that it wasn’t meant to be. Around 10% of all wines are zippy. If you are unlucky: be brave and give it back. In the worst case, you get to see a raised eyebrow. But that’s still better than drinking stale wine. Especially as a wine connoisseur.
The right wine for your meal
The perfect combination of wine and food is as rare as the perfect partnership. When you experience it, you know it immediately and the feeling of happiness is great. However, there are many exciting possible combinations between “completely unsuitable” and “perfect harmony”; and ultimately it all depends on personal taste. What one half likes very much, the other half doesn’t like at all…
The simplest rules for wine connoisseurs:
- Salty dishes need wines with a high acid content, as salt neutralizes the acidity and enhances the aromas. Mineral-accented white wines such as Grüner Veltliner can even charmingly rescue an oversalted meal.
- Fatty food needs acid or tannins. This softens the opulence and heaviness.
- Heavy, intense dishes with heavy, intense wines
- Light dishes with light wines
- Sweetness plays with spiciness! Spicy, savory food needs a refreshing wine.
- Fruity white wines with little residual sweetness go wonderfully with fruity and spicy dishes.
- If sweet wine is served on a date, the wine should always taste at least as sweet as the dessert; but no sweeter than the kiss goodbye!
Basically, you should act like a wild, hungry Don Juan in the world of wine. Always on the lookout for something new. Yes, there will be many disappointments. But the nice thing is that – unlike Don Juan, the hunter and hunted of love – you can ultimately find fulfillment, at least in wine.
Monogamy is inappropriate with food and drink, cheating and being curious about new things is a virtue.
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