Up-ing your wine game, Part 3

I really like being able to open the door or remove an obstacle from someone’s wine journey. The door is the realization of how fun and enjoyable wine can be, and an obstacle can be anything; like being able to describe what you actually like.Your wine journey can appear overwhelming at the start. Thousands of wines from thousands of grapes and combinations. As a wine guide I enjoy giving fellow tasters a few simple and easy tools that enhance the enjoyment of each glass. Once you realize how fun the journey is going to be it will no longer feel overwhelming.Here is a quick recap of some of those simple tools.In the first part of Up-ing your wine game I said how important it is to go to wine tastings, especially the unique ones, like the monthly tasting held by the Emerald Coast Chapter of the American Wine Society. Going to tastings like these show you how to taste wine. Even just going to your favorite local Wine Shop tasting will help you begin to find what you like.Yet, are you still getting frustrated because you cannot describe what you like? In Part 2 of Up-ing your wine game I gave a few easy words to use. Most important - Think about what you actually taste!So, taste wine, describe wine. The next step is to ASK QUESTIONS. Do not be afraid to ask! Why did that wine taste like that? Why was it dry? Why did I taste grapefruit? Asking questions will allow you to start putting it all together. It will also show you who can you trust to ask your wine questions to, someone who can and will enhance your wine journey.Tonight’s Crowd Favorite at EastHill, Altocedro La Consulta Select Red Blend 2019 from the Uco Valley, near Mendoza Argentina, is a good example. It was bold, had a satisfying level of complex fruit; black plum, blackberry, followed by some coco with medium tannins; all from using six different grape varieties. Could you describe that if you tasted it. If so fantastic. If not don’t be afraid to ask! Just like any puzzle, the help of a second set of eyes finding that one piece can really get you over the hump, and back to enjoying your journey.

Don’t be afraid to like what you like, and how you like it.

I have been getting a lot of, what I am going to call apprehension, when I ask folks why don’t they come to the wine tastings. Sadly not everyone reads our posts, at least not yet, so they think wine tastings are full of wine snobs. Or they are just going to somehow embarrass themselves because they “don’t know wine.” It’s actually really sad. Not only are our local wine tastings full of really fun and friendly people, but we at Gulf Coast Wine are actively hunting down wine snobs. We find them to be quite tasty after a brief “roasting.” But seriously, there is no reason to be afraid of going to a wine tasting. If you like to drink, not just wine, and like fun people, then you should go. I am probably preaching to the choir here, but if you are trying to convince a reluctant friend maybe this will help.It is also okay to like what you like. This does not mean that it is okay to not try every wine, because one of the best parts of wine tastings is tasting something that surprises you. More on that in a bit. I spoke to a group of folks that were relatively new to our local wine tastings. One mentioned how they use a milk frother to aerate their red wine, and that is the only way they drink red wine. I was impressed in two ways: first, good ingenuity; second, confidence in sharing what they liked and how they liked it. On a wine science level, not every red wine needs to be aerated, and you can very easily over aerate some reds. I like to share wine knowledge, but I was adamant in saying “don’t change what you are doing if you like it!”So, as long as you try every wine, I don’t care what you do, and I love to hear about clever tricks. If you don’t try every wine then you might be missing a chance to be surprised, in a good way. Tonight’s crowd favorite was described by many tasters as “I was so surprised that I liked it.” Tapiz Sparkling Malbec Rose Extra Brut was refreshing with slight under tones of red cherry and strawberry. Those flavors appear a lot in Rose wines, but what did you feel? The bubbles, the acid, the way in which it made your mouth feel. Taste and feel, that’s what you get with wine. Knowing that will help with liking what you like. So don’t be afraid to come out and drink some wine, you might be surprised by the entire experience!

What do you bring to a tasting? Aragon 26 Jan

What do you bring to a wine tasting? I am not talking about the physical here, so this is a rhetorical question for sure, but something that you should be aware of. Everyone comes with ideas of wine they like and don’t like. That can and will lead to your perspective and perceptions on wine. If you do not allow yourself to remain open about wine, understanding that you have come no where close to tasting all the wines in the world, then your perspective will remain fixed, never allowing yourself the chance to be surprised, to see another view. This path is how you get to “bold” wine statements, and often to flat out wrong information. So, again, what do you bring to a wine tasting? Better phrased would be; what perception/knowledge/bias do you bring?For me the ultimate goal is to learn what wines I enjoy, to know myself. Also to stay open to all wines, especially ones that I thought I would not like. That allows my perspective to be evolving, allowing me to “see” more of the wine world. You do not need some great level of wine knowledge or a wine certification to jump in to the world of wine and enjoy it, but try to leave those dead-end perceptions, like “oh, I hate Merlot,” at the door. You will have way more fun once you do.This evening’s Crowd Favorite was D.V. Catena Tinto Historico 2019 from Mendoza Argentina. A blend of Malbec, Bonarda, and Petite Verdot. This wine provided yet another perspective to that part of my wine world, and I very much enjoy my view.

Aragon’s Tasting 1 Dec

Aragon Wine Market, owner Charlotte and Wine Expert Pepper, have created a wine shop with an atmosphere that really is amazing. Great people who will guide you to the right bottle of wine for you, not what a distributor is pushing. That truly is rare.I also very rarely write about more than one wine from a tasting that only has six or less wines to taste; unless we encounter something unique and special, to which our fellow tasters must also agree. So tonight we had two Wines of Note. Jasmine Monet, an Organic Blanc de Blancs from Argentina! And Moric Hausmarke Super Natural from Austria. What?!?Jasmine Monet is a 100% Chardonnay Sparkling wine. Everything agreed that it had just the right amount of bubbles which allowed for light green apple and soft pear, gentle minerality, and then finishing with those bubbles. And it is Certified Organic, from Argentina! This bottle will be part of my New Year. Moric with their, translated, Super Natural House blend, combines 80% Gruner Veltliner and 20% Chardonnay. Finished on oak, this SUPER complex white wine hits the mouth with a crisp tornado of stone fruit, mountain flowers, woody spice, acid and that quintessential petrol mouth feel. Super unique, and excellent with roast chicken or some very good fried rice. Looking for the right bottle of wine? Go local and ask an expert.