Boy were some of the people at this wine tasting idiots…
KIDDING!!! No really I AM KIDDING. I actually had a lot of people from tonight’s tasting (which had a very nice turnout) tell me that they will be visiting our blog for the first time. So I thought I’d mess with them a bit. You don’t think any of them will take it personally….do you?
Seriously though, there was a great turnout at tonights tasting event. Many of the people were sincerely interested in learning more about wine tasting – not just looking to get sloshed. And I really hope that some of the people will email me any wine related questions they may have. We all know I do love talking about wine. 😉
While the turnout was great and the people were very receptive there were some things I was a bit disappointed by. I know I am a pain in the ass (hold your comments people) but I was not particularly enamored by most of the wines presented. A white that smelled very corked, but apparently wasn’t. Only two reds – one a nice but non-descript Bordeaux and the other a rather weak attempt at Pinot Noir.
And the tasting was advertised with an opening line that stated “learn to taste wine like a pro & select the right bottle…”. But sadly my co-speaker and I spoke for a total of about 5-6 minutes. Do you really think anyone can learn to taste like a pro in 5-6 minutes?
OK, I know, I am nuts when it comes to talking about wine. And yes, I could have spoken for hours (way too long). And fine, maybe people just wanted to drink and socialize. But I worry that people signed up expecting more and did not get what they paid for.
If you are one such person please let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to truly teach you to taste & appreciate wine.
All that said this event was held to support a friend & very qualified individual running for city council & I understand that we were successful in that regard (we exceeded our goal for the night). Remember NYC residents, Ari Hoffnung for NYC council 2009!!!
Happy WinE-ducation!
WTG
Tags: Ari Hoffnung, wine tasting
Hey Gary!
Thanks for the comment. I’ve had a few Spanish whites that were oxidized–like Lopez de Heredia’s Vina Gravonia–and while I’m not 100% positive the chenin blanc was oxidized a few factors lead me to believe this is actually the case:
(1) It smelled–and tasted–oxidized. I’m comparing this to the other oxidized whites I’ve had.
The best way I could describe the taste of oxidized wines is that they taste a bit like a battery. I know, I know, I’ve caught flak for describing wines this way (“What does a battery even taste like?), but it seems an accurate description. For instance, if you’ve ever had to lick a Double A battery–maybe to stick back into a malfunctioning remote control–you’ve tasted a battery. You might disagree!
(2) It was from 1989, which means there is fair chance of trace amounts of oxygen having penetrated the cork. I’m just glad there was enough residual sugar in the sucker to let it age gracefully.
Regardless, the fact of the matter is that it’s a chenin blanc from 1989! How awesome is that? I would have loved to compare a taste of this wine from ’89 with one from ’08.
I’m adding you to my blogroll–I’ll be keeping up with your blog on a regular basis.
Cheers,
Joon S.
http://vinicultured.com
Thanks for the Chenin blanc recommendation!
Hey as a career changer also from finance, I understand the need to want to go on about what you’re passionate about. 5-6 minutes is tough, but I’m sure it left them wanting more 🙂
Hey, why did you only get to talk for 5 or 6 minutes? That is frustrating to put on an event and then not have it turn out as expected.
I would have fun though because I’m just that way!