See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Swish, Spit?

A few weeks back we did something a little different on our tasting. It was a focussed horizontal comparison of the kind that you might find in a much more structured, formal environment. The wines were all from Schug Carneros Estate and were all from the 2007 vintage. We tasted two Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs, the two varietals having one example each from two different AVA's (American Viticulture Areas) in California.

This got me thinking. Normally, in an effort to avoid some of the "wine snob" pitfalls associated with tastings, we go for a more laid-back drop-in style. A "come on in any time between (x hour) and (y hour) and try whatever you like from this week's selection" kind of a thing. This can be both hugely beneficial, but there are limitations. Likewise, the more structured tasting I mention above has it's own sets of plusses and minuses.

If you Google "wine tasting", you may very well come up with some instructions on the "proper" procedure. You may even find a clever collection of alliterative language to help you remember how to act. Most of this kind of stuff is hooey. I mean, would you rather find a wine that you genuinely enjoy that you can remember in the future, or impress some snobby "connoisseurs"?

At any rate, think of this post as a rambling pre-amble to a series I'll post over the next couple of days that will attempt to de-mystify some wine tasting tradition. Before we get started, let me give you one simple idea to always keep in mind when you're tasting: it's about learning what you like. No matter what anybody says about a bottle of wine or what it costs you, it's worth nothing if you don't enjoy it.