Wine Tasting - The Sense of Sight
Wine tasting basics begin with knowing how to use your senses to understand, interpret, and enjoy the wine. The ability to recognize what you see, and furthermore describe it in clear terms, is a very important wine tasting skill.
Although some may say the appearance of the wine is the least important aspect with regard to the senses, it is still worth noting. When examining appearance, we are looking for clarity and color. We want the wine to be free of any sediment, leaving it clear and brilliant. Red wines tend to lose their color as they mature, while white wines tend to grow darker with age. A good quality wine generally will be intense in color. The "legs" seen running down the sides of a glass after being swirled, are an indication of flavor density. It is best to use a plain white background, and tilt the glass slightly as you observe clarity and color.
Wine Tasting - The Sense of Touch
Touch is an important category of taste sensation. This is where we try to feel the wine on the palate. Here we seek to find impressions of such things as texture, body, temperature, and astringency. The aftertaste, finish, and length of a wine are all things we feel on our palate. We are looking for how the wine feels in weight (light, medium, full) and texture (silky, coarse, velvety). Try to observe how long the sensations last in your mouth. Most will tell you the longer it lasts, the better the wine!
Battle of the Appellations
February 2002
Date:
February 20, 2002
Location: BRIX,
Yountville, CA
Chef: Michael Patton
Winner: Beringer
Vintage: 1999 Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc
Appellation: Knights Valley
Food Pairing: Grilled Oysters Wrapped in Pancetta
with Aged Balsamic and Rosemary Butter
Winner: Bonny
Doon
Vintage: 2000 Pacific Rim Dry Riesling
Appellation:
Food Pairing:Spicy Ahi Tuna and Asparagus Tempura
"Futomaki" Roll with Organic Garden Sprout Salad
Winner: Lake
Sonoma Winery
Vintage: 1999 Zinfandel Port
Appellation:Russian River Valley/ Dry Creek Valley
Food Pairing: Decadence Cake - Earl Grey Infused
Winner: Ledson
Winery
Vintage: 2000 Orange Muscat
Appellation:
Food Pairing: Tangerine Sorbet
Congratulations to Beringer Vineyards Knights Valley,
Bonny Doon, Lake Sonoma Winery and Ledson Winery!
WineCountry.com cannot share enough praises about Brix restaurant located in Yountville, California. With an attentive and prompt wait staff, the head chef, Michael Patton, prepared a fabulous menu for our latest Battle of the Appellations contest. WineCountry.com highly recommends our readers experience the lovely surroundings and delicious menu at Brix during their next Wine Country visit. Thank you Brix! www.brix.com
  
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- Best Pairing with the Grilled Oysters Wrapped in Pancetta
with Aged Balsamic and Rosemary Butter is Beringer 1999 Knights
Valley Alluvium Blanc. This Beringer wine is comprised of
the classic white Bordeaux varietals, Sémillon and Sauvignon
Blanc, and is combined with Chardonnay and Viognier. The aromas
and flavors of citrus, and spice held up well with the food,
complimenting the flavors and textures of the grilled oysters.
This strong white is closely tied to the soil in which the grapes
are grown, providing its namesake, Alluvium - which is a unique
expression of the Knights Valley.
Visit Beringer at : www.beringer.com
- Best Pairing with the Spicy Ahi Tuna and Asparagus Tempura
"Futomaki" Roll with Organic Garden Sprout Salad is
Bonny Doon 2000 Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. In true form
to the unique Bonny Doon reputation, this wine has a very particular
nose of green apple and light floral. It's clean flavor and
acidic balance worked exceptionally well with the ahi, balancing
the diverse and rich flavors of the dish - a Brix signature.
This wine would also compliment sushi and other similarly prepared
dishes.
Visit Bonny Doon Vineyards at: www.bonnydoonvineyard.com
- Best Pairing with the Decadence Cake - Earl Grey Infused is
Lake Sonoma Winery 1999 Zinfandel Port. This Zinfandel
Port is produced in a traditional method of arrested fermentation.
The fruity nose is a strong indicator of the delicious berry
fruit flavor. Paired with the decadence cake, the wine brought
out the layers of flavors in the cake while not overpowering
the palate.
Visit Lake Sonoma Winery at: www.lakesonomawinery.com
- Best Pairing with the Tangerine Sorbet is Ledson Winery
2000 Orange Muscat. The light and fruity nose of orange
blossoms was an obvious marker to the robust fruity, citrus
and melon flavors. This wine is perfect with a light dessert.
Visit Ledson Winery at: www.ledson.com
Thank you to all wineries that participated in the March Battle of the Appellations Contest:
Goosecross Cellars - www.goosecross.com
Hanna Winery - www.hannawinery.com
Preston Vineyards - www.prestonvineyards.com
J Wine - www.jwine.com
Casa Nuestra - www.casanuestra.com
Quivira - www.quivirawine.com
Chateau Souverain - www.chateausouverain.com
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