Wine Tasting - The Sense of Smell
There are a few very important things to note when we "nose" a wine. It is suggested to first smell the wine before swirling, noticing the delicate aromas. Next, swirl the wine and smell again after it is at rest. Depending on the bouquet, you may then notice a profound difference in the odors emerging. Aroma is a smell that originates from the actual grape, with very clear cut characteristics. Aroma is most prevalent in young wines. The bouquet of a wine refers to smells generated as a result of aging; smells found particularly in mature wines that were aged in a bottle. The bouquet generally has much softer and complex characteristics than aromas. Identifying what you smell is usually the most challenging part in wine tasting. Although there are many smell categories used to describe characteristics of wine, none have been exclusively agreed upon.
Wine Tasting - The Sense of Taste
After observing your wine using the sense of sight and smell, it is then time to use your palate to identify tastes. This is far more detailed than simply tasting as we would any other beverage. We must remember to note the characteristics of the wine on all sensory areas of the tongue. Sweetness is detected on the very tip of the tongue, while bitter tastes are sensed in the extreme rear. Saltiness is sensed on the front, upper sides of the tongue, and the acidity-sour taste is sensed mainly on the sides. Some suggest focusing your attention on one sensation at a time in order to be more efficient in your taste. Try taking a sip of wine and swallowing immediately. Then try another sip, this time letting the wine work well around the palate into these sensory areas before swallowing. You will recognize a noticeable difference in the intensity of flavors!
Battle of the Appellations
( Review Previous Award WInning Wine & Food Pairings)
Yountville Rules! Congratulation to S. Anderson Vineyard and Goosecross Cellars
Date:
July 27, 2002
Location: NAPA
VALLEY GRILLE, Yountville, CA
Chef: Gina Decew
Winner: S.
Anderson
Vintage: 1997 Napa Valley Brut
Appellation: Napa Valley
Food Pairing: Ahi Tuna Tartare
Winner: Goosecross
Cellars
Vintage: 1999 Napa Valley Sangiovese
Appellation: Napa Valley
Food Pairing: Honey Barbecued Quail Salad
Congratulations to S. Anderson Vineyard and Goosecross Cellars, the latest winners of the WineCountry.com Battle of the Appellations!
The
true essence of the Battle of the Appellations contest is to take
a fabulous wine and taste it alongside delicious food to truly
test the complexities of the wine and its ability to pair with
various flavors and textures. Recipes are sent to wineries from
different appellations throughout the Wine Country regions of
California. The wineries are invited to review the recipes and
submit two bottles of their best wine suggestion to match the
dish. The tasting panel is then presented the wines in a blind
tasting and asked to pair each wine with a specific dish. Members
of the tasting panel then score the wines with the food and choose
a winner. The wine with the highest score is the Perfect Pairing!
Our latest Battle of the Appellations
contest was held at the Napa
Valley Grille, located in Yountville, in the heart of the
Napa Valley. The unique character, Wine Country style and culinary
sensations added to the ambiance of this perfect setting for our
wine & food-pairing contest. 
Our
gracious host, Michael Martin provided the WineCountry.com panel
an elegant table in a private room, which was beautifully decorated
with Napa Valley paintings and candles. The talented and delightful
chef at the Napa Valley Grille, Gina Decew, prepared two incredible
dishes for our tasting panel.
To be paired with a white wine was Ahi Tuna Tartare, a delicately flavored dish of diced sashimi-grade tuna seasoned with capers, radish sprouts, avocado, and mango, dressed with a golden balsamic aioli and served on crisp focaccia toast. This beautifully presented and delicious dish matched remarkably well with our winner, a sparkling wine, the rich, creamy and elegant S. Anderson 1997 Napa Valley Brut. Selling for $28 per bottle, this wine is an equal blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and is a truly classic bubbly. Rich but not heavy, crisp fruit plays center stage with tiers of green apple and Asian pear tinged with citrus zest. Four years on the yeast has layered this Brut amply with a toasty, rich yeast backbone, giving the scent of creme brulee and honeycomb.
The
second dish was a delightful creation called Honey Barbecued Quail
Salad, featuring grilled quail served over an arugula-celery leaf
salad and dressed with a Point Reyes Blue Cheese Dressing. The
winning wine for this excellent dish was the Goosecross
Cellars 1999 Napa Valley Sangiovese. Selling for $32 per bottle,
this is GoosecrossÌs first Sangiovese. Only 592 cases were bottled
and fewer than 125 cases remain. The wine is cranberry brick red
with an aromatic nose full of cherries. Flavors rich with plum,
cherry, wild berry jam, vanilla, sage, almond, cranberry, and
eucalyptus finish with spicy white and black pepper. Palatable
tannins, dry and earthy with hints of caramel lingering at the
finish make this wine fun to sip and great with food. The elegant
and spicy wine perfectly enhanced the mix of textures and zest
of the quail dish, and finished smoothly.
Honorable Mentions go to:
Lake Sonoma Winery–http://www.lakesonomawinery.net/
Niebaum-Coppola–
http://www.niebaum-coppola.com/
Saviez Vineyards–http://www.saviezvineyards.com
Casa Nuestra–http://www.casanuestra.com/
Luna Vineyards–http://www.lunavineyards.com/
Thank you to our fabulously entertaining hosts, Napa Valley Grille, www.calcafe.com/napa_valley/index.html
Visit the winners at:
S. Anderson Vineyard–www.sandersonvineyard.com
Goosecross Cellars–www.goosecross.com
Review Previous Award WInning Wine & Food Pairings
