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.
Rotisseried Quail with Dry Creek
Peaches on a Bed of Watercress with Citrus Dressing
Menu item courtesy of Jellyfish
at Sheraton Petaluma
Quail Marinade
1 cup orange juice
4 T black vinegar
2 T grated ginger
zest and juice of 2 oranges
2 T sesame oil
2 T grape seed oil
Salt and pepper to balance the acid
Watercress Salad
Pea sprouts
Frisse
Watercress
Radishes sliced on Japanese mandolin
Citrus Dressing
4 cups orange juice
1 cup rice wine vinegar
2 T black vinegar
2 T grated ginger
zest and juice of two oranges
Boil and reduce by half, then add
1/4 C sesame oil
1/4 cup grape seed oil
1T cracked black sesame seeds
salt and pepper to balance the acid
