Accelerating Wine Learning

wine

how'to'accelerate'learning

Rajiv'AyyangarAndyKatzPhotography.com

Now$what???

sensory'+'context''='understanding

sensory:  an  example  

context'=stories

strategies  to  accelerate  learning  

1.   Find  wines  that  have  meaning.    2.   Listen  to  the  wine.    3.   Connect  the  dots.  

find$wines$that$have$meaning

inten-onal$>$industrial

buy$wine$from$a$curated$selec-on(BiRite,$Arlequin,$Whole$Foods,$K&L)

NOT:$Safeway,$convenience$stores

California Italy

<"$10

$15'25

$50'100

$25'50

<"$10

$15'25

$50'100

$25'50

Australia/South2America Spain France

$152;2$252is"a"sweet"spot"for"learning

2.  Listen  to  the  wine  

If#art#were#like#wine

What  they  say  you  need  

What  you  actually  need  

low$surface$area(~10015$oz)

Bowl$is$similar$to$mouth

thick$rimthin$rimbowl$is$wider$than$mouth

high$surface$area$(~20$oz$capacity$or$more)

GOOD:%AMPLIFIES$AROMATICS BAD:%SUPPRESSES$AROMATICS

Get  one  good  glass  

cold%suppresses%aromasaroma%

intensity

temperature

Aerate  when  you  taste.  

Taste  white  wines  at  room  temperature.  

5  tastes  <  thousands  of  aromas  

3.  Connect  the  dots.  

Taste&similar&wines&side%by%side.

e.g.&Cabernet&vs.&Merlot

CA&Pinot&vs.&Burgundy&Pinot

Chardonnay&vs.&Sauvignon&Blanc

Record!what!you!taste!(region!+!grape)

Ask!experts!to!describe!wines!you’ve!tasted.

tl;dr  

tl;dr:  strategies  to  accelerate  learning  Get  wines  with  meaning  •  Look  in  stores  with  curated  selecEons  •  $15-­‐25  is  the  sweet  spot.    Listen  to  the  wine  •  Get  one  good  glass  (e.g.  Riedel  O)  •  Aerate  the  wine  in  your  mouth  •  Taste  whites  at  room  temperature  

Connect  the  dots  •  Taste  similar  wines  side-­‐by-­‐side.  •  Note  the  grape  +  region  for  wines  you  taste.  •  Ask  wine  geeks  to  describe  wines  you've  tasted.  

Interested  in  learning  more?  

•  Blogs:    – Wine  Folly  (infographics!)  –  Vinography  

•  Films:  –  Somm  –  Red  Obsession  –  John  Cleese:  Wine  for  the  Confused    

•  TasEngs:  –  Arlequin  (Hayes)  –  K&L  (SOMA)  

TasEng  Cheat  Sheet    •  Before  tas5ng  

–  Smell:  Sweet  or  Savory?  (or  a  bit  of  both?)  •  When  tas5ng  

–  How  sweet?  bi^er/austere/savory  ———  sweet,  ripe  –  How  full/thick/heavy?  light  bodied  —  medium  bodied  —  full  bodied  –  How  alcoholic?  low  alcohol  /  smooth  —  hot/  high  alcohol.    –  How  tart/acidic?  (acidity  =  how  long  do  you  salivate?)  —  low  acid  —  high  acid.    –  How  drying/tannic?  (does  your  mouth  dry  up?)  no  tannins  —  some  tannins  —  

very  tannic/drying.  •  A8er  tas5ng:    

–  How  much  did  you  like  it  relaEve  to  other  wines?  (A+  /  A-­‐  /  B  /  B-­‐  ,  etc.)  –  What  was  the  grape/region?  e.g.  Pinot  Noir  from  Burgundy,  Merlot  from  

California.    

QuesEons?  

extra  slides  

Why  opinions  differ:  

thiols

IBMP

lactones

terpenes

rotundone

44ethylphenol

44ethylguaiacol

grapefruit

green8bell8pepper

vanilla

lychee

black8pepper

dog8fur

clove

concentra<on

2011$Wine$XYZ:$Aroma2c$Profile

thiols

IBMP

lactones

terpenes

rotundone

44ethylphenol

44ethylguaiacol

grapefruit

green8bell8pepper

vanilla

lychee

black8pepper

dog8fur

clove

Bob Alice

grapefruit

green+bell+pepper

vanilla

lychee

black+pepper

dog+fur

clove

AliceBob