WINE-O or WINE Snob

by | Mar 13, 2018 | Advice, Derf Selrahc

Wine-o “an individual who enjoys drinking wine more than most ~ Urban Dictionary

 

Wine Snob “belief that other people are inferior to them… they know more or think they know more about wine” ~ Wine Spectator, Ask Dr. Vinny

 

 

I have had the luxury of making wine on a commercial level and selling it directly to my customers in my tasting room.  I am here to tell you how to be a “Wine-o” but not the “Wine Snob”.

 

A few tips on what to do when doing a wine tasting; whether it be in a tasting room in Napa Valley, CA – Baraboo, WI (shout out to Baraboo Bluff Winery) or your local liquor stores (I love free samples at liquor stores, they should really do that more often).

 

Do

 

  1. Try to listen more than talk, oh sure you can discuss what brings you there, weather and basic small talk
  2. Give the glass a small swirl, this will help with releasing the aromas of the wine
  3. Smell each sample, note you cannot taste hints of apple, strawberry or floral notes, you can only smell them (your taste buds limit you to just Sweet, Sour, Salty and Bitter) and be cool about it when you smell the wine – no need to make a spectacle of yourself, no not shove your nose so far into the glass that the tip of nose comes out wet
  4. Take a sip, let it set on your tongue for a moment and swallow.
  5. Wait 10 to 30 seconds and repeat steps 3 and 4
  6. If you have a sample sheet (aka tasting sheet) note the ones you like, no need to note the ones you do not like 

 

Don’t

 

  1. Never speak poorly of any other wines or winery
  2. If you normally do not like sweet wines at least try the semi-sweets and if you do not like dries try a semi-dry not only is it polite but you might be surprised
  3. Do not start spouting all of the wine destinations you have been to. If you are in California they do not want to hear about your favorite winery in Texas nor Italy.  If you are in Texas they do not want to hear about your wine adventures in California or Italy
  4. Don’t try to spout off all of the different varieties of grapes that make wine. Most likely you will just share how much you don’t know since there are new varieties of wine grapes invented every year
  5. When you get your sample do not make a big production of swirling the wine, do not be that guy or girl that is constantly swirling and swirling and swirling and smelling and smelling. If it sounds like you are snorting a line of coke you are really over doing it
  6. If you do not like the wine, simply say “very interesting” do not say “oh my, I really do not like that wine, I think I just drank ass”
  7. Your wine server may suggest aromas that you may smell in the sample that is being poured, these are just suggestions you may smell something completely different and that is okay as we all experience things differently
  8. Keep you wine expertise to yourself when in mixed company – in other words if you do not know person’s blood type and date of birth, sharing your knowledge of wine will be just showing off

 

Please note that the “do” list is much shorter than the “do not” list.  Follow the do list and everyone will think you know your way around wine and that you are a nice person.  Follow the do not list and everyone will know you are just a dink.

 

In my opinion wine is the most aromatic and easiest drinking of the adult beverages that come ready to drink out of the container.  The smell of the wine is 80% of the experience and the remaining 20% simply does not insult your tongue.

 

Next time we will go over food pairings…. getting a little closer to being a snob.  So, if you learn anything ~ Keep it to yourself.

 

Cheers ~

 

Derf Selrahc