Systematic Approach to Tasting
My course has progressed in the last few weeks by introducing more grape varietals, understanding the fermentation processes for different styles of wine, and more tasting!
Learning the grape varietals has definitely been the most challenging for me thus far in this process. You need to know the basic qualities of a certain style of grape, and also where it is grown —Each location in the world! And each location tastes a different way due to climatic differences and their winemaking processes. I didn’t realize how in-depth each grape would be. Lots of flashcards!
However, the tasting portion has been a more successful learning process for me. We receive an SAT Tasting card (Systematic Approach to Tasting) which lists all the flavors, aromas, and key characteristics to look for when tasting a wine.
This past weekend I took a break from the flashcards and tasted a lovely Italian Rosato from Piedmont, Italy. It was light-bodied, dry, and refreshing with aromas of white blossom, rose, and citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lemon. This wine also had notes of white peaches, lychee, fresh raspberries, and hints of wet stone. And yes, all those descriptions are on this tasting guide I have, it really helps the tasting process along! This wine was perfect for a warm sunny afternoon, I will definitely be revisiting this wine in the future!
Having an organized approach and understanding of navigating this guide has helped me tremendously. It’s fascinating what you can smell, taste, and even determine the wine aging process with the proper tasting techniques. Still have more to learn, but I think I’m heading in the right direction!
Back to studying!
Very informative, thanks for sharing.