As the world continues to open up after the pandemic, people are rediscovering the great outdoors and the All-American road trip. Since air travel is still rather challenging, the family car is the easy answer to a quick getaway. Part of California’s beauty is that so many wonderful places can be found very close to home. Like vineyards, for example. Up and down the state, vineyards and wineries are opening their doors to guests to sample their wares. With regulations still in place about indoor gatherings, some wineries have set up outdoor tastings in the beauty of nature. What better place to relax and sip wine than in the rolling hills of the very vineyards where the wine grapes were grown? What could be more perfect?
The weekend is the ideal time to venture out into the world in search of a decent bottle of wine. Or two. California’s wine country now officially runs the length of The Golden State. From the northernmost Mendocino County where crisp sparkling wine flows abundantly, to the famed soils of Napa and Sonoma, to the up-and-coming Paso Robles vineyards, and historic San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, to the southernmost vineyards of Malibu, Temecula, and San Diego County, and all the areas in between, there is good wine to be found in California. Get out your map! The time is now.
But where to begin? Why not start with the areas that specialize in the wine styles that you favor? If you are a fan of powerful, fruit forward Cabernet Sauvignon or oaky, buttery Chardonnay, the Napa Valley is the place for you. If burly, jammy Zinfandels excite you, head to the mountains and the vineyards of the Sierra Foothills. If you prefer crisp, minerally Riesling or fresh, earthy Pinot Noir, better set off for Monterey County. And if you don’t have a favorite style or region, just wait! You soon will.
Many wonder about the etiquette of wine tasting. Is there some sort of format that one is expected to follow? What exactly should the taster be looking for in a wine? How can one determine if a wine is good or bad?
One quick way to remember how to taste a wine is to think of the ‘Five S’s – See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, and Savor. First, look at the color of the wine. It should be clear and bright, never cloudy. A youthful white wine will generally be a pale lemon color. A deeper color may indicate age. A red wine in its youth may be purple to ruby in color, depending on the variety. An aged red wine will have garnet hues. Swirling the wine will let you appreciate the color more fully, allow you to see the consistency, and open up the wine’s aromas.
One good sniff can determine a wine’s condition. No wine has ever been created to include aromas of wet cardboard, horse manure, vinegar, or sherry (except, of course, sherry itself!). Outside of these definitive faults in a wine’s aroma, a taster can be fairly certain that a wine is “clean” or untainted. This is why a sommelier will open a bottle and pour a small amount to taste before filling glasses at a table. An experienced nose can identify a flaw at first whiff and send away an offending bottle if need be.
When sniffing a wine, you are observing the condition and intensity. Do you have to stick your nose in the glass to smell the wine, or do the aromas rise to greet you? You must look for identifiable characteristics, which may include fruit, floral, spice, and earth. Sipping a wine pulls everything together. You can determine if the wine is dry or sweet, the alcohol, acid, and tannin levels, the body, and the flavor characteristics.
When savoring a wine, you determine its length – that’s to say, how long the flavors remain in your mouth before fading. A good wine will leave lingering flavors long after you have swallowed. An inferior wine will disappear immediately, or worse, leave you with a bitter or unpleasant taste. The final impression is often what makes or breaks a wine.
Remember – if you like a wine, it’s good! Don’t be intimidated by what you think you are supposed to like or not. Variety is the spice of life and makes the world go round! Just because a wine is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s good. There is honestly no right or wrong, just different preferences. That’s why winetasting is so much fun – there’s always something for everyone.
Many vineyards offer tastings by appointment only. Be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment. The world is opening back up again. Get out there and taste some wine!
Cheers!
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