Sommelier

Is a sophisticated palette something you either "have or you don't", or can you train yourself to be more distinguishing and if so, how?

Asked by TundeB over 11 years ago

While there are people out there whom I believe have a gift for distinguishing aromas and flavors in wine, you can certainly train yourself to develop more of a “sophisticated” palate. Most professionals in the wine industry are as such because of training and constantly developing their palate.

It begins by simply paying attention to what you are doing. This is one of the reasons why professionals will spit at seminars and events. Besides the obvious effects of swallowing too much wine, spitting forces your brain to pay attention. So next time you are tasting a wine, try taking a taste of it, smell it, then take a small sip and swirl it. Close your eyes if it helps you focus. Then after a few seconds, spit the wine out. Take notice of what you smelled, tasted, and how it felt after leaving your mouth. Write this down and remember it. The more you taste like this the more you can train your palate to notice the nuances in any a wine.

Training your palate also involves tasting a lot of wine! So go to wine shops and wine events where you can sample different wines. Again, start paying attention and keeping notes in book. The more you pay attention, the better your palate will become.

I'm sure you've seen it, but there's that scene in "Sideways" where Paul Giamatti's wine connoisseur character nearly goes berserk at the thought of drinking Merlot. Is there any truth to that? Is Merlot considered bottom of the barrel, so to speak?

Asked by brikhaus over 11 years ago

Merlot is most definitely NOT the bottom of the barrel! In fact, the wine Miles was drinking at the end of the movie was a 1961 Château Cheval Blanc, a famous Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The movie doesn’t reveal this but in the book the reason he didn’t like Merlot was because of his ex wife.

Merlot is one of the most important varietals in the world (in terms of plantings and consumption), and while there are some boring and bland versions, it can also make for an amazing wine!

What's your favorite bottle of wine for under $20?

Asked by labrat over 11 years ago

I have many! But if I had to choose one it would probably be Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rosé, for many reasons. Sparkling wines are my favorite style of wine hands down, and this sparkling rosé is one of the most consistently well made in this price category. Plus it is widely distributed and can be easily found throughout the country. So when I am traveling and a wine store doesn’t have a wide variety of options, I can usually find this bottle. It may be on the high end of that price spectrum (can be found from $17-$21), but it’s worth every penny in my book.

Speaking of bubbly, Gruet (from New Mexico!) also produces some excellent sparkling wines retailing for an average of $15.

How often do you send a bottle of wine back after you do the table-side mouth swirl thing? I feel dumb every time I do it because honestly, unless it was vinegar, I'm not even sure I'd know if anything was amiss.

Asked by pfriedland over 11 years ago

One of the primary reasons to test the wine at the table nowadays is to make sure the wine is not flawed. It is absolutely okay if you are not familiar on how to tell whether or not a wine is indeed flawed or not. If you are unsure you can always ask the sommelier or your server if you suspect something may be off with the wine and they can test it. You don’t want to send the wine back if you simply don’t like the taste of the wine (though that is acceptable at some establishments). If you test the wine, and it seems pleasant and you are happy drinking it, then that’s all that really matters. If there’s a problem with it, send it back or ask your server.

I know so little about wine, but am frequently invited to dinner parties and obviously don't wanna show up empty handed. What's one white and one red (reasonably priced) where I can never go wrong?

Asked by jason k. over 11 years ago

I like to suggest bringing a bottle of sparkling wine to the host (as either a host gift or to be opened at the dinner). It is festive and nice gesture of appreciation and celebration and the perfect drink to begin any dinner party. The sparkling wines mentioned in the question above (like the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rosé) would be good starting points.

For a red, Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel is a great crowd-pleasing wine that can be found from $20-25. If that is above your ideal price point there are several Malbecs from Argentina that are also great for crowds/dinner parties as well. Tomero and Gouguenheim make very nice Malbecs that retail for around $10-12. These are good options especially if you don’t know what style of wine your host prefers. They are versatile and crowd friendly.

What criteria do judges use at wine competitions and is there typically a consensus as to the winner? I always thought that wine appreciation was subjective, so the idea of a competition with a "winner" seems almost foreign to me.

Asked by gopherball over 11 years ago

For general consumers wine is incredibly subjective (and should remain that way). In a competition setting judges generally look to see whether a wine is a good representation of the varietal. Each style of wine has its typical characteristics, and judges look for a) is it a good representation of those characteristics, and b) does it exceed those typical expectations and stand out amongst its peers. In my experiences, if it is a well-made wine representative of those characteristics then it is worthy of a bronze, and often silver medal. The ones that stand out positively and leave lasting impressions will receive gold or higher medals. The point is to honor well-made wines, and bring recognition to achievement in winemaking. And no, there is not always a consensus among “winning” wines. Often hours will be spent determining which wine will come out on top.

Um...freelance wine, food, and travel writer? Sign me up. Seriously - how did that fall into your lap?

Asked by Juliana over 11 years ago

It didn’t necessarily “fall” into my lap ;)

I started writing on my blog as a hobby, as I was studying to take my sommelier exams years ago, and have kept it up regularly and eventually began submitting to publications outside my blog. It is something I’ve been working hard at for several years. It is something I love, have a deep passion for, and work long hours to maintain.  

Have you ever crushed grapes with your feet? And more importantly, have you ever seen the classic Grape Lady fail: http://tinyurl.com/4t8ktyy

Asked by LCostigan over 11 years ago

Ha. No I have personally never crushed grapes with my bare feet, though I have worked several harvests (we used modern technology to crush our grapes ;).

I have seen that video.  Pretty funny!  

Which wine regions do you think are significantly underrated?

Asked by dan79 over 11 years ago

Wow. Where to begin? Two that come to mind for very different reasons are Greece and Chile. When many think of Greece they think of Retsina of old, and poorly made wines, when in fact the country is developing some of the most interesting wines I’ve had in years. The quality is improving, and the prices are very fair. I see more and more people learning about quality Greek wine in the future, and enhancing its reputation in the marketplace.

Similarly, Chile has been known for years for producing “value wine”, and that’s about it. But quality of Chilean wines are increasing significantly and some of the best Chilean wines can stand up to the best of some of the most reputable regions of the world. You can still certainly find great “value wines” in Chile, but it’s time to also recognize many of the high quality wine wines produced there as well.

My rich uncle proudly served us a wine he'd bought at an auction for $4,500. Everyone ooh'd and ahh'd as they sipped. I honestly couldn't tell it apart from Trader Joe's box wine. Don't you occasionally get a little turned off by wine snobbery?

Asked by Jared over 11 years ago

I definitely get turned off by "snobbery", but I do love to share good wine with people who are interested in learning about it.  When I'm pouring a special (or very expensive) wine, I do my best to try to share what makes it "special" or expensive rather than just pouring for the sake of braging rights.  

Do you think too many people judge a wine by its price? I remember a study where people's rating of how much they enjoyed a wine was dramatically influenced by how much they were told it cost (even when the bottles were switched)

Asked by Davey1 over 11 years ago

What does the (VSE) mean on this wine label? Eleve et mis en bouteille a Chateauneuf-du-Pape (VSE), France

Asked by Trisha over 10 years ago

How much do sommeliers at top restaurants make?

Asked by bacon over 11 years ago

Is vigorously swirling a full decanter of wine or hyperdecanting good or expensive wine a good idea

Asked by Henry Dado over 9 years ago

Are you supposed to tip sommeliers at restaurants, or do they get cut in on the main tip I leave on my bill?

Asked by DanaM over 11 years ago

do sommeliers ever wear a type of bib to spit into rather than a spittoon

Asked by polly almost 10 years ago