Over the years, I have often referred in my texts to the notion of pleasure surrounding wine. Pleasure comes first of all from the context: a happiness that we offer ourselves while preparing a meal to the sound of our favourite music, devouring the pages of a novel, watching a film comfortably sprawled out on the couch, or during a moment shared with others. The occasion and the people with whom the wine is shared are often enough to make it better. But pleasure also obviously comes from the senses, and when tasting, each of our five senses is engaged. Here is a brief overview of what they allow us to perceive, to our greatest satisfaction.
hearing
We tend to forget it, but hearing is one of the first senses engaged when tasting a wine. First of all, there is the famous pop of the cork (whether you are uncorking a sparkling wine or not), or even the crack of the screw cap, which unequivocally announces what awaits us. But there’s also the ambiance. The volume of the conversations and the music has an impact on how we feel, and therefore on the appreciation that we get from the tast- ing. The type of music might even influence our senses. Furthermore, Bill Zacharkiw, a sommelier with us, hosted a weekly radio show for a long time where he paired a wine with… a rock song!
sight
Long before serving the wine, you chose the bottle. It may seem superficial, but we would be lying to ourselves if we said that the label never influences us when buying a bottle. For many, including myself, choosing the wine I’m about to drink is part of the fun.
Once the wine is in the glass, we get to the heart of the matter. Several things can be observed before tasting. First, there’s the colour, of course. The shade (such as vio- let, cherry, or ruby for a red; yellow-green, straw yellow, or gold for a white) and the intensity of the colour (pale, light, strong, deep, dark) can say a lot about the origin of a wine. Although there are exceptions, a grape that is grown in a cool climate will generally produce a wine with a lighter colour than if it had been grown under intense sunlight. Certain grape varieties also naturally produce wines that are more or less dense in colour. A pinot noir will have a much shallower colour than a cabernet sauvignon.
After the colour, we can observe the brightness of the wine, or its ability to reflect light, which will tend to decrease with age. For its part, the clarity of the wine, which refers to the presence of sediment and a veiled or cloudy appearance, will give us a clue about the winemaking and filtration techniques used. For example, natural wines that are neither fined (a technique that involves removing solid microparticles to clarify the wine) nor filtered may tend to have a cloudier appearance, which—it should be mentioned—in no way affects their quality.
Finally, we can observe what are known poetically as the tears or legs of the wine. These are the translucent traces left by the wine on the wall of the glass. They are due to alcohol or sugar. The higher the alcohol content of a wine is, the more pronounced the tears will be. The same goes for sugar. A dessert wine or a high-alcohol wine such as a Rioja will leave far more traces than a very dry or light wine. But be careful! The cleanliness of your glass can change every- thing. A dirty glass with traces of grease will cause more tears to appear, while a glass containing soap residue will dry them.
smell
This is where the fun begins. Have you ever stuck your nose in a glass of wine and been completely blown away before even tasting it? Sometimes, smelling the wine is just as pleasant as drinking it. A tip for properly smelling your wine: once your glass is filled (never more than a third; the wine needs room to express itself), smell the wine at rest—that is, without swirling the glass. This is the first nose. Then, to release the aromas, swirl your glass by making small circles. This gesture aerates the wine and allows more aromas to be released. This is the second nose.
Speaking of aromas, they are divided into five main categories: herbal and spicy, fruity, f loral, animal, and toasted. Each grape variety has its own aromatic potential, but most aromas will only come to life during the winemaking process. Depending on the stage of production and life of the wine, we will be dealing with three main types of aro- mas: primary, which come from the grape; secondary, which are released during fer- mentation; and finally, tertiary, which come from barrel aging (wood, spices, vanilla, smoke, etc.) and the aging of the wine in the bottle (undergrowth, mushrooms, animal, dried fruit, etc.).
taste and touch
Finally, the much-awaited moment of tast- ing the wine has arrived. In addition to the same categories of aromas as on the nose, you will be able to detect flavours on the palate such as bitterness, sweetness, salti- ness, and acidity. To give yourself the best chances of success, here’s a tip: aerate. Aerating means taking in air through your mouth while the wine is inside. The more air you give the wine, the more it expresses itself. Once you have swallowed your sip, exhale through your nose. That way, the aromas can be detected by the olfactory receptors.
Wine is also a matter of texture, and this is where the last sense comes into play. The presence of bubbles, powerful or silky tannins, and a feeling of warmth or—conversely— coolness are also part of the experience.
Now that you are more aware of the role that your senses play in the pleasure of tasting, here are three suggestions to practice your skills.
PRÀ, SOAVE CLASSICO, OTTO 2022, organic
1158713 4 — $20.95
The Soave Classico appellation often offers us blends of productive grape varieties, such as chardonnay or sauvignon. But this family estate makes the appellation shine with, among others, this wine that is 100%-Garganega, an Italian variety which lends all its character to the wine. Here, you will find aromas of white fruit, citrus zest, green apple, and almond. A treat!
JUAN GIL, COMOLOCO, JUMILLA 2022, organic
12207957 — $16.60
Here’s a red for your first barbecue of the year: a 100%-Monastrell (Mourvèdre) wine from Spain that has supple tannins and body without falling into heaviness. Its aromas of fresh fruit, thyme, and lavender give it a very pleasant feeling of freshness.
ALBET I NOYA, EL FANIO, PENEDÈS 2022, organic
12674221 — $23.25
If you’re unfamiliar with Xarel-lo, a grape variety native to Penedès in Spain, here is a great introduction. A pioneer in the region, the Albet i Noya estate has been practicing organic farming since the early ’70s. With its aromas of pear, peach, and orange, its full- ness, its roundness, and its substance on the palate, you have here a very complete white.
