A cold February morning brought a lucky 13 of us to a friend’s farm Feb. 14 for a Wine 101 class. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with wine at 10 in the morning, right?
As typically happens in any new setting, it took a while for everyone to get settled and for the class to get underway. Soon, though, the wine and food pairings did their trick. Everyone warmed up. We compared tasting notes, and the conversation flowed.
We saved on expenses for this class by opening three bottles of California wine our hosts already had on hand in their well-stocked larder – Riesling, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Our hosts also graciously provided the food to pair. We added only a store-bought, vibrantly acidic and aromatic Albariño from Rías Baixas in Galicia, Spain. Here’s how we paired the wines:
- Albariño with brie and tomato jam on water crackers
- Riesling (off-dry) with corn chips and salsa
- Pinot Noir with parmesan-toasted pita wedges
- Cabernet Sauvignon with olive tapenade and salami on baguettes
Wine can be such a mystery. As The Wall Street Journal’s Lettie Teague wrote in her column this weekend, wine is hard: “Despite numerous idiot’s guides and self-styled wine experts who claim that wine is simple, learning and knowing about wine is challenging… Wine is the study of multiple subjects simultaneously – history, geology, cartography, geography, politics, chemistry and a good bit of sociology.”
Food, I find, helps to unlock the secrets of wine and starts conversation. That’s why one of my goals for Wine 101 is to help others discover for themselves how food enhances light, medium and full-bodied wine varieties, and showcases their varietal characteristics.
For me, a great benefit of sharing my love of wine with others is hearing the questions they have. These questions motivate me to learn more and more about this vast and intriguing subject called “wine.”
Here are some questions (and answers) from Saturday’s class. How many can you answer?
- How do winemakers get tobacco and other aromas into wine? – It’s all chemistry! Aromas derive primarily from chemical compounds specific to grape varieties. Secondary aromas (also called “bouquet”) are the result of chemical reactions that occur during fermentation and barrel aging. Additional chemical reactions in the bottle result in tertiary aromas.
- Which wine glasses should I chose for red wine vs. white wine? – Conventional wisdom is to use larger-sized glasses for red wine to increase contact with the air and to serve white and rosé wines in medium-sized glasses to direct aromas toward the top. Sparkling wines traditionally are served in flute glasses to enhance the effect of their bubbles. Just a few weeks ago, though, well-known British wine critic Jancis Robinson wrote an article in which she said, “I have come more and more to the conclusion that a single glass size and shape is sufficient for all sorts of wines. Even the champagne producers, or at least the most wine-minded of them, are increasingly admitting that the ideal champagne glass is remarkably like a standard wine glass.” I agree. Just make sure to use a wine glass large enough for swirling and nosing.
- Why do some wines have only place names (appellations) on the label and others have varietal names? – France was the first country to develop a system to protect and restrict the use of place names. Now, the entire European Union has adopted the French model. These laws define the named place, list the approved grape varieties, and specify the approved viticultural and winemaking practices allowed in that place. Wines that do not meet the standards for a desired appellation must be labeled with a larger appellation or a lower classification category. This is one way consumers can judge the quality of Old World wines. Increasingly, European wine labels also list varietal names.
- What are some tips for purchasing wine at the Pennsylvania state stores? – Please read my blog post on tiptoeing through the state store!
I’m looking forward to future wine classes and more good questions!