Page 22 - Anna Doxie first new format

So here you are with the perfect wine at hand. While in More than anything drinking wine should be an experience.
your search for wine knowledge you read an article about There are so many wine based events and companies
wine glasses. Ugh! Something else to consider. Truly, popping up which help us to learn more about wine and to
wine drinkers are very picky as to the type of glass used learn to properly appreciate and enjoy wine. My quest to
to serve their wine. The shape can affect the taste and a learn more about this wonderful substance led me to Anna
good wine glass should have a generous bowl, so wine can Doxie, a local representative of WineShop At Home. I was
be swished and swirled without ending up on your guest’s now ready to explore the wine experience even further. I
new white blouse. The glass should narrow at the top so explained to Anna my plight and my desire to learn more
that the aromas are focused. The wide bowl allows the about wine, and she invited me to experience a wine tasting
wine to breathe, which changes the flavor as well. event. These events are held at your home, or the home
Generally, red wine glasses should be wider than white of a friend, where you get the opportunity to sample some
wine glasses since red wines need to breathe more. exclusive handcrafted artisan wines and compare notes
with the rest of your guests. So how could I go wrong? I
Okay, so now we have a basic knowledge of wine, but let’s get to taste wine, research my article and hang out with
get down to the important part. We want to look like we my friends.
know what we are doing. Therefore we need to know how Perhaps
to taste wine. There are actually only three basic steps and this is one
three human senses needed to perfect this act. The sense of the rea-
of sight, smell and taste are needed if we are going to pull sons that
this off. First make sure that you are not wearing lipstick or at home
perfume, you don’t want anything to detract from the smell wine par-
of the wine. Second, be sure to only pour a small amount ties have
of wine into the glass, usually no more than half a glass to become so
allow adequate swirling room. Last but not least, hold the fashion-
glass up at about a 45 degree angle with a white back- able. I also
ground behind it so you can get a realistic opinion of the liked the
color of the wine. Although flavor is not related to color, the idea that I
age of the wine can be told from the color. Red wines get could try a
lighter with age and white wines get darker. wine before
22 Now the entertainment begins, swirl the wine along the I had to
lay out any
inside of the glass, the dripping lines as it falls back into money to
the glass are called legs. The more legs the higher the buy it. As
alcohol content. The nose of the wine is it’s aroma. Put an added
your nose into the glass…just slightly…and take a deep plus, the
breath. If the resulting smell is musty this is evidence of process
a bad bottle of wine with a cork that has not been included
properly sterilized. There could also be excessive instruction
on how to
hydrogen sulfides which would make the wine smell like properly
rotten eggs or a bitter smell which sometimes means taste wine.
the wine has turned to vinegar. If none of these smells This was a no brainer. I would soon be able to taste wine
are present, feel free to use the numerous wine terms like a pro. Anna, a busy Mother of five lives in Poway, and
that will show your knowledge of wine. Perhaps it started out as a novice winetaster, so there was still hope
smells fruity, spicy, savory or floral. The word animal for me. I asked her how she became involved in WineShop
has shown up in my research, but somehow I don’t At Home. “I got into the wine business because I had a
think I want to know what that means. desire to learn more about wine. I was impressed with the
company’s ongoing trainings and events to increase my
Now it’s time to taste the wine. Swishing it around in wine knowledge, while being able to earn an income at the
your mouth allows you to pass it along the various tasting same time. My passion for wine continues to grow. Be-
regions of your tongue. As soon as the wine touches your cause the more I learn about wine, the more I appreciate
tongue you can tell if it is dry or sweet. Next concentrate the art of making wine, and the various stylistic choices the
on the flavors are they fruity, spicy, or herbal? Most impor- winemaker uses to achieve distinct flavors and aromas in
tant of all, do you like it? There are so many variables in a the wine. It’s truly an incredible process!”
good glass of wine that what it essentially comes down to Well off I went to my first wine tasting event and I can truly
is what you like in a wine. Expensive doesn’t always mean say that I am now, no longer such a novice. Okay so I still
better, and sometimes we can get surprised by the quality don’t know what Animal means, but maybe a few more par-
of a bottle of wine that sells for much less than our palates ties and I will no longer shudder when the Sommelier pours
believe it should. me a glass. Salut!
March/April 2008