4 Ways to Build Your Tasting Vocabulary

David Ferrie

First things first, start reading. The backs of wine labels are a good place to begin.  Also wine blogs (like ours!) and publications like “Food and Wine” and “Wine Spectator”. Do this, not to memorize what certain wines taste like, but to become comfortable with the words used to describe the flavors and aromas of wines. The more you do this, the more you will begin to realize that certain flavor profiles attribute to certain wine varietals and regions.

Secondly, go to wine tastings. Here, the person who has selected the wines will suggest the flavors in the wine. You will find that, as the suggestion is made, the realization of that flavor will hit your consciousness. I like to sample my customers experiences at the tastings I conduct. It’s fun and surprising!

Afterwards, share the experience. Whenever you sit down and share a bottle with your spouse or friend or aquaintance, discuss the flavors you are experiencing. It will be difficult, at first, but stay at it.

Lastly, ask for help in the wine shop. That wine consultant is there to inform, teach and share the experience of wine – in words, of course.  Most are very approachable and eager to help. 

The more articulate you become, the more likely you will be able to select a wine you will love!

Stag's Leap Wines

Lee Barczak

I recently had the great pleasure of tasting the current releases of several of the Stag’s Leap wines. All a pleasure to be introduced to. They speak volumes to the care with which this vineyard and its winemaker tend to business. The Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon, of recent film fame, was amazing in the layers of bouquet and flavor that unfolded as I enjoyed it. There were several layers of aroma and an equal number of flavors; each announcing itself after the others. Imagine what this wine will taste like after a reasonable amount of time in the bottle!  The S.L.V. Cab was equally enjoyable, perhaps only overshadowed by reputation. We will soon have the Artemis Cabernet in the wine shop and I am sure you will find it delightful. Sadly, quantities are VERY limited even in this market. If you have interest, call for pricing and we can special order for only three days. Oh, and the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay were also a treat…both very different from their usual California cousins.

Dave's Tasting Tips

David Ferrie

A customer came into the wine shop the other day. As I always do, I went over to her and asked if I could help her pick out a good wine. She said, “No, I’m just looking.” About 10 minutes later, she came to the register with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. I jokingly said to her, “So, you lied to me. You weren’t just looking.” After a bit of banter, the customer revealed, sheepishly, that she didn’t have much experience with wine and was embarrassed to ask for help because she didn’t even know where to begin. With that we went back to the racks. After asking a series of questions, we selected an opulent Pinot Blanc that the customer later reported she loved.

 What this customer lacked was not the ability to taste good wines. She had, as it turns out, a very sensitive palate. What she lacked was the ability to describe in words the flavors and textures her taste buds were experiencing. Lots of people have the same difficulty. I think that if people could describe the types of flavors they like and dislike, a good wine consultant would be able to match them with a wine they will enjoy. It’s worth it to spend a little time developing your taste/word vocabulary. If you doubt me, think of all the wines that disappointed you that you may have selected based on how nice the label looked.

Naia 2007 Verdejo

Kimberly Grasso

As the last of the hot summer nights came to a close, I tried my nose on the Naia 2007 Verdejo.  As the bottle opened it was one of the most fragrant wines I’ve had in quite a while.  Once I had the first pour the herbaceous nose of this wine came out and was very strong, yet not overpowering, with floral notes that complimented it.  I couldn’t wait to taste all this fragrance!

This Verdejo was of a very high quality and one of the best white varieties from Spain.  It was a very aromatic and soft wine with body, and with each glass this wine kept surprising me.  The first taste was very refreshing and crisp with bright fruit flavors such as grapefruit, lime and kiwi.  It was the perfect wine for the sushi we had just made too.  Although we drank it right out of the refrigerator, I recommend letting it sit a while for a more appealing taste.  If I ever want to be reminded of the last days of summer I’ll reach for the Naia 2007 and pour myself some liquid fragrance.

2006 Swingsville Red Zinfandel

Kimberly Grasso

I recently had the pleasure of enjoying the R & B Swingsville Red Zinfandel 2006. Talk about music to the pallet! Produced from some of the finest Zinfandel vineyards in California, this full-bodied, rich wine had cherry, blackberry and jam. Although a good steak or ribs would be my pairing of choice with this wine, the Swingsville provided the perfect amount of spice to go with any type of meal.  However it’s versatile and just as good as a solo act.  Pure harmony! So next time you are looking for a great value, full bodied, good with most meals, Red Zinfandel, plug into the R & B Swingsville.  Until the next bottle, happy sipping!

2008 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz

Lee Barczak 

Hi, I’m Lee, owner of Kafevino and longtime wine lover. Hope to share some of my experiences with you so that you can enjoy some of the wines I discover out there.

Last Wednesday I was fortunate to try the 2008 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz. This is one great find. The bouquet was spicy and took me back to my childhood with a scent of old fashioned brown licorice. Not the chocolate flavored but the one with molasses or some other secret ingredient! What a rush to smell something that only lives in memory! Then, the taste? WOW! Rich…lush…spices including a hint of black pepper. There was oak but not overwhelming. Lovely cherries and finally, at the end…this taste of the slightest amount of delicious black olives.

I loved every drop and can’t wait to lay some down to see what it is like as time makes it even better. This wine can be enjoyed today and for years to come. Members of the Thorn-Clarke family were in town recently and compared it to the 2003 and 2004 wines which everyone who enjoys fine Shiraz loved.  This will be on our shelves soon but I recommend you get it while you can. See you at Kafevino!

Dave's Raves

David Ferrie

Domaine Corbillieres Touraine

I like Touraines. They are lovely, unobtrusive food wines that never steel the show from the “main event”; the meal. This French Sauvignon Blanc has a grassy organic nose with a light, tight, mouth-watering front palate that balances out on the finish. Clean and refreshing.

Dave's Raves

David Ferrie

Cantele Salice Salentino 

This Italian is from Salento, which forms the southernmost part of Puglia and flanks the Adriatic and Iona Seas. This red presents with a lush, intense black raspberry nose. The flavors are a bit lean with a soft red fruit, which would appeal to people looking for an alternative to Pinot Noir. This has an elegant, smooth and lithe mouth-feel, delivering a pleasant, albeit short finish

Dave's Tasting Tips

David Ferrie

Don’t assume you like one varietal and don’t like another varietal. When people come into my shop saying something like “I only drink Pinot Noirs,” I will always challenge them.

First of all, if they’re drinking Pinot Noir because it is a medium body wine and not very tannic (that’s the sticky residue left in your mouth after sipping some “dry” wines) I’ll try them out on a Grenache or a Tempranillo because it’s a shame to limit one’s self to such a narrow experience when the fun of wine tasting is the HUGE variety.

Second, there is an enormous selection of flavor profiles within each varietal so that a Cabernet Sauvignon could have that same soft, medium body that those people were looking for in the Pinot Noir.

Third, it could just be they have not yet had a really good wine in another varietal. When starting out in wine drinking, we tend to start out buying cheap. That’s understandable because you don’t want to plunk down a ton of money on something you’re not going to like. Unfortunately, it’s difficult (not impossible) to find really good cheap wines. They are out there. They’re just few and far between.

I’ve told people for years to find a wine guy and a wine shop they can trust and stay there. These are the guys who have tasted the wines you want to buy. Next time, tell your wine guy the flavors you like and see what’s suggested.

Taste the Aromas

Kimberly Grasso 

One of my favorite things about being a wine consultant at Kafevino is being able to use my Aromatherapy background to taste the smells of all the wonderful wines we have available! So what is actually happening here? In the back of your mouth there is a passage called the retronasal passage. As you are tasting a wine you also inhale it up into this interior nasal passage.  As you draw in air across the wine and into your mouth you are vaporizing the aromas just as you did when you swirled the wine in your glass before tasting it! Pretty neat huh?

On a recent aroma adventure I got my nose into the Kings Ridge Pinot Noir. This Pinot had the classic cranberry, raspberry and currant on the nose and palate. With subtle hints of herbs and earth this was much different than any other Pinot Noir I had tried. The delight, to my surprise, was that it opened up with each glass and went well with my lobster bisque, bon appetite! Stop in at Kafevino and smell the wine, it’s always in season!