Knowing what you're talking about when you talk about wine
Everything a wine can tell you just by looking at it, and my approachable (!) guide to wine tasting.
It’s 2016: I’m account managing at a small PR agency, seated at a white table-clothed table with my two bosses at Petrossian, eating a six-course caviar tasting menu that unquestionably above my pay-grade.
It was the kind of table that would have only existed for me on the other side of the glass, prior to this career. At the ripe age of twenty-two, these people were trusting me to be the sole advisor to the chefs and restaurants I was assigned to, and tonight was a chance to show I could evaluate a menu and decide whether this was a client worth our sweat and tears for the next calendar year.
When the apron-clad sommelier arrived tableside, I knew this wasn’t a moment to take a risk. I confidently gave him a sweepingly generic descriptor for something I knew I’d like — a dry red wine. The Bourgogne in my glass was beyond what I could appreciate at the time, though I remember noting a delicate earthiness and crunchy tannins.
My boss, a man of impeccable taste, was poured a white wine he was told would pair perfectly with the caviar-topped monkfish, seared to perfection, counterbalanced by a silky beurre blanc.
“This is definitely aged,” he said, swirling his glass and taking another sip after the sommelier had tiptoed away. For most of the night, I was mature enough to try my best not to show the wide-eyed, easily-impressed naivety behind my external composure. This comment, however, caught my attention.
“How do you know that?” I blurted out. I was still deciphering if it was appropriate to send back a bottle of wine to the sommelier if you didn’t like the first taste, (it’s not just to see if you like it or not). But age? How could you know from just a taste?
Though my other boss rolled her eyes at my question, the big boss rattled a few pointers, and I think the tuna carpaccio distracted me from retaining what he said.
All I knew was that suddenly I wanted to know how a person could pull time out of a glass.
Now, you might be asking, sounds like a pretty exciting career, why would I ever leave it behind? That’s a story for another time.
For now, I’m saving you the inquisitive nature of my early years, and I’m giving you a little insight into knowing how to identify and taste wine.
Before we dive in, a small ask: if you want access to my wine tasting guide below, a paid subscription is $45 a year (that’s less than your coffee budget for the month, an Uber to JFK, or that bottle of wine from your last night out… you do the math!). This support helps me continue to write, demystify hosting, and hopefully encourage you to gather those around you more. I always say, if I can’t host all of you around a table, I can at least equip you to host around yours!
I’m so grateful this little corner of the internet keeps finding its people, and I appreciate all of you who take the time to open, read, and share Anyone Can Host. You encourage me to keep going.
much love,
rachel
My Guide to Wine Tasting
Plus, the secret to knowing if a wine is aged..!
First, By Sight
It turns out, you can know a thing or two about the wine in your glass before you even take a whiff. Just based on sight, it’s possible to identify the varietal, and if your wine has been aged or not.