an ode to wine

wine shopping

2005-04-26T20:00:00.000+08:00

wide and in color

wine shopping

2005-04-26T19:56:00.000+08:00

wide and in color

wine review #3

2005-04-23T10:35:00.000+08:00

CINQ CEPAGES

Date
3 April 2005, while watching TV

Type : Red
Grape Variety : A blend of the five red Bordeaux grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petite Verdot
Vintage : 2002
Region : St Andre de Cubzac, France
Strength : 12% alcohol
Makers : Vin de Pays d'Oc
Price : 22 SGD

Sight

Color : Light Cherry
Clarity : Clear and bright
Depth of Color : Full
Viscosity : Light
Length : Long

Smell

Nose : Fruity with a hint of wood
General Appeal : Friendly
Fruit Aroma : Positive
Bouquet : Fruity and sweet

Taste

Tannins : Very soft
Acidity : Mild
Body : Light but matured
Balance : Very good
General Impression: Light and friendly, with distinct fruity taste and no bitter after taste

Overall Impression: Good for wine amateurs

wine shopping

2005-04-16T22:04:00.000+08:00

(photo taken by darwin)

wine review #2

2005-03-22T19:11:00.000+08:00

BALTASAR Gracian

Date
20 March 2005, after watching The Apprentice

Type : Red
Grape Variety : Garnacha Tinta, Iberian grapes
Vintage : 2001
Region : Campo de Borja, Spain
Strength : 14% alcohol
Makers : Bodegas San Alejandro
Price : 26 SGD

Sight

Color : Cherry Red
Clarity : Clear and bright
Depth of Color : Watery
Viscosity : Light but not watery
Length : Short

Smell

Nose : Pronounced wood and fruity smell, no overpowering alcohol smell
General Appeal : Recommended
Fruit Aroma : Positive
Bouquet : Very pleasant

Taste

Tannins : Very soft
Acidity : Moderate
Body : Light but full-bodied
Balance : Very good
General Impression: The vintage taste is distinct

Overall Impression: Pleasant smell, mature taste, recommended

wine review #1

2005-03-07T15:07:00.000+08:00

CARMEN

Date
4 March 2005, with Darwin celebrating nothing
Taken with a cake on a midnight binge

Type : Red
Grape Variety : Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage : 2003
Region : Rapel Valley, Chile
Strength : 14% alcohol
Makers : Vina Carmen, SA
Price : 20 SGD

Sight

Color : Red Brown
Clarity : Cloudy and dull
Depth of Color : Watery
Viscosity : Watery

Smell

Nose : Overpowering alcohol smell but honey-like when oxygenated
General Appeal : Neutral
Fruit Aroma : Positive
Bouquet : Pleasant

Taste

Tannins : Soft
Acidity : Marked
Body : Very light and thin
Length : Short
Balance : Good

Overall Impression: Acceptable

wine tip #1

2005-03-04T13:22:00.000+08:00

here's a handy trick to knowing the value of the wine. feel the depth of the dimple at the bottom of it. the more expensive the bottle, the deeper its dimple will tend to be.

wine tasting 101

2005-01-02T04:00:00.000+08:00

(taken from the official website of the movie sideways)

Wine Tasting is an educated art that combines experience, knowledge and the cultured use of the three senses involved: sight, smell, and taste. Though it takes many years of practice to recognize certain wines and their area of origin solely by taste, once you know the basics of Wine Tasting, anyone can find it quite enjoyable.

Preparation

As you begin your journey into the wonderful world of wine, it is recommended that you keep a journal of the various wines you taste. This way, you will not only remember what you have tasted, but you may also compare it to other wines, track wines that you purchase or would like to purchase, and have a resource when describing wines to others in a pseudo-educated and pretentious way. If you so choose, you may also save wine bottle labels to remind you of the wine bottle appearance if you are searching for it later, since you may have been in a drunken stupor while initially viewing the wine bottle.

Make sure that your materials and environment are ideally suited for tasting. Your tapered wine glasses should be dry, clean and not washed in detergent, which may distract from the wine's aroma and flavor. The ideal tasting environment is a light-filled neutral setting, free of distracting odors such as a call girl's perfume or scented candles. It would also be helpful to have a white backdrop to hold the wine up against to gain a neutral perspective of the wine's color. Your best buddy's dirt-free white t-shirt will do just fine. You should not eat before tasting, as the flavors of your food may affect the tasting experience. Always taste white wines first, then rosés, then reds.

The Process: Sight, Aroma & Flavor

1) Spit out your gum into an appropriate trash receptacle.

2) Fill the glass to 1/3 full with your chosen wine.
No more, no less.

3) Hold the glass up at a 45 degree angle and examine the wine against the light and look for color and clarity. White wines start off on the light side with a straw or greenish hue, and as it ages, it becomes a dark golden or even brown color. Red wines are dark purple-red, and as they age, they can become a lighter red-brick to brown. The wine should be clear and bright, not cloudy or hazy.

4) Swirl the glass. Visually observe the body of the wine, and check for "Good legs," which may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content or sweetness level. Swirling also releases the aroma of the wine or "bouquet."

5) Now stick your nose in your glass (don't be afraid to get in there) and smell the wine in a deep yet gentle whiff. The smell of a wine is called its "nose." Contemplate the condition (gentle, musty, earthy), intensity (weak or full) and character (fruit or flower) of the smell and make a note of it. Your nose is more sensitive than your mouth, and can pick-up on subtleties. Therefore, spend as much time as necessary determining the intricacies of what you smell.

6) The taste of the wine is known as its "palate," which you will determine next. Take a small mouthful and allow the wine to hit every part of your mouth, enveloping all of your taste buds. Don't be embarrassed to swish around a bit like you are using mouthwash. Check for Sweetness/Dryness, Acidity, Tannin, Weight or Body and Fruit.

7) Use your spittoon to discard the wine from your mouth, so that your mouth can contemplate the aftertaste. Or swallow if you're secretly seeking a nice buzz.

8) Take a moment and think about the experience of the taste, including your first impressions, the flavors while it was in your mouth, and the aftertaste. Make a note of these thoughts.

9) You are now on your way to becoming a wine connoisseur.