Welcome to the continuation
of our new wine tasting series. We’re
going to explore the wonderful world of
wine – glass by glass. This series
will assist you in setting up your own
wine tastings. Whether you are a novice
or a seasoned wine aficionado, it’s
not enough to read about this stuff. To
truly appreciate and learn, you have to
get in there in taste. Hey, it’s
hard work, but somebody has to do it!
Sangiovese
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Chardonnay
Syrah/Shiraz
and Old World vs. New World
Using Sauvignon Blanc to figure out oak
Barbera is the king of Piedmont
– the region’s most widely planted
grape. The two major appellations are
Barbera d’Alba and Barbera d’Asti
(Alba and Asti being the names of two
towns in Piedmont). These are generally
smooth wines that are low in tannins,
but high in acidity, featuring a rich
plummy fruit profile and a particular
mineral note typical of the regions. They
are excellent food wines, working well
with just about anything except the most
delicate of seafood dishes.
Producers to look for
include:
Barbera d'Alba:
Pio Cesare
Clerico
Aldo Conterno
Giacomo Conterno
Elio Grasso
Prunotto
Vietti
Barbera d'Asti:
Michele Chiarlo
Coop
Zonin
For a tasting, try lining-up
Barberas with some wines that you are
more familiar with – a Merlot and
a Pinot Noir, for example. You may find
it easier to take the "compare and
contrast" method to identify the
unique smells and tastes of Barbera.
Here are notes on a few
we’ve tasted lately:
($16). Easily the best of the bunch. With
exotic notes of smoke, berry and chocolate
that begin in the bouquet and continue
on the palate. Full bodied and delicious,
with big but well-integrated tannins.
Lush finish that lingers on and on. Ready
to drink now and over the next couple
of years.
($28). Tasty, with medium-bodied
fruit that includes juicy red cherry and
blackberry. Good earthiness and spice
on the finish. Ready to drink now and
over the next couple of years.
($12). Blackberry and dried cherry fruit
are accented with cola and subtle spicy
notes. Easy to drink, medium bodied, and
nicely balanced. Ready to drink now.
Note: When we were
doing our tastings, it was all 1999s on
the shelves. We’ve just seen some
of the 2000 vintage beginning to appear,
but there still should be plenty of the
‘99s.
Cheers!
We've found that our guests really enjoy
the opportunity to "grade" the
wines. You can make it as casual or controlled
as you like. We tend to put out a pile
of our
tasting notes sheets and then encourage
our guests to take notes. Somewhere toward
the end of the evening -- or once everyone
has had time to taste the various wines
-- we like to have a little group discussion
of the favorites. It really is a lot of
fun to hear everyone's opinions of the
wines, and there are always some interesting
surprises.
The most important thing
is to have fun with your tasting party.
Branch out to wines that are new to you.
Don't worry about the results -- everyone
will have a great time participating in
the tasting. And be sure to let
us know which wines were the hit at
your party!
For details on our past
tasting party ideas - click
here.
