The Applegater

12 Fall 2018 Applegater P R E & P O ST- H A RV E ST S E RV I N G A L L O F O R E G O N ODA Approved Testing Laboratory www.greenleaflab.org WE TEST HEMP F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N O N P R E - H A RV E ST T E ST I N G , C A L L D E V I N AT ( 5 41 ) 69 0 - 6 8 03 BY DEBBIE TOLLEFSON Education of a wine taster GRAPE TALK Debbie Tollefson When I first became interested in wine, in the 1970s, my husband and I joined wine groups and went to vertical tastings and wine education seminars. I found the information daunting, but I learned that understanding your motivation helps you know how far down the wine rabbit hole you need to go. If you want to be a sommelier, your education is vastly different from that of a wine lover who just doesn't want to seem clueless when ordering from a wine list. e first step for the wine lover's education is to know the process of wine tasting. First look at the wine. Note the color and hue, then the clarity and opacity. If you see a lot of sediment, the wine needs to be decanted to separate it from the sediment. en slowly swirl the wine in the glass to release the aromatic compounds, and note the viscosity of the wine. Fluid streaks, called "legs" or "tears," running down the glass show that the wine has higher surface tension (viscosity). is For the initial part of your wine education, try many different kinds of wine, from sparkling to full-bodied reds and everything in between. Make tasting notes about each kind. Since we have so many great wineries in our valley, make the challenge fun by doing tasting flights at local wineries. Take notes! Many people believe it's impossible to identify a particular wine just by tasting it, but in 1984 a friend, Fred Dame, went to France to take the rigorous Master Sommelier Examination. We were confident he knew his wine, but he surprised us by being the first person to pass all three parts of the exam on his first try. He also identified two of the wines in the identification portion without tasting them. Fred didn't have degrees, and he started his career as a busboy. He learned wines by tasting, and he became one of the most respected Master Sommeliers in the world. His story is told in Somm, a documentary about wine sommeliers. After you have determined what kinds of wine you like, try some wines from different countries. Start with France, Spain, and Italy, then add Australia, Argentina, and Germany. Also try wines from different parts of the US. If you like pinot noir, for example, tr y Wa s h i n g t o n state or upstate N e w Yo r k . California produces many different varietals and has some of the best chardonnays in the world. If you like light whites, you will find that Michigan produces outstanding pinot gris and riesling, and Virginia and Texas also make some good white wines. Challenge your taste buds with wines from the Willamette and Umpqua valleys, and then compare them with our great southern Oregon wines. Take notes whenever you can. I have a small notebook that I take notes in when I am tasting a new wine. I also always try to get the label off the bottle. If it's impossible to get off, I might ask the winery if it has loose copies of its labels that I can have. If you can't get the label, take down the information. To further your education, you might want to take some classes offered at the Oregon Wine University. Visit theoregonwineexperience.com for more information. Debbie Tollefson debbie.avrealty@gmail.com may indicate higher alcohol content or higher residual sugar. Next tilt the glass and note the smell. What aromas are you picking up? Citrus, tobacco, and vanilla are frequently present. Do you smell any "off" aromas? If a white wine is more brown than yellow, it may be past its prime. You might also get a wine with an acidic aroma or a sulfite smell. Make notes of these so you remember. Now take a large sip and hold it in your mouth. en either spit it out or swallow it and take a few smaller sips while trying to identify primary flavors and traits. Is the wine sweet? Is it acidic? Is it high in alcohol? Can you taste tannin (tastes like sucking on a tea bag)? Every taster has a personal preference. Many taste preferences are genetic and depend on how sensitive to specific tastes you are. e more taste buds you have, the more you will want a delicate smooth-tasting wine with less tannin. Fewer taste buds allow the taster to enjoy the most intense tannin wines.

• Cover