Teaching Taste Buds

The other night I taught a wine seminar called Be Your Own Critic.  If you pressed me, I might admit it was—in my opinion— the best one in the series so far.  For a combination of reasons.  Part everyone laughing and having a good time, part learning about critics like Parker and Laube and understanding some of their motivations even if I don’t believe in the result, and part getting people’s honest opinions about wine they tasted without knowing its name or price. We did two separate tastings where we scored a trio of Zins and then of Syrah and Petite Sirah.  The reactions and ratings were fun to compare, and I found it especially interesting that the ringer I threw in (2005 Rosenblum Vintner’s Cuvee Syrah for only $12 at the winery, less most other places) was the favorite from that round for a third of the group. I assured those folks that didn’t mean their palates weren’t sophisticated, it just meant they were lucky to like an inexpensive wine over the ones that weren’t as much.

I finished up the class with a discussion on other methods to choose wine and figure out what fits your tastes.  Price, experience, genetics, etc.  I also told the class about a fun exercise I would recommend for anyone.  Tim Hanni developed this questionnaire called Budometer that tells you what kind of wine drinker you are. Admittedly, it’s for novices and doesn’t take into account all kinds of situations (he plans on a more detailed one in the future), but it’s still fun to give it a try.

You can find one version on the Wall Street Journal’s website and another at YumYuk.com

Granted, you probably won’t agree with the answers. I’m supposed to prefer dry, very low intensity, high fruit, low oak, very low tannins, and balanced acidity. Most are opposite of what I actually enjoy. Oh, well!

The class was fun, regardless.

Image source: Farley Walker