Early Morning Wine Tasting
We were out on what turned into a complicated tour the other day in Napa, and it occurred to me that even people who should know better, still make rookie mistakes when planning wine tours. That may seem a little harsh, but for all of the beautiful scenery and great buildings, there is still the relationship between the human palate and the wine that needs to be considered in the equation.
If you got up in the morning and someone who loves you set a cup of coffee in front of you, and in response you said, “No darling, this morning I’m starting with Cabernet Sauvignon.” That would raise some eyebrows. With all of those tannins a Cab Sauv is a little hard on the taste buds right out of bed. The great thing about a big red is that it can reach through lots of other flavors and get the palate’s attention.
There are three main levels of tasters, tolerant, sensitive and hyper-sensitive. The difference is how many taste buds you have on your palate. Many men are tolerant, so they can drink their coffee black, or with some cream, or however they can get it. Many women are sensitive tasters, and a smaller number of people are hyper-sensitive tasters. They’re the ones that say ‘yeeech, that’s horrible’, while the tolerant taster is taking a second sip.
Because men tend to be tolerant tasters the tannic reds with lots of punch appeal to them, less so to women who prefer the complexity of Pinot Noir. But, in the course of a day of tasting everyone’s palates get less sensitive, especially if they drink the wine. One of the reasons why professionals spit the wine is because they need to maintain their sobriety. A second reason is that they are concerned for their livers. The third and most germane reason is the alcohol numbs their perception. The only way to taste two or three dozen wines and still do a clear analysis is to spit them out. But no one on vacation wants to do that.
When you plan a vacation day of tasting wine, start with light-weight wines that require a fresh palate to appreciate; Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir or Sparkling Wine (normally made from chard and pinot). After that move on to the Syrah and Zinfandel, and finish the day with the Cabernet Sauvignon. Don’t try a Pinot at the end of the day when the palate is anesthetized because you won’t appreciate it.
Even in your choice of Cabernet, choose carefully. When you tour Napa once you head up valley almost every winery is going to offer a Cab, but not all cabs are equally tough, and if a winery has a large list the big reds make up a smaller percentage of the tasting. What you don’t want to do is start the day at Opus One, or the To Kalon room at Mondavi where they specialize in tannic, long aging reds. Instead start the day at Domaine Carneros, Domaine Chandon, Artesa, Goosecross or Trefethen, places that offer some variety and lightness of flavor. That’s one of the keys to a great day of wine tasting.
Ralph & Lahni de Amicis are authors of the Amicis Winery Guides, and owners of Amicis Tours. They are authors of over twenty books on health, design, business and travel. Their iPhone Apps, The Napa Valley Wine Tour, and The Sonoma Winery Tour are a tour guides approach to these beautiful area, complete with 1000’s of photos and insights. Their articles and products can be found on the sites
