Wine Essentials

Outside of my personal likes (drinking Cabernet Sauvignon from California is like devouring sweet, addictive candy) and dislikes (drinking Port is like trying to stomach a thick alcohol infused raisin-flavored syrup), I don't know much when it comes to tasting wine. Because of this, and a fast approaching trip to Napa Valley, I decided to enroll in the Wine Essentials course offered by the Institute of Culinary Education (www.iceculinary.com). The six week course is taught by Richard Vayda, a man with a funny, welcoming personality and a laundry list of credentials.

In the first two-hour session we discussed the history of wine, the basics of wine production, and finished by tasting and comparing eight varieties from France, Georgia (a region vastly different than the peach producing Georgia we know in the United States), Germany, Portugal, and South Africa*. We worked our way through each wine's appearance (clarity, color, and opacity), smell/nose (off odors, aroma, bouquet), taste/feel (weight, flavor, finish), and ended by suggesting appropriate food pairings (apparently it is criminal to serve a fruity white wine with a juicy steak). Reminiscent of a game of follow-the-leader, I realized it is substantially easier to distinguish a specific taste or smell in a certain glass of wine when someone first suggests what he or she tastes and smells.

As a wine tasting novice having just dissected eight glasses of wine, I walked out of the first of six classes with one certainty- my palate has a long road to travel before it can help me identify a hint of cooked lemon in champagne, or a tinge of pink grapefruit in a young sauvignon blanc. I am doubtful it will happen over the course of the remaining five sessions- but I am happy to try and to sample some delicious wines along the way!

* Wines in the first session included:
1. Pouilly Fume, Ladoucette 2006 ($35);
2. Constantia, Sauvignon Blanc, Buitenverwachting 2008 ($20);
3. Alsace, Pinot Gris, 'Reserve Personnelle', Trimbach 2001 ($35);
4. Mosel Saar Ruwer, Riesling Kabinett, Bernkasteler Badstube, Dr. H. Thanisch 2007 ($25);
5. Mukuzani (Georgia), Saperavi, Teliana Valley 2006 ($30);
6. Champagne, Brut, 'La Francaise', Taittinger NV ($45);
7. Champagne, Brut, 'Special Cuvee', Bollinger NV ($50); and
8. Porto, Tawny, 20 Year Old, Taylor Fladgate ($45).