Discovering the world of wine with someone who already swims in it, who can let you taste what you wouldn’t dare or would know, is what fired my thirst of wine and knowledge.
Compared tastings are the best way of understanding the experiences a wine can offer. To a novice a good fruity red and a more complex and intense red might seem the same when tested in two different moments. But wait a minute, what’s that earthy flavour? What about the balsamic sensation? Where are those cheesy notes coming from? And the vanilla? Who brought mushrooms in the room?
And what about the honey and hazelnuts that some white wines can offer? Are they really different from the crisp pure green fruits flavours that other whites present?
How would this wine taste in 5, 10 years? Vertical tastings are my favourite: they present a single wine from different vintages. They are difficult to organise since it’s difficult to find old vintages of wines worth drinking after a decade. Group testings help in these regards because sharing costs and expenses dilutes the difficulties.
Why a wine tastes like it tastes and how to help wine lovers understand what’s in the bottle before unscrewing the cork.