Drinking Wines

The basics of tasting wine are relatively simple to learn. Once the fundamentals are mastered, the nuances and details can be enhanced over a lifetime. Like any other skill, tasting wine requires practice, and consistency is probably the most important factor.

One helpful strategy an aspiring wine taster can pursue is tasting with a friend that has superior knowledge. Questions can be addressed, and you will quickly become comfortable with this unnecessarily intimidating subject.

Another important strategy for a beginning wine taster is to taste several wines side-by-side that share at least one common variable. This could be the varietal, style, AVA of origin, or any combination of the three.

Tasting blind will minimize any prior opinions or stereotypes. You may be surprised to discover that less-expensive wines are more pleasing to you.

The Essentials of Tasting Wine

It is imperative that you taste in spotlessly clean glasses. The most common contaminants in unclean glasses are invisible molecules left behind by cleaning products. Even high-end restaurants can be guilty of this faux pas. It is best to thoroughly hand wash glasses with unabrasive soaps and hot water.

It is beneficial, but not necessary to use varietal-specific glasses when tasting wine. Research has shown that the shape of glasses really does make a difference in the sensory experience.

Overview of the Tasting Process

Wine tasting employs much more than just the taste buds, although they are very important. Your palate is a term for how taste buds on your tongue translate particular flavors to your brain. The palate can perceive only four basic flavors: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness. Most of the subtle flavor components of wine are actually picked up by one’s sense of smell.

Although many of our daily perceptions are unconscious, making a concerted effort to pay attention to several things makes the tasting process more educational and rewarding. Despite the mystique that surrounds many wine experts, tasting wine can be broken into simple steps. Wine knowledge usually stems from practice and confidence, not any inherent superiority.

Of course, some people have more developed senses than others. An extreme example is Robert Parker, widely regarded as the most influential wine critic in the world. Mr. Parker’s tasting ability is derived from his natural ability to be keenly aware of his senses.

It is within the grasp of the vast majority of people to confidently differentiate varietals, styles, flavor profiles, and flaws when tasting wine. Tasting wine requires not only a grasp of your senses, but also the ability to articulate (with the proper vernacular) your thoughts about a particular wine.

Relevance of Sight in Tasting Wine

Your sense of sight will reveal a lot about a particular wine before smelling and tasting it. Immediately after pouring, check to see how clear the wine is. While haziness may simply indicate a full-bodied, unfiltered red wine, in any other style it is usually cause for concern. Wines will often taste the way that they look (an unrefined look may indicate a clumsy, unfocused wine).

Viewing the color of the edge of a wine in a glass will give you an indication of its maturity (or lack thereof). Mature, aged-worthy reds will have a deep crimson, or even brownish look. Too much brown usually means that the wine is past its prime. the rim of a white wine will generally be light yellow in youth, and and progress to an amber color with age.

After your initial visual impressions, swirl the wine in your glass. While this may be tricky at first, you will pick it up quickly. This reveals the legs. The more wine sticks to the side of a glass, the higher the alcohol content.

The Role of the Sense of Smell During Wine Tasting

As mentioned earlier, many of the subtle tastes of wine are actually perceived by your sense of smell. While there are only four perceptible tastes, there are thousands of different scents. Revealingly, sinus congestion will stop even the most experienced and accomplished wine taster in his/her tracks. Smell is perceived through the upper nose as well as through the back of the throat. Molecules of different scents are registed by the olfactory bulb in the sinuses.

Before smelling a wine, swirl the glass again to reveal the aroma. When smelling a wine, attempt to put any familiar aromas into the context of previous tastings. This is the fundamental basis for increasing your knowledge of tasting wine.

After smelling the wine, the majority of registered perceptions occur very quickly. Sense of smell is very delicate and easily overwhelmed. Smelling the same thing repeatedly becomes less and less revelatory in rapid succession. If you do not immediately pick out the array of aromas in a wine, relax for a minute or two, then try again.

The Actual Tasting Begins

After experiencing the aroma of a wine, it is logically time to taste. Swirl the wine once more, and then swallow a small sip. After your initial impression, take a slightly larger sip and make an effort to coat your entire mouth. This is called, chewing the wine. Before swallowing, aerate the wine in your mouth. While this makes a slightly strange sound, the enhanced flavors and aromas that are released are more than worth it.

Another important component in the tasting process is touch, or how the wine feels in your mouth. Major variables to be aware of are the body of the wine, serving temperature, and astringency. The body of a wine includes the depth of flavor and alcohol content. If these components are underrepresented, a wine will taste dilluted.

Serving temperature is an important variable that mainly hinges on the varietal(s) that compose a particular wine. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc will taste flat at room temperature, and should be chilled. On the contrary, a well-aged Cabernet Sauvignon will not reveal its true complexity when served too cold. The incorrect serving temperature for a wine will adversely affect both the aroma and flavor.

Astringency is basically a synonym for bitterness, and is caused by excessive or unmellowed tannins. Great red wines often taste astringent in their youth, but develop into opulent masterpieces when mature.

I hope that you believe that proper wine tasting skills are within your reach; because they certainly are. Mankind’s ancient enjoyment of wine is largely derived from the fact that our senses, feelings, and preferences are the basic components of what makes us human.

Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

Mystery and intrigue surround the disappearance of Roerderer’s presence in Russia. He just vanished, according to Natalia Feduschak writer for the KYIV Post in an article from Sudak, Ukraine dated January 30, 2003. She says, The man himself seems to have just disappeared from Czarist Russia?s winemaking scene. What is known, however, is that the company became one of the leading producers of champagne in the Russian Empire. (A taste of Ukraine, one sip at a time) http://www.kyivpost.com/guide/travel/13471/

Threads of time weave into a legend and unlimited possibilities exist. Where in the world is Roederer?

This sparkling wine producer originally founded in 1776, under Louis Roederer I, spent the first thirty-eight years reaching sales of 2,500,000 bottles, 660,000 in Russia alone, according to http://www.champagne-roederer.com/origine/us/louis.html. The creation of Cristal cuv’ee by Louis II followed in 1876 and by 1909 he was Russia’s top supplier.

After the Great Depression the Roederer family was saved from financial disaster through efforts of the family matriach, Camille-Olry-Roederer in 1932. To this day the grandson, Jean-Claude Rouzaud, along with his son Fre’de’ric steer the 200-year old icon in the United States. With the same genealogical drive of their forefathers and inherited matriachal finesse’ they manage Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes on the four hundred and ninety four acres in France (Cote des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Valle’e de la Marne), eventy-five miles northeast of Paris.

Louis Roederer Estates caused flap of a California kind. I didn’t hear it until 2003 and the local talk suggested heated discussions over his presence in the valley began in 2000. According to public record he was there nine years before that.

But, the holdings of Roederer didn’t disappear, they expanded and included an educational component in Siraz country. Five-hundred and eighty acres in Menocino County, specifically Philo have joined the case surrounding the disappearance of Roederer and sparkling Shiraz has become another crop in the area. One part of the mystery is solved. But, still there remains a nine year hole in the story. L’ErmitageBrut his first California wine, debuted in 1989.

According to the Wine Spectator, since he purchased the property he has been seen buying in Bordeaux in 1995, partying in Paris in 1997, and in 1999 selling off parts to a subsidiary named Scharffenberger (also in Philo-8501 Highway 128, (800) 824-7754). Scharffenberger was named Pacific Echo from 1998 to 2004, but he’s back, too, and managed by Maisons Marques et Domaines Ltd. This company was contracted in 1986 by Roederer and continues to maintain exclusivity of the Roederer line, being the only distributor in the United Kingdom. Some say England created sparkling wine. But, argument ceases with unions (at least some). The question is indeed irrelevant in this case, what with the business mix of Roederer and Maisons Marques et Domaines Ltd.

I visited Philo in October of 2003, with a stay at Highland Ranch just south of Roederer Estates. The climate is indeed well-drained and cool that time of year (By all means, take long johns.). Here grapes mature slowly balancing acid and sugar. According to reports this fifth generation Roederer searched since the late 70s for climatic conditions similar to his precious Champagne region in France. The estate’s regional rustic dormers is all that’s seen of the estate from the roadside, so he is still staying hidden somewhat.

I sat a mile and half as the crow flies at a thousand foot elevation, at the ranch with gorgeous views obstructed by redwoods near Hendy Woods National Forest, so I couldn’t see Roederer either. In a little over a year the stir Roederer’s presence caused, with real estate prices not wine, appears amiably settled. I wonder if the Russians know where he is yet.

It turns out the cloak-and-dagger disappearance is an expansion and asset management strategy, which has served well to protect the whereabouts of Roederer.

This excellent sparkler is consumed all over the world. A bottle of Brut can be had for $16.99.

Grapes used in Roederer’s sparklers as Legend Has It

RED-SHIRAZ/SYRAH (Australia/France and U.S.) unlike Petit Sirah

Persian King Jamshid found one of his slaves knocked out in the grape cellar due to the CO2 from fermenting grapes and the king’s distraught mistress meaning to commit suicide, ended up drunk revealing the grapes’ mysterious power. Also, in 1/330 BC the destruction of Persepolis was said to be a direct result of Shiraz grape ingestion per Peter Svans, http://www.uncork.com.au/tidbits10.htm. Others claim it originated in the Rhone Valley of France. http://www.wineintro.com/types/sirah.html. These grapes are vigorous, disease resistant and grow well in cool climates, which the Mendocino hills certainly are ? hosting a flavor of pepper.

RED-PINOT NOIR

The Burgundy (Gaul) region of France touts the beginning of a first century AD legend that the Aedui (Celtic family) brought the grape along with their invasion of Lombardy and Italy, others say Barbarians drove Romans from the already established area and Catholic monks took custody of Pinot Noir.

WHITE/GREEN-CHARDONNAY

As luck would have it, mine ran out searching for legend surrounding the white/green grape. It is thought to have migrated from the 8th century BC to Italy, and somewhere, somehow ended up in the Champagne region of France.

And CHAMPAGNE

Legend and myth continues to blend and meld things into oblivion. Even the word champagne which means white chalky plane. Written on Cognac labels, the reference is to the Cognac area not the area of the same name.

Roederer Estate Inc.
P.O. Box 67
Philo, CA 95466
707 895-2288
info@roedererestate.net
http://www.champagne-roederer.com

For more information see:
http://mag.leftcoastart.com/html/roedererestate.html
http://www.klwines.com/find/search.asp?id=765
http://www.atlasofwineries.com/wineries/scharffenberger.html
http://www.philoapplefarm.com/Map.html (Just north of this farm on the right Roederer Estate sits. Plentiful fields of apple and olive in the Northern Sierra Mountains, add flavor to another part of a growing mystery.)

Linda?s writing appears in From Eulogy to Joy, Beischel, Xlibris Press, 2000, Bootsnall.com, and http://www.ezinearticles.com She loves to travel, write, design, decorate, and paint. Linda studied writing through Long Ridge Writers Group in Connecticut, journalism at MSCD, Denver, and painting at the Art Academy in Loveland, Colorado, USA.

The history of wine consumption in America has been frought with starts, stops, and inconsistencies. The American population has always had a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Historic prohibitionist attitudes amongst much of the American population have blurred the line between moderate wine consumption and detrimental alcoholism. As a result, regular, moderate consumption of wine by the American public continues to face ideological and legal impediments.

The History of Wine Consumption During the Colonial Years

Since its origins, the history of wine consumption in America has been both encouraged and despised by different demographic groups. Spanish missionaries produced the earliest New World wine during the early 17th Century. Shortly thereafter, French immigrants began to cultivate grapes in the Hudson River Valley. They made wine, juice, and preserves.

The early history of wine consumption in America was dominated by immigrants whom were primarily Catholic, and of Central or Southern European descent. The bulk of wine-drinking immigrants came from the wine loving nations of France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. They descended from cultural traditions that valued social wine consumption with the evening meal.

The aforementioned wine drinkers were counterbalanced by immigrants from Northern Europe. Many held Puritan belief systems that discouraged or banned alcohol consumption of any kind. The nativist movements of the early 18th Century cast suspician on immigrant groups that retained Old World customs and did not entirely assimilate into American society.

Wine consumption was a lightning rod for these discriminatory points of view. Although not accurate, alcoholism was seen as a problem only associated with certain ethnic groups that enjoyed wine. Whiskey and beer was the actual source of vast majority of problematic inebriation. Nonetheless, early prohibitionist forces were very effective at linking wine to the ills of American society.

History of Wine Consumption During the 19th Century

In the 1830s, Americans consumed massive amounts of whiskey and beer. Alcoholism was extremely widespread and was affecting the stability of the American family. Husbands spent time in the saloons instead of with their families, and rampant drunkedness increased instances of philandering and crime.

Ironically, as Prohibitionist fervor gained national momentum in the nineteenth century, the American wine industry boomed. From 1860-1880, Phylloxera devastated the vineyards of France. California wine production greatly increased to fill the international void. Huge tracts of vineyards were planted in Southern California to satisfy the international demand for wine. However, most of this production was exported and it did not have a major impact on the history of wine consumption in America.

By the mid-1880s, European wine production rebounded, causing a glut of American wine. To make matters worse, Pierce’s Disease and Phylloxera simultaneously struck Southern California’s vineyards. Rising population and real estate values in the Los Angeles Basin was the last nail in the coffin of extensive viticulture in the region. With Prohibitionist attitudes constantly gaining momentum, American demand for wine was insufficient to make up for the loss of the much larger European market.

History of Wine During the Prohibition Years

In response to the massive outcry of many Americans against alcohol consumption, Congress passed the 18th Amendment in 1917. It banned the commercial production and sale of alcohol in America. The Volstead Act was ratified in 1920 and expounded on the actual implementation of Prohibition. It also mandated several loopholes in alcohol production and consumption. Physicians could prescribe alcohol and it could be consumed for religious purposes. Additionally, a head of household was legally allowed to produce 200 gallons of wine a year for personal use. This was largely a concession to the significant Italian-American electorate.

Because of the Volstead Act, American wine consumption actually increased during Prohibition. The traditional American alcoholic beverages of beer and distilled spirits were illegal to produce and sell from 1920-1933. As a result, regions like Lodi saw a massive increase in demand for grapes used for home winemaking.

Prohibition did not curtail the American apetite for alcohol, it merely destroyed the legal framework that governed alcohol sales. Due to the inaccessibility of alcohol, the use of other drugs, including cocaine and marijauna greatly increased. Additionally, the government lost a major source of revenue from taxing alcohol as organize crime took over the means of production and distribution. The American public became increasingly dissolutioned with the government’s stubborn attempt to attain the impossible.

The 21st Amendment: Repeal of Prohibition

After a decade of the noble experiment, Congress passed the 21st Amendment. It ended national Prohibition and transferred the authority to allow or ban production and sale of alcohol to individual states. Many states relegated this authority to the county level. Counties in some states prohibit alcohol to this day. The history of wine production and sales since the repeal of Prohibition has been governed by the 21st Amendment, not the free trade mandates of the U.S. Constitution.

Because every state has the power to make their own laws regarding wine sales, it has effectively made commercial wine distribution a convoluted mess. Marketing wine in the U.S. continues to be a difficult and frustrating task, especially for smaller wineries.

The effects of the 21st Amendment have had a major impact on the history of wine consumption in the U.S. during the 20th and 21st Centuries. Its legacy is a tangle of state and county laws that regulate the production and sale of wine.

The Fortified Wine Years

Immediately after the repeal of Prohibition, wine consumption dropped as Americans had renewed access to spirits and beer. From the repeal of Prohibition to the late 1950s, high-alcohol dessert and fortified wines dominated the market. These were the darkest days of the history of wine production and consumption. Many fortified wines were produced and sold extremely cheaply, and catered to the misery market. Winos drank these overly alcoholic concoctions becauses they were the cheapest way to get drunk. In the quest for short-term profits, unscrupulous producers stamped a black mark on the history of wine in America.

From 1934 to the early 1950s, immigrant families consumed the majority of table wines. Unfortunately, many of their offspring did not follow their parents traditional drink choices and began consuming beer and cocktails as they assimilated into American society. Table wine was a mysterious beverage to most Americans and was associated with high-society and recent arrivals from Southern and Central Europe.

The Jug Wine Years

America’s taste for non-fortified wines finally began to develop in the early 1960s. The majority of these new wine drinkers were young, well-traveled, and relatively affluent. As the Baby Boom generation came of age, the ranks of wine drinkers increased. Even still, the majority of consumers bought simple, sweet wines.

The early 1980s saw the height of the frenzy to promote and sell inexpensive wines to the American public. The White Zinfandel rage was and continues to be a major part of the market. Total American wine consumption reached an all-time high due to a massive influx of capital and advertising. Despite predictions of continued increases, it did not materialize.

At the same time, overall alcohol consumption decreased in the United States during the 1980s. The anti-drug and alcohol movement justifyably discouraged dangerous levels of drug and alcohol ingestion. Unfortunately, extremists in the movement also attacked the history of wine consumption in America. Zero-tolerance attitudes portrayed moderate wine consumption as not only hazardous to the individual, but also as detrimental to the entire population.

The Renaissance Years

In the late 1980s, jug wine consumption fell sharply. American tastes were changing, and the market began to demand wines with defined characteristics. Mike Benziger’s Glen Ellen Winery entered the void, creating the hugely popular fighting varietals genre. These wines bridged the gap between the generic production of the past, and the boutique wineries of the following decade.

Much of America’s current interest in quality wine stems from a 1991 60 Minutes Program that examined the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. The French Paradox is the fact that the French consume fatty foods, significant red wine, and have a very low incidence of heart disease. This news had a major impact on American wine consumption, especially in aging, affluent demographic groups.

The Future…Factors to Consider

As American society becomes increasingly more fast-paced and hectic, fewer families are sitting down together for dinner. This is not a positive sign for American wine consumption as few people open up a bottle of wine to drink with their drive-thru or take-out dinners.

Wine enjoyment is symtomatic of relaxation, and these days American society is anything but relaxed. The history of wine is also synonymous with stable family relationships, and the divorce rate in the U.S. is currently about 50%.

Furthermore, wine is a complicated subject that generally requires a certain amount of leisure time and money to become a true adherent. Additionally, wine has an unflattering image amongst many American alcohol consumers who prefer beer or liquor. In my opinion, there are limits to how large the quality wine market can increase.

On a more positive note, the American population is aging, and older, more affluent people tend to enjoy wine more than other demographic groups. Hopefully they will pass their appreciation of wine to the next generation.

In many ways, the history of wine consumption in the U.S. is a microcosm of both the positives and negatives that have come with the innate American experience. Studying the history of wine consumption in the U.S. illuminates the political, cultural, religious, and racial diversity that has made the nation what it is today.

America has a relatively small but growing population of wine-lovers. Although the number of regular wine drinkers are far from being a majority, they will continue to grow as the population ages. Future trends will probably include an increase in consumption of quality varietals grown in specific, terroir-driven locations.

Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

Correct wine etiquette makes the tasting experience much more enjoyable. Like most interests, there is a set of protocol that most wine lovers adhere to. Good taste dictates that tasting at wineries, ordering wine at restaurants, and hosting a dinner party all require certain formalities.

Tasting Room Etiquette

In a winery’s tasting room, white wines are generally tasted first, followed by reds, and then dessert wines. Within these categories, lighter-bodied wines preceed fuller-bodied ones. Water and crackers may be offered to cleanse the palate between each wine. Correct wine etiquette does not dictate that you must finish every glass. Winery tasting rooms provide jars to dispose of excess wine. Do not feel that you need to sample every wine offered- taste what appeals to you.

If you ask for a second tasting of a particular wine, it is in good taste to buy a bottle. Many wineries charge tasting fees which are generally applied to any purchase. It is not mandatory that you buy wine; purchase only what you desire. That being said, if you have made an appointment at a small winery, it is in good taste to make a purchase. Proper wine etiquette dictates that you not bring children to a tasting room.

General Restaurant Wine Etiquette

Wine service at a nice restaurant can be an unneccessarily difficult ordeal. The following tips will allow you to follow the customs of wine service with ease and confidence.

When choosing a wine from a restaurant’s wine list, the main goal is to accomplish a suitable pairing with the entrees of your party. If the food orders are too different to generalize with one wine, consider purchasing splits or ordering by the glass. Waiters and sommeliers are there to answer your questions, but availing yourself to their services and advice will be much more beneficial if your questions are relatively specific.

For example, don’t ask the sommelier, What goes well with a rack of lamb? Rather, ask, I’d like to balance the spiciness of the lamb with a full-bodied, Syrah-based Rhone. Do you have any favorites? Your effort will be appreciated and service and interaction will be more seamless. I guarentee you will be more pleased with the outcome.

After ordering, the waiter/sommelier will retrieve your selection, and then present it, label forward, to the host of the party. This is merely to verify it is the correct wine. The cork is removed and placed on the table. Unless it is clearly tainted, (the waiter/sommelier should notice if it is) do not touch or smell it, as it means nothing.

A small amount will then be poured for the host. Swirl the wine in the glass, smell, then taste. This is to make sure the wine is not spoiled and is not an opportunity to send back a sound wine that you are not crazy about. After approval, the wine will be poured clockwise to the right, ladies first. The host’s glass will be topped last.

Corkage Etiquette

It is increasingly customary in many parts of the country for restaurants to extend corkage policies for patrons whom wish to bring their own wine. However, this is not the case everywhere, (especially on the East Coast), and proper wine etiquette dictates that several things should be kept in mind.

Always call the restaurant in advance to verify that corkage is allowed. Also ask what the fee is to avoid any surprises. In my experience, very few restaurants charge over $20 as a corkage fee. Some restaurants will waive this fee if an additional bottle is purchased from the wine list, but do not assume that this is always the case.

Wine brought to a restaurant should be relatively unique or rare, and definitely should not appear on the restaurant’s wine list. After the waiter/sommelier opens and pours the contents, proper wine etiquette dictates that you offer them a taste. Following these guidelines will ensure that both you and the restaurant staff are happy.

The Duty of the Host at Dinner Parties

The duty of the host toward his/her guests is one of the most ancient and enduring forms of etiquette in human civilization. When serving wine, making sure that your guests are comfortable with the process should be your paramount concern.

Before serving, always allow wine time to breathe at room temperature. Never pour wine for guests immediately after opening. It is the host’s responsibility to discreetly ensure that the wine is sound and unspoiled. This should be done away from company, and a small amount should be sampled.

Always serve wine to your guests in clean, spotless glasses. This may seem obvious, but it is a very mistake. Additionally, if more than one wine is served, make sure that they are poured in a logical progression.

Especially with older wines, be aware that there may be a significant amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Keep this in mind when deciding the portion given to each guest. Avoid the embarrassing instance of the last person receiving an unacceptable amount of solids in their glass. If this is a concern with a particular bottle, refrain from pouring the last half glass.

It may be necessary or beneficial to decant a wine to either remove sediment or to expose it to oxygen. Be cautious with this practice, as older wines may quickly fade if left in a decanter for too long.

Wine enjoyment should be an enjoyable and unintimidating process. With these tips in mind, you are prepared for the majority of social situations that involve wine.

Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com

As your love and knowledge of wine grows, it is inevitable that you will want to share your revelations with friends and family. Hosting a wine tasting party is a great way to do this.

When planning a wine tasting party, some obvious questions about parameters arise. How many people should you invite? What types and how many wines should you pour?

It is my opinion that an informal gathering should be kept to 12 people or less. This ensures that conversation and dialogue will be much more conducive than with a larger group.

Blind tasting is the most fun and informative. Wrapping bottles in bags will negate past preferences and prejudices. You may be surprised what you like without access to the wine label.

Focus on a relatively specific style of wine. Within this framework, some variations should be considered. I recently hosted a wine tasting party where we tasted Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.

To make it more interesting, we tasted two wines from Rutherford, (valley floor) two from Stags Leap, (east hills) and two from Mount Veeder (west hills). This was a pleasant and educational mix: a consistant varietal, but different styles from different regions. Another option is to taste the same varietal from the same region, but in different price ranges.

For the initial tasting, pour a small amount in each guest’s glass. Refrain from pouring full glasses until every wine has been tasted to avoid the cloud of inebriation on the senses.

Provide some neutral flavored foods for your guests. Make sure this does not interfere or clash with the wine tasting. Don’t serve blue cheese if you are tasting Pinot Blancs. Try bread or crackers and a mild, white cheddar or brie.

Paper and pencils are necessary for your guests to write notes and preferences. If you regularly taste with the same group, you may want to use a designated notebook as well as articulate some additional guidelines and procedures for the tasting notes. This will create and ongoing reference point and perspective as your tastes develop.

Benjamin Bicais lives in the Napa Valley and is the webmaster of http://www.california-wine-tours-and-accessories.com