„But where there is no wine, the charm of life dies“. Anyone who can agree with this quotation from the Greek tragedian poet Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) is well on the way to become a wine connoisseur.
Bust of Euripides. Marble, Roman copy after a Greek original from ca. 330 BC. Wikipedia.
5 characteristics that make you a wine connoisseur.
The Wine Connoisseur. People who love wine know good wine when they smell it. High quality wine stimulates a part of their brain that arouses emotion and excitement. A connoisseur would rather drink no wine than drink average quality wine.
Doesn’t matter, if you are woman or man, both have the ability’s to be a wine connoisseur.
But what distinguishes the wine drinker from the real connoisseur? Professional knowledge and passion are details that real wine professionals can show. If you fulfill the following five points, you can justifiably claim to be a wine connoisseur.
French actor and comedian Louis de Funés (31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) as connoisseur Charles Duchemin in his 1976 movie „L’Aile ou la Cuisse – The Wing or the Thigh“.
1. You not only distinguish between „red“ and „white“.
Red wine with grilled meat and white wine with fish. The knowledge of many wine drinkers does not go beyond this principle. But wine connoisseurs have known for a long time that wine has more to offer. He is aware of the fact that a Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like currant and brings rich tannins and that the powerfully spicy Syrah is called Shiraz in Australia. Connoisseurs can also clearly differentiate between a Chardonnay with dried fruit on the nose and a fruity and sour Riesling.
Even the connoisseur does not have to know every grape variety and its aromatic potential inside and out. However, it helps to be able to name the characteristics of the most important varieties. This makes it easier to choose the right wine and the asparagus is not inadvertently accompanied by a Chianti.
And another wine conoisseur, French actor Gerard Depardieu, checking the aromas of a Hungarian white wine at the “Vinexpo“ international fair in Bordeaux, 2005. Depardieu told French magazine So-Film that he can drink up to 14 bottles of wine a day. Who ever it believes.
2. You keep an eye on the temperature.
Not only the sommelier, but also a die-hard wine connoisseur not only serves his wine in the matching glass, but also at a pleasant temperature. Anyone who has been involved with the subject for a longer period of time uses a special temperature control cabinet for this purpose, which brings white and red wines to drinking temperature.
As far as temperatures are concerned, it depends on the type of wine. A refreshing white wine such as Riesling or Pinot Grigio is served cool, just like a Spanish Rosado. Between six and ten degrees Celsius prove to be ideal for light wines. The situation is different with red wines. The more full-bodied and dense the aromatic profile of a red wine is, the warmer it can be served. Temperatures between twelve and 18 degrees are permitted here. The allover known phrase of „room temperature“ survived from the 18-19hundreds, when our living rooms had about 18 degree Celsius. Now we face often 22 and more degrees.
A fantastic selection of great Uruguayan wines. Picture to supersize if you click on !
3. You divide the world into production areas.
A wine connoisseur knows, there is more than „Italy“, „Germany“ or „Spain“. When selecting his wine, he proceeds in a planned and interested manner, studies the label and can name important regions. The fact that French white wines often come from the Loire region and that Bordeaux and Rhone are known for their red wines is not unknown to a wine connoisseur. He knows main wine-growing regions of Germany from Saxony to Württemberg and knows that „Rioja“ does not only designate a wine, but is also the name of the growing region, which is divided into the sub-regions Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja.
And those who, as connoisseurs, go even deeper into the matter and venture into the „New World“ know about wines from Marlborough (New Zealand), Napa Valley (California), Margaret River (Australia), Swartland (South Africa) and Paysandu in Uruguay, where they grow on fertile and rich soil my favorite „Red’s“, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Please understand, that’s just an example.
Exploration of a wonderful wine can already be the reading and understanding of its label.
4. You explore instead of drinking.
As a wine connoisseur you prove yourself when you do not simply drink your wine, but explore it in the style of a „degustation“ (tasting). Here the wine in the glass is first examined. The base color and its reflections are important details that reveal a lot about the grape variety and quality.
After the visual phase of the tasting, wine connoisseurs introduce the glass to their nose and take a deep breath. This is where the bouquet reveals itself, so this step may take time. Connoisseurs are not satisfied with a „good smell“, but discover nuances of tar, flowers, honey or even hay before even a drop of wine touches their tongue.
According to this please notice my post „Wine and Dine“, posted April 7, 2019.
Only when the bouquet has been explored does the connoisseur drink. In small slurped sips that let the tongue „roll“ on the palate. Does the wine have a velvety texture, or is it rather oily? How does the acidity relate to the sweetness? What notes are hidden in the aroma profile? Questions upon questions that no wine connoisseur in the world will leave unanswered.
The only reason why I still prefer the original cork is the celebration to open a bottle and to show the knowledge of using the wonderful professional opener I acquired once from a favorite hotel or a winery. Click on pics to supersize.
5. You don’t condemn screw caps.
That a good bottle of wine can be recognized by the exclusive use of natural corks is a widespread prejudice. Wine connoisseurs know this and do not join the chorus of screw cap opponents. They know that high-quality cork is becoming increasingly rare – after all, it is a natural product.
The screw cap as an alternative method is therefore proving to be practical. After all, it ensures a tight closure of the bottle and prevents the penetration of oxygen. The wine can age more slowly than in a bottle with a cork and remains better protected. It is often said that a wine must also be able to breathe in the bottle and that it needs oxygen to develop. This, however, is a fatal statement that a true wine connoisseur will not be able to make. In addition, the screw cap also takes away the unloved „cork spirit“ (bad smell and taste).
Finally, after all the wine exploring or discussions, one should just drink and enjoy – but enjoy with all your senses, that’s when wine can make you happy. What else can be the reason to enjoy fine wine and dine as
BEING HAPPY !
A friends comment.
„Cork closures that stick together with plastic glue are not a good solution either. White wine or red wine – that’s a different question than after meals. I have clearly decided in favor of red for the last 40 years. After many Spätlese, Kabinetts and ice wines of the 70s, I have learned a better lesson in Tuscany, the Rhone area and in Australia. The scientists praise resveratrol, some are rather skeptical about it. I sacrifice myself to science, drink 0.5 l of red wine every evening to help my heart and the pancreas. Makes me HAPPY. At the moment I am only 79, but I will let you know in 20 years how the cure has worked“.
My comment.
If you click on the picture above you will have a full size view into an unique atmosphere. This kind of gathering in relaxed surrounding, with friends sharing the same interest, having good food and excellent wines, is a lifestyle a real connoisseur dreams about. The picture was taken during the „Literature Festival of Domaine Viticole Bouvet Ladubay in Saumur, Val de Loire, France“. My good friend Mathis had the chance to attend it.
While I am writing this article, mid March 2020, the whole world is under the pressure of the Corona Virus. People are frightened what to expect and what to do, many have nothing better to do as panic-shopping and more. Some morons, like US President Trump are stirring up the situation with their/his lies and incapacity, irresponsibility and incompetence, only to gain personal advantage. Meantime I took the time to store a few cases of excellent wines, selected like a „world wine tasting“ (from Australia to Chile), not cheap but worth while, planing to sit out the pandemic at home and enjoy these drops on my terrace. Hope you can do the same – „connoisseuring“ ! Stay healthy !
