Clear The Air & Savour The Wine

There are lot ways to learn about wine. You can spend years studying for your Diploma Degree from the Wine & Spirt Education Trust (As I did years ago) or say goodbye to your friends and family as you attempt to obtain your “Master Sommelier” certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers. 

Or sometimes you do something rather foolish and get taught an important wine lesson by people in the know. I briefly worked for a wine consignment company and was flown to the owners’ home in Sonoma County to visit many of the wineries we represented. During our first night of dinner one of the owners quizzed me about what that smell was emanating from me. 

When I responded “aftershave” they rather directly asked me how I could asses the wines we were having with the smell of Old Spice competing with that cool-climate Syrah? I didn’t even try to come up with any kind of defence. 

I immediately realized I was in the wrong, promised it would never happen again and since that night I have never used any sort of cologne or aftershave again. That was 2011.

I was thinking of this story as I was sampling a ridiculous array of Italian wines at the 23rd annual Italian Wine Trade Commission tasting event at Roy Thomson Hall.  There were over 150 producers from Trentino Pinot Grigio in the north to some heavy/funky Sicilian reds in the south. 

Between single vineyard Barolo’s and mushroom risotto everything was going swimmingly until I encountered a strong whiff of Dolce & Gabbana blunting my sense of smell for several minutes. I cannot stress this enough if you want to properly figure out just exactly what you are tasting you first need to know what you are smelling! 

So please if you are going to any sort of wine event from intimate wine themed dinner party to giant wine trade show leave the cologne, aftershave or perfume at home. 

There is nothing worse than trying to nose your way around a glass of Rioja when Chanel, Calvin Klein or god forbid Axe Body Spray suddenly pollutes your nostrils and all you can pick up are faint notes of adolescence mixed with desperation.

Alright, now that I am done moralizing I want to circle back about these sorts of wine events that frequently pop up in most cities. Here are some quick tips about attending these sorts of wine functions.

1-Go!!! 

Check online for upcoming wine events. Many of them are only for people in the trade but you will find that most usually have times that are open for the public. No better way to learn about wine than tasting as many different varieties from all over the world. Also it is far cheaper than raiding your liquor store in an attempt to calibrate your palette about the differences between Old World and New World Pinot Noir.

2-Go on your own. 

Much like you get far more candy when you go solo or with just one friend on Halloween the same philosophy applies at wine expos. You get to taste on your agenda without having to acquiesce to the whims of anyone else in your group. Frankly I don’t care about all the unfiltered natural wines out there but hey if you do knock yourself out I’ll be over in the Burgundy section. You can always meet up after for a late lunch or dinner and debrief.

3-Float! 

Much like you can be at an empty gas station and by the time you’re done filling up the place is rammed with minivans. Keep an eye on the different producers’ tables and when you notice one lineup is starting to ease up than pounce! This rule is especially important for more popular regions like Bordeaux, Piedmont or Napa.

4-Spit

For one thing if you are at the trade portion of the event you will look like you fit in versus gulping everything down like Norm Peterson ( “Hey Norm!”) on a sweaty August day. Also from a practical stand point many of the people working the booths will give heavy pours and quite often wine tastes really good and the next thing you know you have an aggressive tipsy going on. Hey it’s happened to the best of us (me) so always keep spitting and don’t forget the water. Also, not that I need to mention this but, don’t drive. I feel that one is self-explanatory.

5-Make notes

You will be amazed how often you will get home and by the end of the night or by next morning you won’t remember which were your favourite wines. Often that is a result of not heeding rule #4 and it is wildly frustrating as you’re trying to remember that name of that German producer which is difficult to do at the most sober of moments. 

These functions are littered with little side tables so take your time to make some notes, write down which wines really spoke to you and if they are available.

As always, happy hunting.