Over the years, I've been to my fair share of wine events...from massive wine festivals with thousands of self proclaimed wine experts pushing and shoving their way through hundreds of wine distributors pouring a minuscule tear drop of wine into thick glass stemware to the smaller and a bit more intimate wine tasting events organized by restaurants or wine shops.
However, I have a confession. I've never been to a REAL wine tasting. You know, a wine tasting with the big boys and gals...the sommeliers, the winemakers, the who's who in the viticulture universe....
Curious to see what an "insiders" wine tasting felt (and tasted) like, I begged Mr. Vino to get me a spot into a special, by invitation only event he was hosting at one of his restaurants. It was a portfolio tasting of Elite Wines' creme de la creme Spanish wines....Vega Sicilia Unico, Clos Mogador, Alion, Mauro, Cune Gran Imperial (Just named Wine Spectator's 2013 Wine of the Year!)...you name it...there were more than 200 different types of wines from all different regions in Spain, all different grape varieties, all neatly lined up waiting to be sipped and savored...it was a grape feast at its finest!
I went alone. I didn't want any distractions. I wanted to be a fly on the wall and experience firsthand what goes on when winemakers, distributors, importers, wine aficionados, and sommeliers get together.
Here's what I observed and discovered...CHEERS! ;)
However, I have a confession. I've never been to a REAL wine tasting. You know, a wine tasting with the big boys and gals...the sommeliers, the winemakers, the who's who in the viticulture universe....
Curious to see what an "insiders" wine tasting felt (and tasted) like, I begged Mr. Vino to get me a spot into a special, by invitation only event he was hosting at one of his restaurants. It was a portfolio tasting of Elite Wines' creme de la creme Spanish wines....Vega Sicilia Unico, Clos Mogador, Alion, Mauro, Cune Gran Imperial (Just named Wine Spectator's 2013 Wine of the Year!)...you name it...there were more than 200 different types of wines from all different regions in Spain, all different grape varieties, all neatly lined up waiting to be sipped and savored...it was a grape feast at its finest!
I went alone. I didn't want any distractions. I wanted to be a fly on the wall and experience firsthand what goes on when winemakers, distributors, importers, wine aficionados, and sommeliers get together.
Here's what I observed and discovered...CHEERS! ;)
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| Courtesy drinkcharitably.com |
1. People spit up. A LOT. I"m no novice when it comes to wine so naturally I'm familiar with the buckets at wine tastings for people to dispose of wine and move on to the next pour. Typically, I always take a small sip and then dump out the rest of what's in my goblet into the bucket....BUT NOT REAL WINE PEOPLE! At the risk of sounding quite uneducated in viticulture, I was flabbergasted (think eyes wide open, mouth dropped) to see how the wine masters literally took a small swig of vino, swirled it around in their mouth, let it sort of marinate inside and then POUF! ...they spit it all out into the ritzy silver buckets. I felt like an outsider and total newbie because instead of spitting out, I'd savor and swallow! If I spit it out into the bucket, would it splash back up on my face and onto my brand new knit frock? So, while I didn't practice this spitting technique at my very first event with wine pros, it's something I have to learn to master....gracefully .... at home...preferably with clothes I don't mind soiling!
2. Real wine tastings aren't for drunkards. Wine industry folk take their tastings seriously. They study the wines in the portfolio and are focused and determined to try out specific bottles. And, they don't stay for long. They network, chat, exchange thoughts, but they don't linger. Because they spit out (a lot!) they're certainly not stumbling out of the event (a very common sight at most mainstream wine tastings!).
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| Courtesy www.basementprofessor.com |
3. Buying a rare vintage at a restaurant isn't prudent. While tasting a Vega Sicilia Unico, one of the most prestigious and high end wines in the world, I overheard a wine insider tell another wine insider that it's foolish to order an over the top expensive wine (like a Vega Sicilia) at restaurants because it doesn't give the wine sufficient time to breathe and aerate. By the time the wine is at it's prime in terms of taste, the bottle is nearly empty. So, if you're going to splurge on a fabulous bottle of wine, buy it at a wine shop and enjoy it in the comfort of your own humble abode.
4. The wine world welcomes newbies with open arms (and bottles!). Nearly half of the individuals I met were lawyers or business people before stumbling (no pun intended!) into the wine business. Fed up with the long hours, repetitive work, and ongoing stress, they set out to pursue something that made them happy...something they were passionate about and made them excited to get up every morning and go to work. They read up, got connected, took risks and now are happier than they've ever been. Quite inspiring, I'd say.
4. The wine world welcomes newbies with open arms (and bottles!). Nearly half of the individuals I met were lawyers or business people before stumbling (no pun intended!) into the wine business. Fed up with the long hours, repetitive work, and ongoing stress, they set out to pursue something that made them happy...something they were passionate about and made them excited to get up every morning and go to work. They read up, got connected, took risks and now are happier than they've ever been. Quite inspiring, I'd say.
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| Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year Cune Gran Imperial and Cune CEO and 5th generation descendent fifth generation Victor Urrutia |
