PalateMatch

Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, gives some good information about the environmental bottle labeling and policies of vineyards in her Green Vineyards post. Check it out to learn about organic wines, organically grown grapes, sulfites, biodynamics, and sustainability.

Now if only the USDA or FDA would standardize labeling so that we knew exactly what we are consuming.

What is your experience with discerning environmentally friendly wine?

What is a dry wine

Have you ever wondered what it means when someone describes a wine as dry? No, it doesn’t have anything to do with the use of moisturizing lotion on the grape skins! Technically, a dry wine is a description of the low amount of residual sugar in a wine. Residual sugar is typically measured in grams of sugar per liter. It can occasionally be found on a bottle label or at the website of a winery in their description of a wine. Sugar is present in a wine from either the natural occurrence in the grapes (particularly when harvested late to increase the amount of sugar) or can be introduced during the wine making process. Sweetness of a wine is normally labeled dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet and sweet. Sparkling wines have another set of labels which will be a future post. (Hint: Extra Dry doesn’t mean what you might logically conclude it to be!)

Dry wine is food friendly

Choosing a dry wine or a sweet wine can be a crucial step for matching the wine to your palate and is very important when pairing with food. For most dishes dry wines are food friendly. Sweet wines are usually consumed with spicy dishes (where the sugar can help reduce the fire) and with desserts (hence the term dessert wine). I recommend comparing some wines of similar type and from the same region that have different levels of residual sugar to get a feel for what matches your own palate.

When is a dry wine not dry

How dry or sweet a wine tastes is not just a function of the residual sugar level. The acidity level, alcohol level, tannins and bubbles can affect the flavor. For example, dry wine can taste sweet if the alcohol is high and because we are accustom to the sweetness of many fruits a fruity dry wine may taste sweet also. A more common occurrence is that a sweet wine can actually taste dry due to the balance provided by a high acidity level. This is often the case in good white wines.

Dry red wine, Dry white wine, Dry rose wine

Numerous grape varieties can be made into a dry, medium dry, medium sweet or sweet wine. However not all are good so some are typically only produced in one style. However, some varieties are produced in all styles so it can be very important to look for indications on the labels. For example, Vouvray wines made from the Chenin Blanc grape can be Sec (dry) all the way to Doux (Sweet).

Some typical dry white wines are Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rieslings and Albarino. Some typical dry red wines are Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon when not over-extracted and when high in tannins. What varietals do you find make good dry wine?

I’ve been thinking about the best way to record tasting notes. I’ve tried various methods without satisfaction and want your opinion and advice.

Why

There are numerous motivations for keeping tasting notes. One of the primary reasons is that wine is one of the most complex consumables. There are thousands of producers from all over the world. Each has grapes from a unique terroir and vintage (or a combination in Non Vintage wines). They then blend and make wine using different approaches. All these factors and more (grape varietals, hybrids, time of harvest, weather, etc.) combine to make for a dizzying array of outcomes in the bottle. Thus, whether you are trying to figure out your favorite producer, varietal, vintage, food pairings or produce reviews (to share) of individual bottles, it can be important to keep a record of your impressions.

What

So what do you record? I’ve seen people note the mundane and the unusual (check out VINEgeek’s free association notes). I usually note the following:

• bottle labeling (year, winery, name, grape varietals, etc.)
• enclosure (cork, screw-cap, etc.)
• color in the glass
• breathing time and how (decanted or not)
• aromas
• flavors
• price
• availability (where can it be purchased)
• rating

Where

Where do you take notes? There are a lot of different situations in which you might be tasting wine and each of these could be suitable for recording notes. Some that general take place are:

• at home without guests (dining or not)
• at a vineyard’s tasting room
• in a restuarant (casual, formal or a wine bar)
• social situations (dining with friends, tasting parties, etc.)

Different settings determine what you note and how you record it. For example, at a tasting party with friends you might all be recording your thoughts about various wines (which is good because you might get to taste more wines and also might pick out or identify more aromas and flavors). Whereas a anniversary date with your significant other at a formal restaurant can limit your ability to record and note.

How

How do you record your tasting notes? I’ve tried various methods including:

• memory — highly unreliable
• note pad — this works although it can be a bit inconvenient in some situations
• computer — this works, but definitely only works when at home and tasting alone or with other wine consumers
• smart phones — i’ve never tried it, but i am sure there is an app for that

How do you do it?

I’ve wondered if a checklist of possibilities would be helpful in some situations. My optimal way to collect notes is to record them directly into this blog as a review via my laptop and have others around me making their observations at the same time. But the conditions for doing that are rare. So, what methods do you use and recommend? Which ones do you recommend against? What is the most fun way to do it? After all, this should be an enjoyable activity!

For a deeper discussion of the Why take notes and What to note, see the Wine Tastings Guide site.