Learning language of wine will help you get what you want
Human endeavor comes equipped with language that's clear as crystal to insiders -- often clear as mud to everyone else. As many times as you've watched medical dramas, for instance, do you know what "stat" really means? If you're on trial, is exculpatory evidence a good thing? If a date says, "I'll call you later," does it mean when he gets home -- or sometime before he dies?
Wine, likewise, comes with a seemingly secret language that can frustrate wine lovers -- otherwise articulate folks, reduced in wine shops and restaurants to muttering the vague apology, "I just want a good bottle of wine."
But what's good for you -- sweet or dry? peppery or lemony? lean as a ballerina or meaty as a linebacker? Your retailer or sommelier needs help to help you select your good bottle of wine. To that end, here's some standard wine-speak, offered in both basic terms and in language appropriate for any certified cork dork (CCD.)
Appearance: Basically, do you prefer white, red or pink?
CCD: Appearance hints at the wine's age and character.
White wine progresses with age from greenish to yellow; copper and brown when it's over the hill. Red wine is purple in youth, brick in maturity and finally brown. Pink wine develops from pink to coral, but most should be drunk up long before.
In any stage, concentrated hue suggests concentrated flavor.
Do you like a wine with legs -- those rivulets of wine coating the glass? The longer the legs (the more viscosity) suggests increased alcohol, fruit extract or sugar.
Remember, a wine's appearance or "face" merely suggests the wine's attributes, like the face of a person you've just met.
Smell: Basically, do you enjoy light, medium or full smells (like smelling water, juice or hearty stew)?
CCD: Like an overture that introduces a symphony's theme, wine's smell introduces flavors to come. With one sniff, a well-trained nose knows everything about a wine except sweetness (see "fruity" below) and acidity, neither of which provide olfactory sensation.
Well-made wine smells like something natural. Sunny, New World climes produce fruit-forward wines (melony Sauvignon Blanc, cherry Pinot Noir.) Noses accustomed to traditional winemaking are attracted to the Old World's animal aromas (leathery red Burgundy, made from 100 percent Pinot Noir) or minerals (the "rain on rocks" aroma of Sauvignon-based white Bordeaux.)
The schnaz also registers tactile sensation, including the burn of alcohol and a tingling of sulfur.
Taste: Do you want a light-bodied, medium-bodied or full-bodied wine (with 8-ish percent alcohol and no oak, 12-ish percent alcohol and some oak or 14 percent and up alcohol and oak enough to pick shavings from your teeth)? Do you want it sweet or sweet's opposite: dry?
CCD: Flavors expand on the nose's theme with the addition of sweetness, acidity, texture and finish.
Many palates confuse sweetness and fruitiness. In the same way that a sniff of baker's chocolate confuses the brain into thinking "sweet," wine may smell fruity and taste dry. (Austrian Riesling is a great example.) False impressions of sweetness also come from elevated alcohol and wood aging.
Truly sweet wines taste sweet and leave lips more-or-less sticky.
Wine is loaded with various acids, including citric and tannic. The term "crisp" implies tart citric acid, like a crisp green apple. Tannic acid (also called tannin) is astringent. Tannin "grips" and coats the palate, like espresso coffee.
In fine wine, flavors and texture develop from first sip (entry), during a few seconds in your mouth (development) through the finish, the impressions left after swallowing.
Of course, it's most fun speaking a language with someone who understands it. Here's where a trusted retailer or sommelier comes in. Whether you say, "I'd like a medium-bodied red," or "I'd like a medium-bodied red, with dry, concentrated cherry flavors, firm acidity, silky texture and long finish," a trained professional has enough information to suggest a range of wines to satisfy your palate and pocketbook.
If all else fails, say something like, "something fun for a picnic," "I'm serving Szechwan," or "just the two of us, chocolate and no kids." That's language everyone understands.
West suburban wine lovers can practice their wine-speak at the new Malloy's Finest Wines & Spirits, 1020 Maple Ave., Lisle. Joining stores in Glen Ellyn and Naperville, the Lisle location expands the Malloy family's expertise to include wines from $10 to $200, gourmet cheeses, wine accessories and weekly tastings. (630) 271-0707 or www.malloysfinest.com.
Advanced sommelier andcertified wine educator MaryRoss writes GoodWine twice amonth in Food.Ross' choice
Ruedo Blanco
2006
Hermanos Lurton
Rueda, Spain
â#128;cent;Suggested retail and availability: Under $10 in wine and liquor shops
In the current "more-is-more" flavor trend, a wine that's simply delicious doesn't attract a lot of hoopla. But how much complexity do you want from wine when you're swinging in a hammock?Ãmacr;circ;iquest;#189; When the livin' is easy, this light, refreshing white with a hint of peachy sweetness makes a delish cocktail and complement to patatas alioli (garlic potato salad), huevos rellenos (stuffed eggs), cold cuts and other international tapas.