DaleW wrote:
> Ok, I'll be odd man out and come to the defense of spitting. For
> enjoyment, I obviously prefer to drink wine, following the evolution in
> the bottle. But......

Can I be odd man out, too? While I drink wine with dinner no less than
3-4 times per week (and often more), I also do attend group tastings and
visit wineries. On such occasions, I almost always "sip and spit." I
do not feel as if this in any way handicaps my ability to evaluate the
wine; in fact, it improves it. However, I usually have more than one
sip of a wine and often will come back to a wine after minutes or hours
to see how a wine has changed. Usually, my notes will reflect that
dynamic aspect of the wine. Proper technique (IMO) permits one to taste
the wine fully even without swallowing. Moreover, as others have
mentioned, it reduces palate saturation and the dulling effects of
alcohol. Additionally, when I'm driving it's the only sane course of
action. Although I too believe that wine is best appreciated with food,
I find that it is easier to analyze a wine without the interactions that
food brings to bear. Fortunately, I rarely feel the need to be that
analytical at dinner, so you won't find a spit bucket at our dinner
table either! ;-)

Mark Lipton