My first taste of a good wine
 

I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
ounce. (shot)

They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
shot.

Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
at $10 per shot.

I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
than an ounce.

For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
of each wine. (Not purple.)

I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
tobacco, cassis, etc.

Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
something different. But I enjoyed it.

Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.

Dee Dee

My first taste of a good wine
 

On Thu, 3 Jan 2008 19:07:28 -0800 (PST), Dee Dee
> wrote:

>I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
>ounce. (shot)
>
>They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
>shot.
>
>Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
>at $10 per shot.
>
>I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
>little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
>let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
>and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
>than an ounce.
>
>For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
>Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
>of each wine. (Not purple.)
>
>I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
>tobacco, cassis, etc.
>
>Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
>someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
>something different. But I enjoyed it.
>
>Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
>Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.
>
>Dee Dee

That sounds disappointing. Doesn't seem that you got much bang for a
lot of bucks.

I think I'd expect a lot more from the experience and I would expect
Whole Foods, if they were expecting that such tasting opportunities
would result in sales of wine, would have offered a bit of assistance.
You describe the tasting as "shot"-size, but hopefully it wasn't
offered in a shot glass or a paper cup. A tasting glass doesn't have
to be huge, but it should be a proper tulip/balloon shape and stemmed
(sorry Riedel "O" lovers).

No need for the Gordon Ramsay act, but a moment or two of swirling
would help. The Barolo was quite young, but even a 25 year old Bdx
could benefit from some aeration. You did note color,but should also
have noted viscosity or "legs"--the tendrils that climb up the side of
the glass.

Then a bit of time to sniff. No rush here, you paid for the ride so
enjoy the nuances without being in a hurry. Anything come at you?
Barolo's typically give me some "barn" or leather or briar or tar
notes. Bdx might offer some pencil lead, cedar, cigar box, dark
berries or similar. Didn't get it at first? Swirl and try again. Take
your time.

Sip. Make the shot last. Not all in one fell swoop. On the tongue,
hold it, feel it, think about it....getting anything? Swallow (slowly
if that's possible) and think about what's still going on in your
mouth. Anything? Getting some finish or is it just gone? Dust, chalk,
dryness, residual flavor? Anything?

Little bigger mouthful now, maybe all the remainder of the shot. Hold
in your mouth, swirl a bit, think about it. Inhale a bit of air over
what's in your mouth. Getting anything? Slosh around. Take a second or
two, swallow. Finish any better?

Ask the merchant who is pouring what you should have seen, smelled,
tasted, felt. If he doesn't have anything to offer, walk away. If he
does have some description, compare it to your own experience. How
does it match up? Are you noting the same things but maybe using
different descriptors? (One man's blueberry is another man's cassis.)

Give it time and keep exploring. Sometimes you go through a lot of
ducks before you find a swan.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

My first taste of a good wine
 

Dee Dee, Where is the Whole Foods located?
Rick



"Dee Dee" > wrote in message
...
>I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
> ounce. (shot)
>
> They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
> shot.
>
> Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
> at $10 per shot.
>
> I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
> little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
> let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
> and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
> than an ounce.
>
> For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
> Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
> of each wine. (Not purple.)
>
> I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
> tobacco, cassis, etc.
>
> Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
> someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
> something different. But I enjoyed it.
>
> Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
> Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.
>
> Dee Dee
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

My first taste of a good wine
 

Dee Dee, when I was first getting into wine sometime back there in the
early 60's, myself and another guy went to a wine bar in DC to sample
some good wines. After an hour, we had run up a tab of $180 and remember
this was in the days when La Tour was to be had for less than $18/blt.
What we learned was that we could taste the same wines at home a lot
cheaper. Once we formed a group of 6 guys, we also found that we could
learn infinitely more because we could focus the tastings to compare
similar wines. Each month one person would be totally responsible for
the tasting. He had to do the research, shopping and hosting. We divided
the cost at the beginning of the evening. We soon adopted a rule that
all the wines tasted had to be currently available and the
corollary was that no cellar wines be part of our tastings. It is easy
to learn a lot this way.



Dee Dee wrote:
> I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
> ounce. (shot)
> They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
> shot.
> Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
> at $10 per shot.
..

My first taste of a good wine
 

On Jan 3, 11:07�pm, Dee Dee > wrote:
> I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
> ounce. (shot)
>
> They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
> shot.
>
> Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
> at $10 per shot.
>
> I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
> little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
> let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
> and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
> than an ounce.
>
> For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
> Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
> of each wine. �(Not purple.)
>
> I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
> tobacco, cassis, etc.
>
> Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
> someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
> something different. �But I enjoyed it.
>
> Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
> Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.
>
> Dee Dee

Hey, you might mean first taste of an expensive wine, but if you
didn't think some wines you had tried were good, you wouldn't still be
trying! Good doesn't have to be expensive.

I like the '82 Pavie, a nice lighter St Emilion, very different from
the newer Pavies.

Prices are better than restaurant pricing (figure the Mascarello is
$150 in a restaurant, '82 Pavie is probably $250+). Not bad for
tastes. 1 oz is hard, though.

thanks for reporting.

My first taste of a good wine
 

In message
ups.com>
DaleW > wrote:

> On Jan 3, 11:07?pm, Dee Dee > wrote:
>> I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
>> ounce. (shot)
>>
>> They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
>> shot.
>>
>> Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
>> at $10 per shot.
>>
>> I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
>> little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
>> let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
>> and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
>> than an ounce.
>>
>> For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
>> Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
>> of each wine. ?(Not purple.)
>>
>> I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
>> tobacco, cassis, etc.
>>
>> Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
>> someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
>> something different. ?But I enjoyed it.
>>
>> Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
>> Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.
>>
>> Dee Dee

> Hey, you might mean first taste of an expensive wine, but if you
> didn't think some wines you had tried were good, you wouldn't still be
> trying! Good doesn't have to be expensive.

> I like the '82 Pavie, a nice lighter St Emilion, very different from
> the newer Pavies.

> Prices are better than restaurant pricing (figure the Mascarello is
> $150 in a restaurant, '82 Pavie is probably $250+). Not bad for
> tastes. 1 oz is hard, though.

> thanks for reporting.

1982 Pavie was, in my opinion, expressive of terroir and was a true
Saint-Emilion and the Valettes who owned it were delightful people who
understood their wine and their heritage.


Timothy Hartley

My first taste of a good wine
 

On Jan 6, 6:28*am, Timothy Hartley >
wrote:
> In message
> ups.com>
> * * * * * DaleW > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jan 3, 11:07?pm, Dee Dee > wrote:
> >> I went into Whole Foods to get a one-ounce taste of a Y'quem at $20 an
> >> ounce. (shot)
>
> >> They didn't have it, so I tasted a Barolo 2000 Monprivato at $5 per
> >> shot.
>
> >> Then I tasted a Chateau Pavie 1982 Valette St. Emilion 1st Grand Cru
> >> at $10 per shot.
>
> >> I suppose to really taste, I would've had to let it decant, do a
> >> little rolling it around in the glass, sniff like a fool, gargle it,
> >> let it roll around on the front, middle and rear part of my tongue,
> >> and jump up-and-down like Gordon Ramsay, and of course, drink more
> >> than an ounce.
>
> >> For a novice, (you know who you are who call me a drinker of Charles
> >> Shaw), the only remarkable note I can make is that I liked the color
> >> of each wine. ?(Not purple.)
>
> >> I could not taste nor smell any of the usual buzz words descriptions:
> >> tobacco, cassis, etc.
>
> >> Guess I'll have to keep trying those $10-$40 bottles of wine. Surely
> >> someone will tell me I couldn't had a better taste test for $16 with
> >> something different. ?But I enjoyed it.
>
> >> Tasted another one at $1 a shot --
> >> Chateau Haut-Piquot 2005 Lussac St Emilion.
>
> >> Dee Dee
> > Hey, you might mean first taste of an expensive wine, but if you
> > didn't think some wines you had tried were good, you wouldn't still be
> > trying! Good doesn't have to be expensive.
> > I like the '82 Pavie, a nice lighter St Emilion, very different from
> > the newer Pavies.
> > Prices are better than restaurant pricing (figure the Mascarello is
> > $150 in a restaurant, '82 Pavie is probably $250+). Not bad for
> > tastes. 1 oz is hard, though.
> > thanks for reporting.
>
> 1982 Pavie was, in my opinion, expressive of terroir and was a true
> Saint-Emilion and the Valettes who owned it were delightful people who
> understood their wine and their heritage.
>
> Timothy Hartley- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -



Thanks everyone for your interest and replies.
This wine was tasted at Whole Foods, Fairfax, VA.
Dee Dee