tools of a sommelier

Your Wine, Yourself

It’s interesting just how many people tell me “I don’t know that much about wine,” or “could you tell me what to drink?” The problem is, I’m not them. I don’t know what their tastes are so it’s difficult to give them an immediate answer.

People seem to underestimate themselves when it comes to wine. Most people that one would say know a lot about wine have either a well-developed sense of smell and/or the opportunity to sample more wines. The average wine drinker may not trust their own wine knowledge or use terminology such as bouquet, legs, terroir. That doesn’t mean they don’t know what they like. I’ve heard people say that a wine is too sweet or they taste black licorice or herbs in a wine-and they’re not wrong. There is a myriad of aromas in the nose (first scent) of the wine as well as in the taste, as we all know that our sense of smell is integral in tasting any substance. None of this is wrong. Two persons may not agree about whether a bottle of wine is their favorite-but both can be right.

Recently, I opened a bottle of Jumillo (a red Spanish table wine) with a friend and they immediately said they tasted barnyard. While this might sound like a negative review for the wine, it’s actually just one way that wine can be described-and we both agreed that that was one of the reasons we liked the wine (barnyard, terroir, or dirt-it just refers to an earthiness found in many southern hemisphere and European wines). On the other hand, I have friends that I never agree with on wines--one likes only the French mineral-bound, dry varietals and the other favors heavy floral notes and high acidity--neither of which I usually would choose. While all of us have a bit of experience with wine, when we’re out with a crowd of people, each of us often defers to the crowd’s tastes as we don’t know if we’ll like a bottle until we try it and we’re often pleasantly surprised. The only circumstance when I might suggest deferring to a professional such as a sommelier, is when you are charting new wine territory and don’t recognize any of the wines.

A sommelier (even though the title sounds snobby and expensive) is there for the express purpose of aiding people in finding a wine that will enhance their dining experience--not just deplete their checkbook. A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to the MPRs’ “The Splendid Table” and they began to talk about how to communicate what you want to a sommelier. The reporter had actually attempted to work as a sommelier in a restaurant for a night (after some specific training) and found that it was quite difficult. The sommelier had not only to know the menu and cellar list, but also to match up herbs, flavors, meats, and individual tastes to fit each patron’s budget. And her commentary focused on the most important factor: the patron needs to be specific and give the sommelier, or whoever is taking the order, examples of what flavors and price range he or she is looking for.

Though it may sound tacky or gauche, it only helps the sommelier to choose a wine you will enjoy. Though they might offer some choices that you’re not sure of, they will also offer “safe” or basic wines that have proven track records, so give them a chance. If nothing else, remember the basics of a wine that you’ve often enjoyed before so that you can describe it to your sommelier or server--don’t get stuck on a label as different years and varietals can vary--just let them know what flavors you’re looking for. And, as always, be safe and enjoy.