#sommlife

[darkerangels]

About last night….

[stefuz71]

🍷♥️🇫🇷 les jeux sont faits

[vinhonosso]

Eu gosto bastante de vinho norte-americano e este “Powers Reserve Sheridan Vineyard 2015” me surpreendeu! 🇺🇸 Um belo Cabernet Sauvignon do Estado de Washington (noroeste do EUA) produzido pela @PowersWinery com uvas provenientes exclusivamente do “vinhedo Sheridan”, na AVA Yakima Valley (no coração do Columbia Valley) e com passagem de 36 meses em barricas de carvalho. 🍷 Na taça, coloração rubi de média intensidade. Aroma de frutas negras maduras (amora, ameixa, groselha), baunilha, cacau e couro. Na boca é seco, encorpado, com acidez média+ e taninos médios e muito macios. Muita geléia de frutas negras e leve dulçor residual, com moderada persistência. 📝 Belo vinho, com boa estrutura e muita maciez. As frutas são bem maduras e tem aquele dulçorzinho típico dos vinhos americanos mas, neste caso, não incomodou. Pelo contrário, gostei deste vinho! 91 pontos. . Obrigado @FerranCatlliure e @CoravinBrasil 🙏🏼🍷 #cabernetsauvignon #yakimavalley #americanwine #columbiavalley #sommlife (at Altruísta Osteria e Enoteca) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdlxCdCpA1Z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[oinoslogo]

Thank you for the wonderful hospitality @angelo.paul @conservatory.dc. Food and drinks were solid as always! #beautifulday #oinoslogo #greatcocktails #excellentwinelist #champagne #rooftopbar #sommlife #grateful #thebestcompany (at The Conservatory) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdKFMh_NxSl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[borderlinesommelier]

From Ramon Francas Instagram. What a time to be alive.

[sipwatchtravel]

Perfect spring sipping: De Mont Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé [crushed pine berries, watermelon seeds, sugared whole pink peppercorn, satsuma peel and whispers of honeydew melon]

[swirlwineconsulting]

What am I supposed to smell in this wine?

Your eyes are shut tight and your nose is dipped genteelly into your glass, seconds later your head lifts and you ask “What am I supposed to be smelling here?” “What do you smell?”. Alas, what I smell and what you and your table mate(s) smell are rarely the same, and guess what? It doesn’t matter.

Your wine came with a list of tasting notes including words like: Bing and dried cherries, tropical fruits, cedar, black raspberries and melon, even wet stone, leather, pencil lead and barnyard. You spend precious time that could be spent enjoying your purchase trying to find the experience the reviewer told you to expect. Are you confused, disappointed that you couldn’t discern what you were supposed to? Let it go and let’s move on to all you really need to know to “sacar todo el jugo” as the saying goes in Spanish- “get all of the juice out” of the experience.

Like most passionate students of wine (especially those seeking certifications and advanced degrees), I spend a great deal of time sniffing through spice cabinets, ethnic grocery stores and farmers market stands, blooming flowers and fruit trees, freshly mown grass and hay, the ocean breeze, the wet pavement after summer rain (petrichor), the earthy smell of an open field after a heavy downpour (geosmin). I smell the differences between Oolong, Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong teas; between Italian espresso roast and Cuban coffee; between uncured and smoked bacon. In other words, I stick my nose into a lot of places where it doesn’t necessarily belong-also looking for signs of faults in a wine like: locker room, dirty laundry, geranium, rotten egg, burnt rubber, cooked garlic, or skunk.  I volunteer at a local farm to smell freshly-dug earth and the growth stages in the lifespan of heirloom tomatoes. I grow seasonal veggies and herbs on my patio so that I can enjoy the scent of my Meyer lemon tree in bloom and the lingering smell of tarragon on my fingers at harvest. Many wine lovers are also great cooks who recognize the variations in aroma of a ripe vs an unripe ingredient, uncut vs sliced, raw vs cooked or a fresh vs fermented one.  I recommend that anyone looking to more fully understand the vocabulary of wine begin by learning to smell, as many of the aromatic characteristics also reveal themselves on the palate.

For example, some well-ripened cheeses smell pungently of dirty socks. Not very appetizing to those who don't enjoy Époisses from France or Dutch Limburger but make sense to those who love them. The nuance of animal fat is especially prevalent in Syrah from France's Rhône Valley. A stone-like scent and flavor (some of us diehards have even licked the stones) are the hallmarks of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, Champagne and Chablis. Many southern French reds hint at licorice. German Riesling often smells faintly of gasoline – in a good way.

The Wine Aroma Wheel is a helpful tool for learning to describe the complexity of wines by categorizing their characteristic aromas in relation to fruits, vegetables, flowers, minerals, animals, wood, oak and yeast, etc. However, none of this is very useful to someone unfamiliar with the aromas listed. Sadly, today’s supermarkets offer little help in identifying the scents on the wheel as most fruits and vegetables, especially imported tropical fruits (mango, papaya, guava, starfruit) were picked before prime ripeness and lack smell as well as flavor. I once told someone who didn’t like papaya that they most likely hadn’t had a local, fully ripened one. How many of us have access to fresh gooseberries, green almonds, persimmons or quince whether unripe or ripened? What about boysenberries and dragonfruit? Was that lychee fresh or canned? How many have plucked a fig or olive from the tree, can differentiate between the scent of iris, jasmine or lilac? Ever ride a horse or wear Granddad’s old leather bomber jacket?  Do you smell your shitake, oyster and maitake mushrooms? See what I mean? This is not a game for everyone.

Having a common language for winetasting allows people of diverse backgrounds to communicate fluidly. Learning the basics is desirable and can add fun when sharing wine with others; but should not be stressful for the average consumer. At a recent tasting of wines from Bourgogne and Bordeaux, a heavily Aussie accented presenter swirled the glass before handing a juicy red Burgundy to me. He raised his glass to his nose as I did mine and we both said, almost in unison “Horsehair!”. The scent took us both back to the memories of saddling up a freshly brushed horse, while also hinting at the wine’s age and vineyard location.  A connection was made. A Jamaican-American wine and food writer I know often refers to Barbados cherries, Marionberries, Hibiscus or Sorrel flowers and sea urchin. Do these hold any meaning for you? If so, enjoy these bonus associations when they occur, if not move on.

Detecting aromas is not a parlor trick or for showing off. Your server at a restaurant should be able to detect most faults in the wine before pouring.  Let them examine the cork and discreetly sniff for off odors. If an off-putting aroma or bad taste slips by them, let them know, trust your judgement that the wine shouldn’t smell like a wet dog or taste like your kitchen sponge. A faulty wine is generally identifiable, so if this occurs with a bottle you open at home, cork it up and return it to the vendor, if possible. For this reason, I never tell attendees in my classes what to smell or taste; rather to “feel the sensations” of the wine. The important elements of a balanced wine are in its acidity, tannin structure, residual sugar level, alcohol by volume (ABV%), mouthfeel – assets that most people can detect - tartness, sweetness or the lack of it, the heat of alcohol and the thin or thick texture on the palate. After all, what the average drinker wants from a glass of wine is enjoyment.

If you fancy yourself “not average” by all means join me in exploring all the good and bad smells associated with wine – otherwise, as my class descriptions advise “Smell, Sip, Taste, Enjoy” and leave it at that.

[marcomali]

Merry Christmas 🎄❄️🇮🇹 ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #Firstsnow #Instasnow #Piemonte #Runitfast #Saluzzo #Snow #Snowangel #Snowdays #Snowlife #Snowlover #Snowmobiling #Snowmountain #Snowphotography #Snowsnowsnow #Snowtime #Somm #Sommlife #Tantaroba #Unescoworldheritage #Watercolorpaintings #Winegeek #Wineglass #Winemaker #Winepassion #Wino #Winterlover #Wintermood #Winterseason #Worldtraveller #🍷 (presso Grinzane Cavour) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmhILxDN7q6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[robertovinci]

#sommlife #sommelier #sommeliers #winetasting #winetasting🍷 #winetastings #wine #winelover #winestagram #winepoem (presso Viña Viu Manent) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmM8GUypa8j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[estebanbruno]

Felicitaciones @andydonadio por tan merecido premio. . 🥇Mejor Sommelier Argentina 2022 👏🍷 . . . #sommelier #sommarg2022 #aasommeliers #sommlife #argentina . 📷 fotos de @aasommeliers https://www.instagram.com/p/ClltfckO-DK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wineworldtv]

It's begun. I officially threw my hat into the ring to eventually take the @mastersommeliers_americas Advanced Sommelier Exam in 2023. First up is the Knowledge Assessment in November. Assuming I score high enough, I'll get an invitation to take the Theory portion in April of 2023. Once I pass that, I'll take the Service and Tasting portions in July of 2023. There is no October option, which I'm totally down with. If all goes well, which I honestly expect it to, I'll be proudly wearing the "Green Pin" next year. You'll notice me less and less over the next several months on the socials. I'll probably even delete the apps once I get into 2023 off my phone. I'll have videos into next year, but probably have a hiatus at some point. I've intentionally not signed up for the exam recently for many reasons, but I feel now is my time. Will I pass? I can't guarantee it, but I feel good about it. I never stopped studying, and all those maps I've been making are an integral part of my preparation. Will I attempt the Master Sommelier exam? I haven't made that decision yet. It really all depends on passing the Advanced and how well I pass it. But who knows? Maybe I'll be an MS in 2024 :) #sommlife #questforthegreenpin #advancedsommelierexam https://www.instagram.com/p/CjZhkR8NJqY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[darkerangels]

Some Mondays are better than others!

[stefuz71]

[diariodosommelier]

Hoje é o nosso dia! 🎆 🥳 Parabéns para todos nós sommeliers. 🥰 Nós sabemos que é difícil, mas fazemos tudo isso por amor. @ marque seus ou suas amigos (as) que são sommeliers. 🫂 🥂 Curte e compartilhe com seus amigos de taça. 🍷 Saúde a todos! #sommelier #somm #sommlove #vinho #wine #instavinho #amovinho #vinhosnacionais #amovinhosnacionais #sommlife #cursodevinho #cursodesommelier #vinhos #uva #malbec #vinhosabaixode50 #adega #restaurante #feliz #amor https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch3Dc2iLVQ7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[oinoslogo]

Wine journey continues. #sommlife #oinoslogo #winejourney #easternmediterranean #whitewine #whitewineemoji #xynisteri (at Mosaic) https://www.instagram.com/p/Clm8PnhtpWT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[borderlinesommelier]

Somewhere in Barcelona. Can't remember lol