“Don't worry - I’ve done it all: I’ve choked and coughed my wine out on the table, I’ve dribbled it onto my chin and drooled into my lap.”
This post is about my experiences learning about wine at the Wine & Spirits Education Trust’s Level 1 course held in St. John’s in October. In a nutshell: it was a blast. We tasted wine from 9am to 5pm on a Sunday. We were taught by Erin Turke, former sommelier at the beloved Raymonds, about why to pass up a Pinot Grigio and hail a Riesling, about pairing a Sauternes with a jube-jube, about why you shouldn't eat spicey food with a Barolo. In fact learned so much about wine on that windy autumn Sunday in October that I find it genuinely hard to believe the attendance was so low: only seven people showed! So I’m going to share a thing or two about the secrets us lucky seven were let in on.
We went over the fundamentals of wine. We peeled a grape to taste the tannins in the skin. Tannins cause that dry puckering in the palate. You get the same effect from over-steeped tea. I was surprised to learn that the skins of grapes go into red wine but not into white - which explains why whites, without any tannins at all, shine so clearly to the taste compared to reds.
In the afternoon we rushed through seven reds, a Pinot Noir, a Bordeaux, a Merlot, a Syrah, a Shiraz, a Chianti, and a Rioja. The flavours were generally bolder and more complex than that of the whites, probably due to the tannic effects, the mild spiciness leant by aging in oak barrels, and the more nuanced flavours that come with aging in bottle (like leather, forest floor, and mushroom notes, for example). I was surprised to learn that the Syrah and Shiraz were the same grape, the difference being where they are cultivated (the former in France, the latter in Australia).
I finished the test and left with my loot bag: six beautiful dishwasher-safe Spiegelau wine glasses. I drove straight to Sunday dinner at my grandma’s for roast beef and Jigg’s. There was wine on the table and as we tucked in I couldn’t help but notice how my aunt lauded the Beaujolais (a light and fruity red which I had learned generally goes better with umami-bombs like the clumsy peas pudding and salt beef on my plate). What’s more, no one bothered to comment on the full bodied and tannic cab sauv blend which sat on the other end of the table (which would naturally taste more bitter and less fruity with such a pairing). Amazing. Level 1 shifted something, it shone a glimmer of light on the mysterious world of wine… but what I really learned was that there's so much more to learn.
8 Comments
petra
11/6/2016 07:09:05 am
aha, your favorite is a Mosel Riesling! i could not agree more, having been brought up on it, owned my first piece of real estate bought with money made selling Riesling. my father earned many prizes making truly good wines from our Riesling vineyards. and anyhow: my roots are where the Riesling grows so well on these steep steep hills, established by the Romans! Next step Erik: go there and work in these hills, after that you will appreciate the wine even more.
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Erik
11/7/2016 12:13:36 pm
Amazing! I did not know you are from the Mosel area, Petra! This makes so much sense now, why there is almost always a nice Riesling on the table at your house during dinner :)
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petra
11/10/2016 12:20:26 pm
well, it was the Romans who had this 'glorious' idea of planting vine on these steep hills - and the germans HAD to take over the toll. But they are happy to do so, with the wonderful results these conditions produce.
Leena-Mari
11/7/2016 01:55:28 pm
On erittäin mielenkiintoista lukea siitä, mitä olet oppinut viineistä. Odotan suurella mielenkiinnolla seuraavaa kurssiasi 🍾
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Daniel
11/7/2016 02:25:43 pm
Very interesting and well written! I didn't know Level 5 is rumored to stop existing. I should learn more about the pairing basics.
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Erik
3/21/2017 04:21:32 pm
Athalia, thank you for your kind words. On my blog I wish to connect with readers on the things I'm most passionate about. It's feedback like yours that lets me know I'm doing something right - and that puts a smile on my face all day :)
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1/11/2020 05:04:50 am
WSET Level 1 is a class that introduce you to the world of wine. If we think about it, the first thing that comes into my mind is the fact that it is so classy! Studying wines has always been a dream of mine and being on a place where wine is popular will make my life complete! I did not know that such thing exists, that's why I am looking forward to see if it will work on me. I am sure that there's a lot of knowledge I will gain from taking WSET Level 1!
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AuthorI'm Erik, the Burnt Chef. I'm a Finnish-born Newfoundlander living in Norway. I have a passion for cooking and a deep fascination for the culinary history of the North. Simplicity guides my cooking. Time, place, and history guide my storytelling. This is my personal blog about food. Archives
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