A New Meaning to Blind Tasting ~ Session 1

Our Wine Study Group is off to a fantastic start! During our first gathering, we decided to engage our new group in a little game of blind tasting. However, this was no ordinary blind tasting! Instead of blindfolding the bottles, we blindfolded the tasters.

In this first activity, Jenn and I wanted to test our new group's ability to tell the difference between a red and white wine. In order to make the test a bit challenging, we chose two wines that would be very similar to each other in structure and as close as possible in taste. We served them at room temperature, and did not allow the tasters to see the bottles before the blindfold activity.

Here are the wines we chose to use:

Red: 2009 Louis Tete Les Charmeuses Morgon - This is a Beaujolais wine from the Burgundy Region in France that is light in structure and taste.

White: 2009 Domaine Des Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc “Classic" - Also from France, this white wine is a 100% Chardonnay. The structure on this wine was firm enough to stand up to a light red.

The tasters were given partners and asked to swirl, sniff, and taste each wine, carefully deciding which was red and which was white. After two minutes, we asked them to hold up the wine they believed to be the white wine. I'm happy to report that everyone passed!

You may be wondering why we would torture our friends this way, but there is a method to our madness. In addition to being a fun activity to break the ice during our first gathering, we also wanted to begin showing the connection between all of our senses when we go about the process of tasting. By blindfolding ourselves, we take away one of the senses that gives us a clue about what we are going to taste. In a way, our brain likes to give us clues about what we are about to eat or drink in various ways. Not being able to see the wine, takes away one of the preconceived notions we might already have about a “white” or a “red” wine. This leaves us with only the sense of taste, and smell.

Why is this important? We do not taste with our taste buds alone...

The importance of the Nose:
• Smell is the most acute sense (1,000 times more sensitive than taste)
• Flavor is determined by about 75% smell and 25% taste
• “Taste” is actually something that is determined by what we sense with our noses and mouths combined
• We actually taste and smell at the same time when we are chewing. Vapor will travel up to our olfactory receptors, sending our brain messages about what we are eating.
• Volatile substances (like wine) shoot flavor elements (vapor) off into the atmosphere all the time, making them an interesting and rewarding experience.
• By actively smelling everything you drink, and eat, you can at least double the pleasure it gives.

Point To Ponder...Try this the next time you go to sip your wine... As you bring the glass up to your lips, breathe in through your mouth at the same time that you're smelling the wine. What do you notice?