Do you sometimes feel intimidated when tasting wine with certain groups, people, or wineries?  Believe it or not, I do too. Even though I've grown up in this valley, worked in the industry, and have this cute little website, I still can feel less then wine savvy amongst certain groups.  Just the other day I was at a tasting with some others in the industry. They went into lengthy descriptions of the fruit, acid, feel, etc. Then they began comparing it to French wines, "Becky, doesn't this remind you of the Chateaux La Pepi La Pew..."  That's when I usually admit that I've had maybe three French wines my whole life.  I've never been to France.  The truth is my only relationship with wine is California wines and a few from Eastern Europe (not the most prestigious wine region of the world). 

 The other thing that has always thrown me off my wine tasting game are tasting notes. Oh how I hate tasting notes. Back when I first got into this industry I would read the notes..."Aromas of men wearing too much cologne and sewer, day old bread on the front of the palette, earthworms on the mid palette with a long jello finish.”  I would get so frustrated trying to smell and taste these obscure aromas that by the time I was done with my tasting I was totally pissed off and grumpy.  I have since learned not read tasting notes or wine reviews. I go to each winery with a totally open mind.   I write notes that are very much my own.  Things like "hey, I like this one." Or "Wow!"  Occasionally I actually do pick out a scent or flavor, in those cases I right it down, but to be honest, when I drink wine, I taste...well.. fermented grapes.  I tend to feel more then I taste so my notes often say things like, "long finish" or "great nose!" or "nice mouth feel." 

My recommendation if you are like me is not to think too hard when tasting.  Jot down some notes.  Ask how the wine is made.  Over time flavors and scents will start to jump out at you.   If you happen to like picking out scents and flavors and are good at it, then by all means, that is exactly what you should do. In that case you may find you enjoy a sensory class.   Either way, there are no right and wrong answers. Each palette is different based on our own life experiences.  My relationship with blueberry may be totally different then yours.  A wine may seem tannic to me and smooth to you.  In the end all that really matters is if you like the wine.   

  It is important to not let what others say or assume you should know stop you from enjoying wine.  Most probably don't mean to intimidate...they're just wine geeks!  But just as computer geeks don't intimidate me enough to stop using the computer, nor do wine geeks scare me away from wine.  Rather we can learn from them.  Perhaps the best compliment you can give to the wine pontificator is to ask their opinion!