We all had a good time and learned a lot during the Pinot Noir class held at the Community Theater. This two night course was educational and quite entertaining as everyone had a chance to get involved in the discussion.
   Pinot Noir is a very intriguing wine that is delicate, seductive and reflects  terroir more then any other varietal. By the end of the second night I believe  that everyone in attendance had a greater appreciation for this varietal.
   The first evening was spent discussing the basics of wine tasting, and especially the need to take the time to stop and smell the roses.... excuse me, I mean the wine. Four different Pinot Noir were tasted, a pinot from Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon and California. The areas in which these wines came from was discussed with more time spent on the complex region of Burgundy, the home of Pinot Noir. Everyone had a chance to taste and take notes on the bouquet and flavors unique to each of these wines. As is the case in most of the tasting’s I conduct, almost everyone wants to taste the wine in front of them immediately, not taking the time to look at it in the glass, swirling it around and imbibing the aromas through their olfactory senses. I admonished them to avoid this direction, and I am happy to report that I saw just a few hurry to take a taste.
   As we examined the wines together, I encouraged as many as possible to express what they were getting out of the wine. This is always the hard part since many are timid about their knowledge of wine tasting and how to express what they are getting out of a wine. Some were bold and plowed through it unintimidated. We came up with the “Ary ditch factor”. This was how Ary described the bouquet of the pinot from New Zealand. “ It smelled like his sister, when he pulled her out of a wet ditch,” he said. This was creative and on the mark, if you can conjure up that smell. I emphasized to all that no matter how you describe what you smell and tasted, it is correct. No one person has the corner on wine descriptions. One of my favorite wine guys, Gary Vaynerchuk comes up with some wild descriptors for wine. I know that some of it is Hollywood, but it is still entertaining and at times paints a vivid picture of the wine. I also like to read the descriptors from Harvey Steinman of  the Wine Spectator. He has a certain flair that I can relate to and there is nothing boring about his prose. Both guys describe the same wine differently with the same effect; you have an idea what you are in for when you go to drink that bottle of wine. Some of the folks got a kick out of how some were describing the wine.
   “White pepper? How do you get white pepper out of a wine?,” was one of the comments I heard after the tasting. This illustrates a very important point about our approach to wine. Some approach it with a simplicity that fits their lifestyle. If I like it, it’s good wine! Nothing wrong with that! No frills approach.... I like it. However, I have found that I prefer the analytical approach to wine. Breaking down the elements and understanding the facets of wine that not only make it delicious, but also help us to discern the varietal that made the wine. Boring to some, of keen interest to me, and my profession.
   The following week we again tasted the same Pinot Noir’s except this time in a blind format. The job of the tasters was to see if, with the use of their notes and memory, they could identify which pinot was in their glass. We also poured a fifth pinot as a kind of tie breaker. They had the task of figuring out if it was a pinot noir from New Zealand, Burgundy, California or Oregon.    The class got quiet as everyone smelled and tasted, putting down their best guess. I have to say that this is not an easy task. One famous wine critic was asked if he ever mistook a Bordeaux for a Burgundy? He responded, “Not since Lunch.”. In the end we had one taster that guessed all four correctly and even got the fifth one right, a California pinot noir. A few guessed two correctly and a lot got at least one right while it seemed like the whole class got the fifth one right.
   AND THE WINNER IS..... Fred Bowen. I have known Fred for some time and have had the privilege of working the premium wine table with him at the annual Festival of Trees in the past. Fred has an extensive wine collection and a good palate. He will get to add a nice bottle of Atteca Pinot Noir to his collection as the  prize for the Top Taster.
    I would like to thank everyone who attended. It was a studious group and everyone was quite helpful. There will be another class at the Community Theater in January and the Theme will be “Wines of the Southern Hemisphere”. More details will be given later.      Stan