One only has to surf the web for a few minutes to be exposed to the plethora of wine consultants, critics and hobbyist out there, myself included. Some of us have no doubt found a favorite site that we trust and go to in order to see what is out there in the wine world, what is going on and to get help in understanding aspects of this exciting field. Like myself, many go to a site to get information on a specific wine and hope to make a decision on whether to purchase it or not. Let’s face it; if the bottle you are seeking is six dollars or fifty dollars you want to know if your money is going to be well spent! Another reason I read wine critics and surf the web is to expand my palate knowledge. What do I mean?
I write an absolute ton of wine descriptions for the store I work at and for my web-site. When tasting a wine, your palate becomes acutely aware of certain flavors and feelings about the wine. How do you identify and describe what you are tasting? I call this palate knowledge. The verbiage from one analyst to another can be strikingly different. There are however some common threads such as currant, boysenberry, cherry, wood, anise, etc. The trick is who do you trust. Who will lead you down the right path a majority of the time? Who has a consistent palate? This is a tricky area because when you find the right person, it can save you a lot of time and money. Personally my hope is that wine lovers out there trust my observations and insights, know what I like and can make a decision based on this knowledge. Ultimately it is your palate that matters and if you do not like what I like then do not buy it. If I do not like it, then maybe you should give it a shot.
That being said there are a few sources out there that I go to consistently to get help in training my palate and making purchasing decisions. First of all, a shout out to a good friend of mine Ted Seifert. His palate is excellent and trustworthy. He takes the time to understand what his customers like, myself included. He rarely leads me astray. The Wine Spectator is a fantastic source of information with excellent tasting notes. The Wine Advocate is also a top-notch reference for wine knowledge and palate training. Number One on my list however and I am excited about this knew source that I have recently discovered is Gary Vaynerchuk of www.winelibrarytv.com . Gary Vaynerchuk has trained his palate very well and has learned how to convey his thoughts on a wine in an understandable and concise manner. He has a ton of energy, is very enthusiastic about wine and can be extremely funny. One thing, and this is what I like about the guy; he is not a wine snob. He approaches the subject the same way I do. It does not matter what he thinks about the wine, it matters what you think about it. His descriptions give you a good basis for making a decision. He makes it very clear what he likes and dislikes about a wine and he tries to understand what the majority of his audience likes based on feedback that he gets. Gary will have guests on his program including wine makers and other individuals deeply involved in the wine world. Different episodes include blind tasting, food and wine pairing and during the football season, a lot of commentary about the New York Jets.
Check out this website and you might make it #2 on your list under Brazenly Lucid Wines. ( Go Colts!)
Another fine way to train your palate knowledge is to be a part of the tasting events held at the Grange Hall. If you want to take part in these tasting events let me know by sending your e-mail address to stan@blucid.com or by calling Kings Market (360) 378-4505 ext. 1 and ask for Stan.This is to all those out there who are working to keep the wine world real! Stan
