A Fish Out of Water: Wine Class

Here are a few members of my wine class, about to head home on the final day of school. Sandra Shoji, the teacher, is third from left.

I think I mentioned the class before and made a vague promise to post about it soon. Well, it's already over-- today was the final day. So I figure I better post about it while it's still (somewhat) fresh in my memory.

I learned a lot, but what I learned only makes me want to find out more. I have a feeling that this is a subject that no matter how much I know, there will always be more to learn. Which could either be really frustrating or really challenging. In any case, I have a lot to learn and look forward to doing so.

I also have a feeling that this is a very expensive hobby to get into, but with fewer health benefits than other pricey hobbies like golf or yachting. Looking on the bright side though, it is probably a healthier interest, both physically and financially, than cigars, gambling or internet porn addiction. So I'm in.

During each class we learned about wine history, grape varieties, wine regions and the like, and tasted anywhere from 6 to 10 wines (and today we had something like 13 wines, including a blind taste test). The class was at Temple University and was taught by Sandra Shoji, who writes the wine column for the Daily Yomiuri.

I liked nearly everything we tasted, except for a couple Greek and Japanese whites (but even then I could see myself enjoying them in certain situations). My tastes didn't really change or become more refined: I prefer crisp, fruity and aromatic whites, and soft, complex reds. In fact, it turns out that my tastes are much wider than I thought- I seem to like pretty much any good, well-made wine. The difference is that now I have a slightly better idea of how to tell which wine will be good.

Anyway, here are some of the wines I especially liked. I wasn't able to get pictures of everything, so this is a bit of a random selection.

Moscato D'Asti 2005, DOCG, Scrimaglio. A reasonably priced frizzante (semi-sparkling wine) white with a lovely fruity nose and sweet flavour balanced by crisp acidity. It is also very low in alcohol and I'd love to drink this on a picnic with dessert.

Barbera d'Alba, Superiore 2000, DOC, Giocomo Vico. From the same region as Moscato d'Asti, Piedmonte. Full bodied but smooth, with mellow tannins and spicy, cherry flavours.

We tried Port, Sherry, and Madeira, and although I thought I didn't like fortified wines I loved these three. My favourite was this Barbeito 10 year old Boal Madeira, from Funchal, Portugal. It has a complex nose with spicy, nutty, fruity and smoky notes, with a sweet marmalade flavour balanced by acidity. It went fantastically with Stilton cheese, although the teacher preferred it with chocolate. It is over 4000 Yen for a bottle but will keep well after opening, and at 19% alcohol it will probably last quite a while, making the price quite reasonable.

Feral Fox Pinot Noir, 2004, d'Arenberg. From Adelaide Hills in Australia, this had aromas of spice, vanilla, and black cherry, with juicy flavours and plenty of tannins.

On the last class we were joined by Bill Campbell of Hotei Wines, an importer of fine California wines, who gave an outline of the wine importing business and brought several wines fro us to taste. He started off by opening a bottle of sparkling wine (Gruet Methode Champenoise Blanc de Blans 2002, from New Mexico) with a champagne sabre, which certainly got our attention.

Again, I enjoyed all the wines. This Cline Viognier California 2005 was very nice. Like the other Hotei wines, it was tasted blind, and it really confused me-- I was expecting a California wine but this seemed like an Alsatian Gewurztraminer. Obviously this was my first time trying viognier, which is apparently a cult grape in California. I can't wait to try more.

I also liked the Havens Albarino Napa Valley Carneros 2005, with its dry, tart flavours and intense peachy citrus aromas. This Spanish grape is also new to me, And Havens is apparently the only producer in America that grows it.

Finally, I seemed to have liked this Stag's Leap Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, but by that time I was a wee bit too tipsy to describe it properly. All I have on my notes for this wine are a purple wine stain and the words "NICE!" and "spicey". Yes, I know it's misspelled. I really have a problem remembering to spit-- the more I enjoy the wine, the more likely I am to swallow it. And with so many good wines today, I didn't do much spitting.

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Oooo, d'Arenberg is a great winery, it is near where I live (well, the McClaren Vale wineries are just out of town) and always on our list of places to visit when we go a'wining. I think ive been there 3 or 4 times in the year that ive been back. The winery itself is beautiful too. Sounds like your class was great!

Posted by: j-ster | 2007.02.27 at 08:56 PM