You may have those wine geek friends. You may be that wine geek friend. We may be those wine geeks who may have had a little too much fun with this episode. Either way, we’ve all experienced uncomfortable slurping and spitting situations. Steph and Val dive to the bottom of the spit bucket to banter about keeping our inner – and outer – wine geek in check. Steph has a great factoid about Meade. Val tries to rap. We’re gettin’ silly with it. (Recorded Dec 2016)
In our glasses:
Val: Lirac, a cru from the Southern Rhone. This one is by Chateau de Segries Cuvee Reservee 2012. According to the importer’s website it is 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 10% Mourvèdre. It’s about a $16 – $22/ bottle (market dependent) and is a great, affordable wine option for those who don’t want to open a Chateuneuf du Pape on a Tuesday afternoon.
Steph: Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Brut Reserve ($20 ish). It is 80% Pinot Blanc and 20% Pinot Auxerrois with 12 months of bottle aging on the lees. The producer dates back to over 300 years of winemaking tradition. The grapes are hand harvested and the vineyards are dry-farmed (no irrigation). Another tidbit about this bubbly – the AOC Cremant d’Alsace was officially recognized in 1976.
Discussion Topic: When NOT to be a wine snob
Oh dear, this was a fun discussion. It was also an opportunity to make-fun of ourselves. What really got Steph thinking this would make for good banter is when to use professional tasting techniques. We mean, slurping and gargling your wine at dinner with friends? Is that necessary?
What about spitting?…
And when to exercise wine vocabulary and lingo…
How about when you’re with wine geeks but not in a geeky wine setting? Then what?
This episode really got us thinking, and to say we’ve been guilty of some of these is an understatement. However, being conscious of them now has definitely made us more (dare we say) fun to be around. Right? Eh hem. Anywho, we did have to shave off a good 10 minutes of banter, but no worries – there will be plenty for the blooper reel at the end of the year.
You’ll have to check out the audio to hear us making fun of the slurrrrrrrrpppppp-ing. Poor Steph. However, we had a blast putting these anecdotes together and we hope you enjoy … and maybe even find it useful!
Factoid: What is mead and some of the styles of mead?
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey. Now, honey alone is too sweet for the yeast so water is added to the honey to dilute it. Before fermentation begins, that’s when the additional flavors are added – fruits, spices, juices, flowers, maple syrup, tea, and so on. Then the yeast comes into play…
Mead also comes in different styles – sweet, dry or somewhere in between and also still or sparkling.
Serve mead depending on the style. If it is sparkling, use a Champagne flute if you like, or a white wine glass and serve chilled. Sometimes the label on the mead will make a recommendation on serving temperatures and glassware. That’s always a good guide. When in doubt, serve the sweeter styles close to cellar temp and the drier styles chilled. Remember, just like wine, if the mead is too cold, you’ll miss out on the aromatics and flavor goodness.
If you like cider, hunt down a Cyser mead which is honey and apple juice fermented together.
For more information, check out: http://meadist.com/category/american-mead-maker-journal/
Oh, and as promised, here’s a picture of Val at a medieval banquet in Coventry, England, where she first tasted (quite possibly way too much) mead. Quite certain there was no slurping, spitting or swirling here. Only, apparently, swashbuckling.
WINORADAR:
Val: “What’s on my radar is that I am probably on my way to London while this is airing. The WSET graduation is happening, and I’m very excited to go! I’ll post a video of what happens at this formal event.
But I’m also excited to go visit some of my old haunts out in Oxfordshire where I used to live. Then we’re off to Rome for a week. So I’m excited to see where John used to live. And eat. And buy more fazzoletti. If you think wine and Andrea Boccelli are the finest things to come out of Italy, then you haven’t used Italian snot rags.”
Steph: “Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, Western Australia. Located in the northern-subregion of Wilyabrup. I recently tasted the 2001 and 2008 and they were elegant and powerful. This is Cabernet Sauvignon at its finest. Do not overlook the artistry of this age worthy wine.”
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