{"id":669,"date":"2017-08-03T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.wtso.com\/blog\/index.php\/2017\/08\/03\/2017-7-27-how-to-talk-with-a-sommelier\/"},"modified":"2017-12-13T12:33:56","modified_gmt":"2017-12-13T17:33:56","slug":"how-to-talk-with-a-sommelier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/how-to-talk-with-a-sommelier\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Talk With a Sommelier"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Do you ever find yourself at a loss when asked about your wine preferences? You know the style of wine you enjoy, but which words should you use to describe it? Wine vocabulary can seem dizzyingly complex, but you shouldn\u2019t need expertise to get what you want from a retailer or restaurant. In this post, we\u2019ll discuss some vocabulary and strategies for saving time and effort when discussing your preferences with professionals.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Boldness<\/h2>\n

It can be intimidating to talk to a sommelier or wine merchant, especially if you\u2019re not versed in wine lingo. Don\u2019t be nervous. The professional you\u2019re talking with is there to assist you and has experience helping people from many backgrounds. Be honest about what you want, be straightforward when you don\u2019t like something and remember that you\u2019re in partnership with the professional to find the best wines for your taste.<\/p>\n

Dry and Sweet vs. Fruity<\/h2>\n

The term, \u201cdry\u201d is responsible for perhaps more confusion than any other word in the wine lexicon.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Many people think that \u201cdry\u201d means \u201cbitter,\u201d but that\u2019s not the case. The word \u201cdry\u201d refers to an absence of sugar and is not related to favors. In other words, just about any beverage can be dry regardless of what it tastes like. The most fundamentally dry beverage (ironically) is water. Black coffee is dry, but when you add cream and sugar, it becomes sweet. Wines are considered fruity when they taste like fruit, so if you detect flavors of berries, apples, peaches, etc., the wine is fruity –\u00a0whether it is dry, sweet, or somewhere in between. Hopefully, understanding this will prevent you from being served wine that is too dry or sweet for your taste.<\/p>\n

Body<\/h2>\n

Body is essentially the weight or mouthfeel of the wine and is usually related to alcohol content. Higher alcohol will result in a fuller body and lower alcohol in a lighter body. Body is not related to the intensity of flavor or color. Some light-bodied wines are very flavorful and dark, while some full-bodied wines are lightly colored and flavored. It\u2019s worth considering if you prefer dark wines or full wines, or both since they are not the same.<\/p>\n

Tannin<\/h2>\n

A substance found in red wine as well as black tea, tannin is tasteless and detected by the sense of touch. It coats your teeth and tongue and interacts really well with fat in foods. That\u2019s why the tannic wine Cabernet Sauvignon is famously good with steak. The fat in the food and the tannins in the wine heighten the enjoyment of both. Tannin is found in oak barrels, stems, seeds, and other parts of the vine, but the main source in wine is grape skin. Different varieties have different levels of tannin in the skin. That\u2019s why Cabernet generally has more tannin than Pinot Noir.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Acidity<\/h2>\n

The word \u201cacidic\u201d generally has a negative connotation, but in the wine world, it simply refers to the \u201ctartness\u201d of wine. Acidity contributes several positive things to a wine, including food friendliness, a refreshing character, and ageability. More acidic wines tend to come from cooler climates. Many people who prefer wines from the New World enjoy low-acid wines but don\u2019t realize it. It might be a good way to share your preferences.<\/p>\n

Old vs. New World<\/h2>\n

One of the best ways to order wine is to ask for Old World or New World wines. If you know that you like Napa Cab, ask your sommelier for a \u201cNew World red similar to Cabernet.\u201d Based on their understanding of your request, they might surprise you with something amazing that you’ve never had before.<\/p>\n

Compare Wines to Others That You Know<\/h2>\n

Another good strategy is to ask for wines similar to brands you\u2019ve already had. \u201cI really like X wine. Do you have anything comparable?\u201d This approach is also a good way to talk about price without specifically mentioning cost. The sommelier will probably try to find a wine that tastes similar to the one you mentioned at a similar price.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Do you ever find yourself at a loss when asked about your wine preferences? You know the style of wine you enjoy, but which words should you use to describe it? Wine vocabulary can seem dizzyingly complex, but you shouldn\u2019t need expertise to get what you want from a retailer or restaurant. In this post, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":1791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wine-101","tag-wine-101"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=669"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1868,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/669\/revisions\/1868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}