Wine tasting!

Oct 11, 20212 min read

Bordeaux is known as the wine capital of the world, so of course I had to try the wine here. My roommate, Carely, and I recently went wine tasting at a wine store near us in Aiguillon. The school chef, Olivier, took us. We went to Les Vignerons de Buzet, and here we tried one white wine (blanc), one rose (rosé) and two red wines (rouge). They were all delicious, but I I liked the rosé the best -- it wasn't too light and it wasn't too strong.

We also learned how to better appreciate the taste of wines. There are three primary aspects to take into account to appreciate wine: the visual (what color it is), the smell and the taste. Among the three fundamental colors of wine (red, rosé, white), there are a multitude of complexions which dress each wine with a particular color. The color changes depending on the age of the wine. Going from young to elderly, white wine will transition from yellow green to yellow to straw yellow to gold to amber and lastly, to brown. A young red wine will start as a purplish color, and as it gets older, it will transition to purple, cherry, ruby, garnet and tuilé (red roofing color). Rosé begins as rosé and as it gets older, it transitions to clairet, violet rose, raspberry, salmon and then to roux (reddish brown). In terms of smell, the primary aromas are revealed before the wine is stirred -- such as a buttery, fruity, earthy, woody or a floral smell. It is after stirring the wine that the aromas intensify and the sensations are refined. Lastly, the taste: your tongue's taste buds perceive the different sensations of the wine, such as bitterness, acidity, saltiness or sweetness. As soon as the wine enters the mouth, you get the primary taste: the wine can seem disappointing, just what you expected, fleeting, intense or smooth. Once the wine is on your tongue, you retain the taste for several seconds and once you swallow, you keep what little flavor remains in your mouth.