{"id":44,"date":"2009-02-12T16:34:36","date_gmt":"2009-02-12T20:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=44"},"modified":"2009-06-23T22:22:11","modified_gmt":"2009-06-24T02:22:11","slug":"enhancing-your-enjoyment-of-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/enhancing-your-enjoyment-of-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Enhancing Your Enjoyment of Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"grapes1\"<\/a>What is the largest wine-consuming nation in the world?\u00a0 France?\u00a0 Italy?\u00a0 Spain?\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you said France, take a bow.\u00a0 But, what nation will likely lead the world in total wine consumption next year?\u00a0 Surprisingly, it\u2019s the United States.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, last year as a nation we consumed over 300 million cases of wine\u2014or more than 3.6 billion bottles. And in 2010, it\u2019s projected we\u2019ll top that figure.\u00a0 That\u2019s a lot of wine.<\/p>\n

Per capita consumption will remain the domain of France and Italy but next year Americans are expected to begin consuming more wine overall than any country on the planet.\u00a0 This a remarkable change in our drinking habits.\u00a0 For almost four centuries beer and liquor have been the dominant libations of choice in the United States.<\/p>\n

\"colonials\"<\/a>Why?\u00a0 The reason dates to the first colonists at Jamestown.\u00a0 The English settled Virginia in hopes of creating a profitable market for goods produced in America.\u00a0 The profusion of native grapes led them to believe wine could be easily made in the new world.\u00a0 And the market for wine in England was substantial.\u00a0 Unfortunately, the native grapes did not make palatable wine.\u00a0 The aroma was called \u201cfoxy\u201d but a better descriptor might have been \u201cwet dog\u201d.\u00a0 And, they could not successfully grow the delicate European vitis vinifera grape species because of Virginia\u2019s climate and insect problems.\u00a0 Clearly, the English palate, trained on quality Bordeaux wine, would not support a nascent industry producing a wine they considered undrinkable.<\/p>\n

<\/a>The early Virginians finally found a product marketable around the world\u2014tobacco.\u00a0 Virginia\u2019s climate was perfectly suited for the broad-leafed plant and serious winemaking was mostly forgotten.\u00a0 But, citizens still wanted an alcoholic beverage so the distilling of fruit and corn became popular.\u00a0 Our nation was launched on a path of beer and liquor consumption that prevailed for the better part of four hundred years.\u00a0 In the 1960s things began to change as science and viniculture\u2014the science of grape growing–joined forces to produce high quality European wine grapes in Virginia.<\/p>\n

Today, there are over 140 wineries in our state.\u00a0 The dream of the early colonists is being fulfilled in the Old Dominion and its wines are gaining national and international attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With this explosion of Virginia wineries\u2014the first one opened in 1968–the stage was set for an ever-growing number of Virginians to begin experiencing the pleasure and health benefits of moderate wine consumption.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at some of the basics that can enhance your enjoyment of your favorite wines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"wine-glass6\"<\/a>First, purchase and use a reasonably good glass.\u00a0 It does not have to be expensive.\u00a0 An average quality wine glass can start around $5 a piece but an elegant crystal glass can cost upwards of $70 a piece.\u00a0 Ouch!\u00a0 No need to start at that level.\u00a0 But, higher quality stemware can increase the enjoyment of wine.\u00a0 Think not?\u00a0 Picture drinking a serious wine out of a black, ceramic coffee mug compared to a delicate crystal glass–the vessel matters.<\/p>\n

Next, fill your glass no more that one third full.\u00a0 This enables you to easily swirl the wine and release its aromatics.\u00a0 One of the numerous beauties of wine is its unending array of aromas.\u00a0 Don\u2019t miss out on this aspect of wine tasting by filling a glass to the brim.\u00a0 Give your wine room to move and breathe.<\/p>\n

Now comes the fun.\u00a0 Enjoying your wine.\u00a0 All you need do is focus on four thoughts.\u00a0 Eyes.\u00a0 Nose.\u00a0 Mouth.\u00a0 Throat.\u00a0 Yep, it\u2019s that simple.\u00a0 Deepen your wine experience and increase your enjoyment of wine by focusing on these four simple precepts.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"eyes1\"<\/a>EYES
\n<\/strong>The beauty of wine begins with its colors.\u00a0 From the pale straw gold of a sauvignon blanc to the ruby hue of a cabernet franc.\u00a0 When you pour your first glass, take a moment to embrace the clarity and depth of color of the wine.\u00a0 Holding the glass against a light and letting it catch the various angles of natural and house lighting sets the stage for what you are about to further explore.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"wine-glass1\"<\/a>NOSE
\n<\/strong>Swirl the glass to release its aromas.\u00a0 Now place the glass under your nose and breath deeply.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 You can stick your nose in deeper that that!\u00a0 Inhaling through you nose begins telling the wine story.\u00a0 Smell the taste.\u00a0 In fact, you might do this several times before you take your first sip.\u00a0 Build tension\u2014its has its rewards.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a>\"lips1\"<\/a>MOUTH
\n<\/strong>Now comes the heart of the wine experience–your first sip.\u00a0 Take a few small sips and roll the wine around your mouth a bit.\u00a0 It may seem odd, but all those flavors you are about to enjoy are actually a result of your olfactory bulb.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 OK, your nose.\u00a0 The olfactory bulb is located at the top your nose and actually sends signals to your brain about what you are tasting based on what you are actually smelling.\u00a0 Our palates only have four taste sensations:\u00a0 salt, sweet, sour and bitter.\u00a0 The raspberry, cherry, pineapple, mocha and sundry tastes are simply aromas rising off your palate and passing through the olfactory bulb.\u00a0 The more you swirl the wine in your mouth the greater perception of flavors will emerge.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a><\/a>\"throat\"<\/a>THROAT
\n<\/strong>After tasting, swallowing the wine comes naturally.\u00a0 No instructions needed here.\u00a0 However, look for a sensation on your palate that experts call a \u201cfinish.\u201d\u00a0 Wine comes with an aftershock, albeit a nice one.\u00a0 In fact, the longer a quality finish remains on your palate the better a wine is rated.\u00a0 World-class wines can linger on the tongue for up to a minute after they are swallowed.<\/p>\n

Perhaps at this point you may be thinking. Is he kidding?\u00a0 I am expected to go through this process every time I drink a glass of wine?\u00a0 Well, no.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the intent to assess a wine with every sip from every bottle.\u00a0 After the opening examination, the wine\u2019s aroma and taste will be observed and it\u2019s time to simply start drinking as opposed to tasting.\u00a0 But, periodically as you consume the wine, try stopping to enjoy one of the four basic aspects of tasting.\u00a0 Eyes. Nose. Mouth. Throat.<\/p>\n

Your enjoyment of wine will increase with your understanding of it.\u00a0 Unlike most mass-produced beers and soft drinks, every different bottle of wine holds a new and interesting aroma and taste.\u00a0 And that\u2019s not to denigrate those beverages.\u00a0 Consistency in taste is an art and science and our most popular beverages are successful in achieving their goals. But, wine drinkers are looking for variety.\u00a0 And it exists in abundance.\u00a0 Today, in the Unites States, about 55,000 different wines are available in the marketplace.\u00a0 That\u2019s not to imply such a broad wine selection is available in every local market.\u00a0 But, it highlights how diverse the world of wine is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a>In the years ahead I look forward to exploring an array of issues involving wine. I also will focus on evaluating wines from our Piedmont area wineries.\u00a0 Let\u2019s take that journey together.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

\"sunset1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In Vino Veritas\u2014In Wine Truth.<\/p>\n

Published January 29, 2009, in the Culpeper Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the largest wine-consuming nation in the world?\u00a0 France?\u00a0 Italy?\u00a0 Spain?\u00a0 If you said France, take a bow.\u00a0 But, what nation will likely lead the world in total wine consumption next year?\u00a0 Surprisingly, it\u2019s the United States.\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, last year as a nation we consumed over 300 million cases of wine\u2014or more than 3.6 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n