kadler@bbncc5.UUCP (Kyle Adler) (01/07/86)
Greetings! Here's my follow-up to the wine tasting suggestion, as promised. I'm pleased to say that I've received a number of responses and that all were positive. However, I was not exactly deluged with suggestions as to a first wine for us to taste. So the verdict is: let's just pick a wine and go ahead and enjoy it. Let's start off with Kenwood Winery's Chenin Blanc 1984. I think this wine's a safe bet to get the ball rolling, since it should be available all over, the price tag isn't outrageous (at around $6), and the wine isn't too complex. If you'd like to participate (and the more the merrier), this is what to do. Try to get your hands on a bottle as soon as possible. Taste the wine over the next week or so. Then we'll open up discussion on Monday, Jan. 13. I'd like to emphasize that even if you didn't send me a response, you are encouraged to try the wine and join in the discussion. This sort of forum only works if a lot of Netters get involved! Since a few people asked me to include notes on what to look for while tasting a wine, here are a few comments to start the newcomer off. 1) Have a clean glass, a pencil and paper, and a white tablecloth (or other white surface) handy. It's a good idea to have some french bread or crackers with the wine to clear the palate, and a friend or two to keep things lively. 2) Fill the glass about 1/4 full (say, about 50 ml). Holding the glass above the white surface and tilted at about a 45-degree angle, note the wine's color and clarity. 3) Holding the glass by the stem, gently swirl the wine. Then bring the glass up to your nose and smell. Short, deep sniffs are generally preferable to trying to inhale the wine. If you try to sniff for too long a time, or too many times in a row, your olfactory senses become fatigued. 4) Now the fun part! Take a medium sip, and swirl the wine inside your mouth. Try to note any distinguishing flavors and the overall balance of the wine. Observe the aftertaste -- it's length and intensity. 5) Just jot down your first impressions. No need to use ornate language; it gets a lot easier to verbalize your observations after having tasted a number of wines. Remember, these are only guidelines. Your opinions will be your own, and you shouldn't be guided by what others say. If anyone would like to add to these notes in the next few days, please do so. Also, here are a few books you can go to for more information. For wine tasting: Michael Broadbent's Complete Guide to Wine Tasting and Wine Cellars. M.A. Amerine & Edward B. Roessler, Wines: Their Sensory Evaluation. (The second book is more technical.) For general wine reference: Hugh Johnson's The World Atlas of Wine. Alexis Lichine, Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits. Once again, I encourage everybody who reads this group to participate. It's lots of fun, and much easier than some would like you to believe. Cheers! -- Kyle S. Adler BBN Communications Corporation, Cambridge MA
kadler@bbncc5.UUCP (Kyle Adler) (01/11/86)
In article <888@bbncc5.UUCP> kadler@bbnccv.UUCP (Kyle Adler) writes: >Greetings! Here's my follow-up to the wine tasting suggestion, as >promised. I'm pleased to say that I've received a number of responses >and that all were positive. However, I was not exactly deluged with >suggestions as to a first wine for us to taste. So the verdict is: >let's just pick a wine and go ahead and enjoy it. > >Let's start off with Kenwood Winery's Chenin Blanc 1984. I think this >wine's a safe bet to get the ball rolling, since it should be available all over, >the price tag isn't outrageous (at around $6), and the wine isn't too complex. > >If you'd like to participate (and the more the merrier), this is what to >do. Try to get your hands on a bottle as soon as possible. Taste the >wine over the next week or so. Then we'll open up discussion on Monday, >Jan. 13. I'd like to emphasize that even if you didn't send me a response, >you are encouraged to try the wine and join in the discussion. This sort >of forum only works if a lot of Netters get involved! > Just a reminder: if you haven't tasted the wine yet -- and would like to -- why not do so over the weekend? We'll begin talking about it next week. I know distribution of wines can be a strange affair, but I do believe this Chenin Blanc can be found in most areas. Here in Boston, I paid around $3.50 for a 1/2-bottle at a not-too-cheap store. Furthermore, I think this wine may surprise you, but no more on that until next week.... Drink up! -- Kyle S. Adler BBN Communications Corporation, Cambridge MA
kadler@bbncc5.UUCP (Kyle Adler) (01/14/86)
I hope everybody has had a chance to try the Chenin Blanc by now. If you haven't, but would like to, there's still time. In any event, here are my tasting notes to start things off. ********************************************************************** Kenwood Vineyards Chenin Blanc 1984, Sonoma Valley, California Alcohol content: 11.5 % Price: $3.65 (375 ml) The wine had a nice silvery sheen to it, although it was a trifle pale. It appeared clear, with a bright sparkle. Pleasant smell, with a rather fruity (although a bit nondescript) aroma. A nice mild bouquet, really quite neutral. The taste is medium dry, with good acid-sugar balance, but just a touch too acidic for my taste. Surprisingly, I found it to be very full-bodied for its type. My main objection is with the hint of bitterness. However, overall the wine has a fruity and peppy flavor and a refreshing taste. I found the wine's weakest point to be its finish. One experiences a rather extended bitterness. In short, the wine's harsh side grows, while its excellent flavor dulls quickly. In conclusion, I found this Chenin Blanc to have a delightful appearance, a refreshing fruity nose and taste, but a disappointing finish. Score: 14/20 (14 out of 20, using the UC Davis wine scorecard, as modified by M.A. Amerine). ********************************************************************** Please post your own ratings, along with comments/criticisms of mine, as soon as possible. If you've been even remotely considering tasting the wine, do it now! There's a lot more complexity in this wine than you might have guessed -- it really surprised me. Let's get this discussion going! -- Kyle S. Adler BBN Communications Corporation, Cambridge MA
bruceh@mako.UUCP (Bruce Harris) (01/16/86)
>Kenwood Vineyards Chenin Blanc 1984, Sonoma Valley, California >Alcohol content: 11.5 % Price: $3.65 (375 ml) > The 28th wine store I called had 1 bottle. I asked that they put it aside for me. Then, I drove across town to discover they had an '84 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc and no Chenin. We returned to our neighborhood store and had a single bottle special ordered for $7.79. Our interests and comparative study of wines is a little less informed and more informal than the recommended method. We serve it with dinner and appreciate or depreciate it based on that experience. We just had the Kenwood with chicken breasts, sauteed (in Kenwood!) in light garlic and scallions, with a fruit salad and a orange pilaf. The color of the wine was too clear to contribute or detract from the meal. Initially the aroma was too weak to compete with the food. The initial taste of the wine was a little tart, but the flavor was smoother and stronger than I expected from the very few Chenins that we have sampled (we don't usually drink Chenins.) The previous Chenins we have sampled have not had a strong enough flavor to gain our favor as a mealtime beverage. The aftertaste was compatible with the meal at hand. We discussed the wine during the meal and agreed that we should try more Chenin Blancs, but were reserved about this example because it did not enhance and match the flavors of the meal (this is about the mildest flavored dish we serve.) We were interested in the underlying varietal grape flavor and would appreciate a recommendation of a stronger flavored Chenin Blanc that is as smooth. The suprise of this wine was that after the meal we enjoyed it a lot. The lingering aftertaste encouraged another drink. In fact we finished the half of bottle that was remaining after our plates were clear. That is unusual for us. Our conclusion is that we won't buy any for our cellar, but would order it in a restaurant with a delicate dish if we did't see a dry Johannisberg reisling that we would prefer. With what food would this wine (and/or Chenins in general) be well matched? Is this wine typical of Chenin Blancs? Is it a stronger or milder flavor than is to be expected with Chenin Blancs? What European Appelation uses a lot of this varietal in its wine? Will someone please remark on the changes this wine faces as it ages, and what clues the observer to the changes? Bruce Harris (and Lois in this review) Tektronix Wilsonville, OR tektronix!tekecs!bruceh
c-hunt@tesla.UUCP (Charles Hunt) (01/21/86)
I have tried, and failed to find Kenwood Chenin Blanc for this tasting. Sorry I can't make specific remarks. About Chenin Blanc, in general. Foreign versions are Vouvray and Savinerres, both from the Loire in France. They should be inexpensive, light, very fruity, and drunk young (with the exception of some rare sweet and demi-sec Vouvrays, which, like Sauternes, can improve with years of age: these are seldom found in the USA...). The South Africans also make a charming chenin blanc, but these days it is hard to find these; and if you do, should you buy them? (No ethical arguments in this group... please. Net.flame is waiting for you!) California is the real chenin blanc champion... in general, the same as Vouvray, but alot more to choose from, usually better quality, usually about the same price. Go for it. Also... I wouldn't age a California chenin blanc. =Charles Hunt=