WINE CLUB: SOMMELIER STEPHANE POMMIER ON WINE APPRECIATION

WINE CLUB

Wine appreciation: the basics

WORDS STEPHANE POMMIER

Bonjour and welcome to the world of wine! There’s a lot of pretentious stuff around about wine appreciation, so I’m going to make it very simple. Whether you’re planning to start a collection of fine wines or would like to learn more about new and favourite wines, a little knowledge can go a long way. The main thing to remember is that you always use these important three senses when it comes to wine appreciation: sight, smell and taste. Step 1: Pour yourself a small glass of wine (don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a large glass of wine, as we all do – however, we’re talking appreciation here). Look at the wine in your glass and hold the glass against a white napkin or piece of paper. The colour will give you a good indication about the wine characteristics. For example, if you are drinking a white wine, the yellow colour will let you know whether it is young or old and will tell you more about the style of the wine. Young white wines tend to have a light-yellow colour with some green reflect, which shows the bright and fresh characteristics of the wine. As a white wine ages, the green starts to disappear and a much deeper yellow colour develops. This is due to the phenomenon of oxidation of the wine over the years. That is the sole purpose of storing a nice bottle of wine, so it develops and changes. The colour of the wine is also an indication of the wine variety. For example, a more pronounced yellow colour may indicate that it is a chardonnay. Swirl your glass of wine (again, another important reason why not to fill it too high – the person sitting across from you can stay dry). A tip when swirling: use the base of the glass as this is the easiest way to hold it and make a circle with the glass in a clockwise direction. Swirling the wine allows the wine to have more contact with oxygen, which is going to improve the overall bouquet, or aroma, of the wine. Aromas might be floral, green vegetable, savoury, spicy or fruity, just to name a few. The wine when swirled is also going to leave streaks on the glass, which are what we call tears or legs. The tears are an indication of the concentration and the richness of the wine. For example, a sauvignon blanc is not going to leave significant long tears on the glass because sauvignon blanc is light and complex. But if we compare this with a dessert wine which is rich, with a higher concentration of sugar and alcohol, you will see generous residual tears on the glass. This is due to the viscosity of the wine. Step 2: Smell the wine by sticking your nose in the glass (important reason No.3 why not to fill it up too high). Then try to visualise what you can smell, be it stone fruits, dried fruits or citrus – this is what is going to be reflected on your palate. Step 3: Take a sip of wine and swirl it around in your mouth. This spreads the flavour across your five key taste buds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (‘savouriness’). After you try the wine, your taste buds are messages that tell you about what you have put in your mouth. They will determine whether you appreciate a sweet, dry, fruity, herbaceous, acidic or savoury wine, resulting in you discovering your personal preference. Cheers, good health, santé!

For information about Stephane’s masterclasses, plus wine-training for hospitality and retail staff, see somaustralia.com.au FAVOURITE SPRING FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS

Rainbow trout with potatoes, chives and spring garlic, with 2022 Usher Tinkler Rosé from the Hunter Valley, NSW

Pasta primavera with asparagus and peas, with 2022 Briar Ridge Fiano from the Hunter Valley, NSW

Grilled chicken salad with croutons, radishes, cucumber and tarragon pesto, with 2019 SOM Chablis from Burgundy, France