Tasting vs. Drinking (8 September 2017)

Tasting vs. Drinking

September 8, 2017

An old friend stopped by last night. I offered Tommy, Italian wine lover that he is, a taste of our wine of the week (Tamí Frappato 2016). Tasting turned into drinking as Debbie put out a plate of Reggiano Parmagiana, prosciutto, olive oil and bread. As the bottle of Tamí disappeared, we turned to Brovia Barolo 2012 (thank you, Tommy). I liked this wine well enough to have ordered it after tasting, but I had yet to consume more than that one sip. Lots of experience tasting led me to believe both of these wines would make delicious drinking. Happily, drinking them was much more rewarding than tasting them. The Brovia Barolo, especially, though not surprisingly (an answer to why some bottles are $19 and others are $52), was more delicious with each sip. Drinking both of these lovely wines with food enhanced the pleasure.

Tasting is an important part of how I make a living. It is, however, just the beginning. Drinking - and eating, since I rarely do one without the other - is an even more important part of my job. The experience I described above, repeated many times over many years, is a key to why folks shop with us. When I am asked for a wine-food pairing recommendation I draw on my own drinking/eating experience to offer ideas. Knowing how special an experience the right wine/food combination can create, I take this responsibility seriously. When it works, I've contributed to an unforgettable moment, and made a lifetime customer.

Drinking a bottle; noticing how it develops from sip to sip, glass to glass, is where you really get to know about wine. It changes with exposure to oxygen, sure, but it also changes with each bite of food. These observations inform my choices when I'm taking those small tastes in the company of wine sales reps. It is why I can have a taste of Tamí or Brovia and purchase them with the confidence that they will likely drink as good or better than they taste.