There’s no doubt in my mind that if you have arrived to this site you enjoy wine. The question, however, is whether you enjoy it to the full extent you are able. Are you able to apprehend the subtleties between years, between location of the grapes, the type of wine? More than likely you have tried a few. However, I would like to put forward the idea of D. T. Suzuki, that the master is a master because he approaches his subject of mastery every time as a beginner. Therefore, no matter how experienced, you will enjoy wine more when you stick to these steps and principles, and approach it by sense alone, and not with expectation.
Let’s talk about Red Wine.
Wine Tasting: Sight and Synesthesia
The first move you’ll make will be with your main, overwhelming sense: sight.
Look at the wine. To get a better view, tilt the glass to its side and observe the color. Can you see whether it changes? Is it darker in the middle? Is it lighter on the outsides? What type of a color would you describe it with? I’ll give you a few words you can consult as necessary. Ruby, Violet, Purple, Burgundy, Pink, Rose, Amber, so on.
Don’t arm yourself with terms as a means to impress, but know them so you can articulate as you see. Remember, the greatest minds, like that of Da Vinci, were not confined by the thoughts that preceded them. Da Vinci was one to experience self induced synesthesia, the cross over of senses. If you wish to express the color of the wine with a word that doesn’t exist, try it; being open to senses means not taking for granted which is which. You can hear a sight. What does it sound like?
Taste and Smell
As we discussed earlier, the more open you are to your experience, the less preconceptions you take with you to the experience, the more honestly, and accurately you will experience it. Experience your wine with a newborn mind.
When approaching taste and smell, let the color blend in to your smell. Yes, you can smell the color. The combination, or simultaneous perception will make the experience stronger and more authentic to the actual wine.
You bring nothing to your venture. When the wine is in front of you, you can behold it in the ways you are able to experience it. Try to experience the wine from each angle and see how they fit together.
Christie’s, an established wine auctioning firm, turns approximately seventy five million dollars in profit a year from the sale of their products. However, according to Per Holmberg, a large portion of that is attributed to their implementation of online auctions. An article recently completed by Wine Searcher detailed the effect online wine auctions are having on the entire industry, but in particular, Christie’s wine auctions.