From hints of violets on the nose to massive tannins in the back of the throat, wine has a method of madness all its own.
Want to check for acidity? Swish the wine through your front teeth, if you can talk without puckering up, it’s acceptable. Want to taste for sweetness? Swirl it across the front of your tongue. Those hints come from Jay Fletcher, a master sommelier with Southern Wine & Spirits in Aspen.
Red wine has two kinds of flavors, he notes. Burgundy-style wines contain tastes similar to red fruits like strawberries and cherries. Bordeaux-style wines mimic blue and black fruits like blueberries and blackberries.
Want to serve wine with cioppino? Go for an unoaked Sancerre made from sauvignon blanc, a grape that grows above an ancient seabed in France. Having filet mignon for dinner? Try a classic pinot noir, a satisfying combination for the delicate meat. (It pairs well with salmon, too.) Save that biggest of wines, cabernet sauvignon, for a porterhouse on the grill.
So much wine, so little time.
