Since I named this blog after a line from a Tennyson poem, I recognised that at some point I would have to write about something wine related. So here at last, I am.

 

My relationship with wine has outlasted most other relationships. In my late teens and early twenties, I thought that Black Tower Liebfraumilch was the height of sophistication. It was smooth, fruity and not too dry on my young palate. Now that I am older, I prefer a full-bodied red, such as Rioja, and I rarely drink white wine any more. (Unless it’s Champagne, of course!)

On page 77 of ‘Things to do now that you’re 50…’, I came across this suggestion: Go to a winery and sample the wines. Many of them offer free tasting. Do this whenever you are in wine country. Not having imminent plans to travel to warmer climes, I decided to purchase a voucher from www.yorkshirewineschool.com for my husband and me to attend a wine tasting evening at The Sheffield Tap. (I should confess here that although my husband is not a keen wine drinker – preferring his real ale instead – I gave him the voucher as a wedding anniversary present! Well, who hasn’t ever bought their spouse a present that they themselves would really like?)

The Sheffield Tap is a lovely old pub, with its own onsite microbrewery, that is housed in what was once the Edwardian refreshment rooms of Sheffield Railway Station.

We felt a little nervous as we arrived at the function room. Would it be full of wine snobs? Would we feel intimidated? I do enjoy wine but I am no connoisseur. If I recognise a bottle I’ve enjoyed before, I buy it. Otherwise, I look for whatever’s on special offer. I rarely buy a bottle of wine that costs over £6. Fortunately, we were soon put at ease by Laura, who runs the wine tasting sessions.

During the course of the evening, we sampled six different wines from six different countries: three whites and three reds. Every single bottle cost twice as much as I would normally pay, but I soon began to understand why. And the first thing I learned was that I had been doing it all wrong!

Instead of throwing the wine down as though it is pop, the following methods should be applied:

Laura informed us that we had to get our whole mouth involved in the wine drinking and I can honestly say that after sniffing and swirling the Alsace Riesling round my mouth, allowing it to travel across tongue, teeth and gums, I could definitely taste the lemons therein. The wine had a playful zing about it that I had not noticed before. Lesson one learnt! Lesson two closely followed after I had detected the gooseberry flavour of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the smoky vanilla of the oak-aged Australian Chardonnay. I have long been obsessed with drinking white wine only if it is very cold. Not any more though. After sitting in the glass for a while, the Riesling tasted even better. Now I know why I have gone off white wine: it all tastes the same when cold. Once it has aired and breathed, you can tell the difference between a Riesling and a Sauvignon Blanc, between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay! I am newly reconverted to white wines; like all new converts I will zealously sniff and swirl from now on!

Onto the reds: more knowledge to be assimilated; further lessons to be taken in. Whilst enjoying the Rioja Reserva, I learned the difference between Joven (young wine), Crianza (a year in an oak barrel), Reserva (at least three years in oak and bottle) and Gran Reserva (even longer in oak and bottle). Naturally then, we pay for the time and room given to storage as well as the wine itself. And for those potential wine snobs: it doesn’t mean the wine will be better old or young: it is all simply a matter of personal preference. So there!

Wine is about grapes and about place. So when we sampled the Chianti Classico, we did so alongside a lesson in both. Chianti comes from one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world; Classico refers to particular grapes grown in a specific area of Italy. We tried this wine and then we ate a little Cheddar from the Isle of Mull. With a cheesy coating in our mouths, the Chianti tasted divine. (I can feel a cheese and wine party coming on, and very soon!) Similarly, the flavour of the Argentinian Malbec was greatly augmented once we had consumed the chorizo which Laura proffered. Apparently, it also goes deliciously and moreish-ly well with bitter dark chocolate! (Note to self!)

So what did my husband make of his anniversary present? He admitted that it had been a worthwhile adventure: that it had been lovely to spend the evening togtheer, learning something new together. But still, his choice would be the beer. Fair enough! As for me, I took the above picture and then I drank the remainder of the wine in each glass. To the lees indeed!