THEWINEMONOLOGUES.COM: My view from the other side of the tasting table.

My view from the other side of the tasting table.

If you read my blog, chances are you have been to a "strolling" wine tasting—one in which you move from table to table trying different wines from different producers.

You approach the table, wait to be greeted by the winery rep/wine pourer, survey the bottles and, finally, make your choice. Once the choice is made, the tasting process begins — the swirl, the color, the nose, and, of course, the taste and feel of the wine itself. Do you like it? Do you want to taste another wine from this vintner or are we just walking away now?

If the wine was interesting — in a good or not so good way — we probably have questions:

what varietals are included in any blends;
single vineyard grapes or from multiple vineyards;
estate grown grapes;
if a blend, why did the unmakes choose the varietals and how did they choose the blend percentages and so on and so on

If we are lucky, the person on the other side of the table has more information than we do about the wine we just tasted. If we are really lucky, the person on the other side of the table is the winemaker.

Sometimes, the person on the other side of the table is just a random person, college student or convention center employee. Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be the person on the other side of the taste — thought you could do a better job? I had that chance earlier this week.

Black Star Farms gave me the opportunity to represent them at a tasting this week at Terry B's in Dexter, Michigan. Terry B's was hosting a Michigan wine tasting event and this was a no-brainer as Black Star Farms is a favorite of mine.

The premise. . .

Coryn Briggs, Director of Marketing at Black Star Farms, asked me last week if my wife and I would be available to pour and discuss some of Blackstar's wine at the tasting yesterday. My initial thought was "Duh!!". Of course, reality set in some hours later and I asked myself was I crazy? Could I stand in for Coryn or Lee Lutes (Black Star's winemaker) and not completely make a fool of myself (my wife is never a fool and certainly I would never suggest otherwise). Well, maybe I couldn't be as knowledgeable as the winemaker but I decided I could be better than a college student looking to make a few bucks. And, I have enjoyed most of Black Star's selections and I could always fall back on the "spec sheets".

Coryn did a great of job of prepping me for my assignment. I received the brochures and all the information I could want about the four wines that I would be pouring. I studied the documents thoroughly in the morning and was feeling confident when my wife called to say she could not leave the office as planned. My security blanket gone, I headed out the door shaken but still confident that I could handle this event.

The Arrival. . .

I arrived early to set up but found that four tables were already arranged in one small room of the restaurant and three others were set up in the next room. Black Star was slated next to Chateau Chantal and across from Bel Lago and Bowers Harbor. I was setup in no time.

Next to me, Chateau Chantal's rep was waiting for his wine (the wholesaler was running late). We introduced ourselves and, low and behold, I was talking to one of the original investors in Chateau Chantal! Across from me, the Bel Lago representative arrived and I recognized him from previous tastings — Charlie Edson, the winemaker at Bel Lago. Yeah, I was out-manned here.

What I learned. . .

First and foremost, I had a lot of fun pouring and talking to the customers who came in for the tasting. I learned that. . .

. . . there are different wine tasters— those that started only with white wines and would make there way around the room and then come back around for the reds;

. . . there are more "spitters" than I thought (at least at this event)— I am not a spitter— but a good number of tasters are—and that is not a bad thing!;

. . . there are some tasters that are very uncomfortable in their "wine skin" and are there for the education—which I was happy to supply — taking them through wine by wine, varietal by varietal—this was right up my alley;

. . . there are a variety of ways tasters express what they think about the wines-

there were those that just poured out what they did not like
then there were those that sipped and then gulped, expressing their approval
there were some that scrunched their noses if they disliked a wine and
there were those that smiled and gave a nod if they liked what they tasted, and
there were the "vocal" tasters who just exclaimed "oh, I don't like that" or "oh, that is good";

. . . there are tasters that are very inquisitive about the wine, vineyard, winemaker, varietals, bottle age, what type of barrels are used. . . etc;

. . . there are tasters who are there to taste wine and socialize— like the very nice couple I spoke to about their wedding and the fact that they had the ceremony at Bowers Harbor but stayed the night at Black Star Farms;

. . . there are the "runners" as I referred to them. . . for instance the husband who strolled the tasting with two glasses and would take tastes back to his table— I did not see his wife until the very end when they were leaving;

. . . there are the "note-takers" who take notes on their sheets provided by the restaurant or, as in yesterday, the gentleman who would take a taste, walk away and dictate his thoughts into a dictaphone and then come back, taste and repeat the process throughout the night;

. . . there are the tasters who approach the table telling me "I was told to try. . .", they had received the advice of a friend or spouse to try one of the bottles;

. . . there are the tasters who go right down the row of bottles you have, tasting every bottle in order of presentation (thus I put the whites to their left and the red last!);

But, what I really learned is that — at least for the Michigan winemakers — this is not a competition. Everyone was terrific and I had a great time talking to the other "reps".

I wasn't out-manned at all. But, I did miss my wife. She would have loved this!