The Sound of Wine

One of reasons that wine is so much fun, is that it encompasses all of our senses.

Smell and taste are obvious, but sight plays a big part, not only in identifying wine, but in the fun as well. I regularly find myself looking at the red dot on the table cloth, caused by the wine shining through the wine glass. It is like a personal gem you can create at whim.

Tactile sensations, the sense of touch, can also play a big part in wine appreciation. The prickling sensation of your nose hairs when a wine is alcoholic (we call that "hot") or the frizzy fun of a mouth full of bubbles from a sparkling wine. These and other sensations related to touch are referred to as "haptic" sensations (I love that word).

So sight, smell, taste and touch are well represented, but what about the sense of hearing?

The clinking of the wine glasses during a toast is one way to enjoy the sense of sound (so be sure to always hold your glass by the stem when toasting, so it rings rather than gives a dull clank). Talking about wine is also where hearing comes into the equation.

Talking about wine can range from a fun dialog with friends, pointing out what you like and dislike about wine, to a droning lecture from a so called expert (my lectures are of course always riveting).

With the advent of the latest technology comes a new way to listen to wine. The Podcast. Like this blog, a Podcast is something you can subscribe to and then listen to at your leisure.

Podcasts too can range from delightful to droning (which is why you will be happy to learn I have no plans to start narrating this blog). Finding the right Podcast can be a chore, but once again my friends at Apple Computers have come up with a simple solution.

The latest version of iTunes (v. 4.9) which is available for the Mac and those other computers as well, allows you to find a Podcast to your liking as easily as picking a song from the iTunes Music Store. In fact it is at the iTunes Music store that you can search (on wine for example) to find many Podcasts, and even sample the entire Podcast without subscribing to future broadcasts. All for free.

As a regular guests on talk radio shows (promoting my book Juice Jargon) I have appeared on several of the Podcasts that are offered, and the shows were a lot of fun not only to be part of, but to listen to as well.

If you haven't already, take a listen to a little wine today.

The Wine Road - Summary

I never thought I would say this, but my tour of the Midwest and the prestigious Aspen Wine Classic that just ended here, have a lot in common.

There are a lot of people (certainly not all) that when they visit a winery, or attend a wine tasting, are out to get the most bang for their buck. They want to be sure to drink everything they can, and the alcohol becomes more important than any subtle flavors.

To these inebriated masses gifts, schlock and the occasional useful wine/kitchen related item are offered. Anyone that has ever shopped with a good buzz on knows how dangerous this can be.

And so it comes to pass that many can not remember the best wine they tasted, or the subtle difference from one vineyard to the next, but they proudly wear that apron, chop on that block or adorn their wine glasses with that item that will always remind them fondly of the winery or wine festival they attended.

I have a few of these items myself, before you think I am castigating others from afar.

So? What then does this have to do with my summary of the Midwest Wine Tour? Only that I am reminded that it is not always about the wine.

This missive is late, not only because I have been playing catch up since getting home, only to trip over the most important weekend of the year for me, but it is late because I have not been able to decide what to write.

I have been dwelling on the wine. I told myself, and even you, that the series was about wine touring, and not the wines themselves. And yet, I have been dwelling on the wines.

Only a few of the wines I tasted in the Midwest were memorable by my admittedly jaded standards, but almost all of the wineries were fun to visit. It is the visiting that I want to stress, the fun that comes from exploring, discovering, and then having a nice picnic. The fun that allows you to bring home a souvenir, be it a bottle or two of wine, or a nicknack that you just had to have.

I like fun, I advocate fun, I had fun. Why then does it always come down to the wines for me? Probably because I am a wine guy.

For those of you not as hung up on wine as I am, go forth and explore all the wineries in your area. Have fun. And for those of you who are as hung up as I am? Well, you go out and have fun being right, but try to enjoy the touring for touring's sake.

Looking back, I did.