Written by Today’s simple pleasure is for all of you out there who enjoy wine, and more importantly, a particularly wonderful bottle of it. I made this quick little doodlewash tonight as I’m short on time and about to enjoy a glass in just a moment. Many of you who’ve read my posts know that I rather enjoy wine, but I’m also a bit picky when it comes to the type of wine I’ll drink. Not surprisingly, in our house, you’ll find mostly wines from France, since my partner is French. But I do prefer them most of all. Second in the race would be South American wines. I like wines that are dry and not at all sweet, though a bit a floral note is sometimes okay. I’m no sommelier, so I can’t really speak to all the terms. By terms, I simply mean phrases which describe a red as having “hints of tobacco, dark berries, grass and cedar” and the more alarming thought that a high-quality Sauvignon Blanc smells of “cat’s pee.” Suffice it say, I far prefer red wine.
Wine descriptions are almost as delightful as the wine itself. So many odd combinations that to read them literally, one would have to think twice before consuming such a concoction. It makes me think that tasting notes, those odd descriptive comparisons, are a true example of the power of imagination. In many ways, it’s no different than someone attempting to describe another person’s art, particularly abstract art. What they see and experience is often far different than even the person standing next to them in a gallery. That’s part of what makes art and wine so enjoyable. Join a friend and try a wine flight of various wines and you’re likely to discover this phenomenon. And if these wines come with a description of those who have tasted them before, it’s fun to see if you agree. Does this wine really have hints of coffee, berries and mushrooms? Does it taste peppery with a hint of licorice and fern? Or is it all just oak and smoke? In the end, the only thing that really matters is whether or not you personally think it’s delicious and wonderful.
An additional phenomenon when it comes to tasting wine is that your physical location has a lot to do with how you imagine its quality to be. Many times, Philippe and I have been tired and trapped in an airport to discover a wine that tastes just heavenly, only to attempt to purchase it at home and realize it’s totally crap. In that moment, at least, it was exactly what we needed, but in any normal moment, it left much to be desired. So many things in life are amazing simply because it’s the very first time. This is why I was enamored by Venice the very first time, and yet, on the second visit, began to notice the smell. Our imaginations are a wonderful part of our experiences. True, imagination is an unreliable narrator if facts are really of interest to you. But if you’re fond of just enjoying life’s experiences, it’s the only narrator you’ll ever need. And when you have your next little glass of fermented grapes, it’s best to just let you imagination run wild. Whether it’s a hint of a cigar box, tea, or even a bit of a barnyard scent, it’s entirely up to your own unique imagination when it comes to enjoying a great bottle of wine.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Da Vinci Yellow, Red Rose Deep, Cobalt Blue, and Payne’s Gray. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. |
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Enjoy your glass of wine! Have one for me, Charlie.
Thanks so much, Susan! Cheers! 😃💕
Nothing like a glass of wine that smells of cat pee! Eww! I’ll stick with smells like cherry or raspberry!
I’ll join you. Our wine tastes are the same 😄
Lol… me as well! No to cat pee! 😉
haha!! I’m with you!! It’s only something I read… but ewww…. give me red for sure now! LOL 😃💕
Probably the only good thing about the wildfires that have burned here in Oregon the past few years is that the wines are supposed to be spectacular from picking up the ash in the soil. I haven’t tried them yet, but however they taste, I’m sure they won’t be as beautiful to look at as your painting!
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕 And I DO love an Oregon wine. Wish wildfires weren’t the cause, but the taste is rather amazing.
Liked the bottle n 🍷 wah kya bat hen maza aa gaya. Due to u , i have win the game in my club function. Hey hey u have introduse so many drinks . thanks charlie.
Thanks, Snehlata! 😃💕 hehe… really? I’ve introduced drinks to your club? Well… cheers then!
It’s a very good description of tastes Charlie!
We have very fine local brands from highland.I’ll be careful to find out the taste next time 😉
Thanks so much, Nay! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, those tasting notes are worth noting! I’ve never actually understood them. I just like what I like!
Thanks for the giggles, Charlie!! 😄🍷 Cheers friend! 👍
hehe! Glad you enjoyed this one, Jill! Cheers!! 😃💕
Great job bouncing the reflection of the precious juice around the glass! Cheers Charlie & Philippe 🍷 🍷
Thanks so much, Tom! 😃💕 And yay for describing it as the precious juice!! hehe… Indeed!!!
lovely painting Charlie, I can almost here the wine glug into the glass and it definitely makes me want to open a bottle 🙂
Thanks so much, Phil! 😃💕 You should definitely open a bottle then! hehe😉
Enjoyable blog on wines, Charlie! I think your observation of “time/place/experience” greatly impacting its delivery on us is true of everything in life for the most part. Those people/places/things that become more enjoyable over time are the keepsakes. ❤️
I will let you enjoy your wine 🍷 for me, as I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never really met a wine I couldn’t do with out. 😊
Thanks so much, Von! 😃💕 Hehe…. and I love that you love wine, so we could totally hang out and have a glass. We made the unfortunate mistake of sampling up, and discovered “good” wine. Which just means more expensive. Ugh!! 😊
What a wonderful sentiment – attempting to describe another person’s art. My own favorite wine has hints of cocoa powder, C & H sugar, and marshmallows – oh wait, it’s not wine but hot chocolate!
haha!! I’ll taking those chocolate tasting notes… sounds delicious!! 😃💕
I just love the way you paint glass and reflections. Just lovely.
Thanks so much, Sandra!!😃💕 Glad you liked this… it was much speedier than I would have liked.
Wine descriptions often confuse me. For example “floral” – now that covers a lot of ground. Rose maybe, or lily of the valley, I can almost taste those in wine. But geranium and marigolds are floral I’d rather not taste in wine. That term is just to vague to be a good descriptor. And fern – I have no idea how to pick up that taste in wine or anything else. Fruity is another overly vague term. If it’s more specific, such as “hint of peach”, that’s more helpful. I tried one like that, although I don’t care for peaches – and it did indeed have peach undertone that I didn’t like.
I agree that time, place, & experience do make a difference in enjoyment of flavor. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich at home is routine. If you’ve spent the morning hiking in the mountains, outside in mountain air, with awesome scenery, sitting on a rock and being hungry, a pbj sandwich is a really tasty good experience.
Thanks so much for the awesome comment, Elizabeth! 😃💕 Yeah, wine descriptions are confusing indeed. But I’m enamored by the scene you described with that PB&J… I totally get it! Amazing!!
So…wine. It’s one of those things I’ve never really read up on. I visited a winery that was close by when I still lived in Nebraska, and bought a bottle of some kind of super-sweet thing that tasted like an alcoholic lollipop, but I have a feeling that Wine People(tm) would send me to the kiddie table for that kind of nonsense.
Any suggestions on where a totally unrefined palate would start? 🙂
Hehe.. yeah, I can’t stand the super-sweet ones that taste like candy. The drier the better for me. But a Malbec is usually a good choice if you like a bit of mix of dry and sweet. Always a good place to start! Then grab for some Bordeaux!
After reading this last night, I googled to see if there are local-ish wineries to me.
Dude. There are a *ton* of them around here. Big ones. ROAD TRIP. I’m putting Malbec at the top of my list.
Awesome!! Yeah, it’s amazing how many wineries there are out there now!