Getting to know your palate
No matter the size of your favorite wine retailer, they will never have all of the wine that is available. Even the biggest of big box stores can't have the full selection of wines that are made, especially when you add in all of their private label entries there is simply not enough room. Here at The Dinner Party, we order bottles for folks all the time. Whether it is a single bottle or multiples, if the wine is distributed in Idaho, we are happy to bring it in for customers. But what about when you need a bottle right now, or for tonight? This is when having a wine professional who knows your palate - and you knowing your own likes and dislikes - takes on added importance.
Last week, we had multiple conversations about just that. In one case, a wine club member was looking for a bottle of Cabernet made in Washington state that she had purchased from us before. More specifically, she wanted the 2011, not the 2012. This surprised me a bit, as 2011 was a cold vintage, resulting in many of the wines being more austere and less fruit-driven than those from the warm year of 2012. In general I have considered the wines from 2012 made in the western U.S. to be better. Our customer went on to explain that they had opened two bottles, one from each vintage, at a recent dinner party. The assembled group liked the 2011 better, for the higher tannin level and mild earthiness.
This nugget of information about why they preferred the 2011 gave me exactly what I needed to recommend an alternative bottle, since her prized 2011 is no longer available.
In another case, a customer came in looking for several gifts, but also decided to get a bottle for herself. She has a wine that is her "go to" bottle that is available in many large stores, but she has grown tired of it and was looking for something new, but still similar in flavor profile to her standby. We often write of how many wines we taste, and even though some are not in our own palate "wheel house," this is where it is really important to do so. It gives us the ability to recognize what someone likes when they tell of their regular purchases. Also, even though our own palate likes a certain style of wine, as professionals we know the importance of stocking many different styles of wine to satisfy the tastes of our customers, which are inherently more diverse than our own. We must apply the standard of a wine being well made beyond the appeal of a wine stylistically.
For wine consumers, the question is, what can you tell us to help get to know your palate better? This is vital, since what really matters is satisfying your palate! The more information you can give any wine person when trying to select a bottle, the better, but the two examples above are a great illustration of how basic information can help us when recommending a purchase. The easiest guidance is to tell us what other wines are your regular favorites, by brand and, if possible, by varietal.
It is important here to be as straightforward as possible. There are wines we all like to drink from time to time that the "wine intelligentsia" might turn their nose up at. Our job is not to judge, but to match, and giving wine professionals a clear name is very helpful.
Also, tell us when you have an experience like our wine club member. When you have one of those "ah ha" moments of recognizing the difference between this vintage and that, or this varietal and that one, or the same varietal from the U.S. and Europe, and getting that crystal-clear thought that you like one over the other - share it with your favorite wine professional. That information is invaluable.
And finally take a "pic." We almost all travel with our smart phones now, and it is so easy for us to recognize a wine when you snap a picture and bring it into the shop. One important pointer: take a picture of the back label too. Front labels many times will only have the name of the wine, while the back label is where the importer for non-U.S. wines is listed. Also, with some U.S. products, the actual producer will be shown on the back label.
Our goal as wine professionals is always to get you a bottle you like. Any nuggets of information like these increase the odds that we will know your palate.
If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email george@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.
George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions; his articles are published around the country, and he is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com).
You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/#/dinnerpartyshop.