#6 Introducing 1+1=5 At Home Tastings

Learn five times as much by tasting two wines instead of one

Pro Tip - Introducing 1+1=5 Home Tastings

Many people think that the difference between an average wine drinker and wine professionals, sommeliers, reviewers and “experts” is that the experts have palates that are superior or more sensitive. The belief is that ordinary wine drinkers simply “can’t taste” what professionals can, as though it was physically impossible.

This is simply not true.

There is certainly a range in the sensitivity of a person’s nose and taste buds but unless you are actually afflicted with the inability to taste (ageusia [ah-GYOO-zee-a]) or smell (anosmia) we can all physically smell and taste the great majority of what is in a glass of wine.

So what IS the difference?

As with most subjects, what separates basic levels of knowledge from expertise is curiosity, observation and learning. In almost every topic you might look to explore, from the laces in your shoes to the asphalt on your road you would discover a complex level of detail both conceptual and technical.

Every Subject has its Complexities and Technical Detail

Here is one quick example from my own experience to illustrate this. My sister-in-law Bobbi had a small horse farm at one point. When I visited there, I would see her standing with one of her horse buddies, each of them with one foot on the bottom rail looking at a dozen or so horses in the paddock. They would be talking about the withers, flanks and fetlocks on this one or the croup, girth or barrel on another one, debating their relative merits or flaws.

But all I saw when I looked at them was white horse, black horse, brown horse. That’s it! Sure, I saw heads, tails, legs and necks on the horses alright but I couldn’t “see” the details they were discussing. It didn’t mean I couldn’t see them, I just didn’t have that deeper knowledge about what was in front of my eyes.

Wine isn’t any different. It’s just another subject with it’s own complexities and details. Everyone can smell it and taste what is there in the glass but unless you have more knowledge about wine, you don’t have the key to knowing what is right in front of you. Sharing wine knowledge and helping you know a little more is why I began the newsletter.