Gout de Terroir
March 11, 2008
Hi Wine Virgin, can you explain what gout de terroir means? Thanks. - Ellen in Douglas, GA
The gout de terroir roughly translates into the taste of the earth. Some believe that it is possible for the soil in which the vine grew was able to impart certain earthy flavors to the wine itself, giving it very unique characteristics. However, there is no hard scientific evidence that the soil can transmit the taste of the soil up through the roots, through the vine and into the grapes.
People seem to have this strange ability to make an association between what they see in a vineyard and what they taste in the wine. Yet even though the dirt that the vine grows in cannot transmit a certain flavor or aroma one may consider that the reason for saying that a particular wine has gout de terroir of a mineral or earthy tone is due to the entire wine making process itself.
Take into account the specific micro-climate that some grapes are grown in along with particular weather variations. You also have to consider how long the grapes were allowed to ripen before they were picked. These simple variables among many others have as much to do with the finished product as anything. Most people seem to stop at the thought that a wine takes on a definite character only during the wine fermentation process.
If you follow this thought process back even further, you will begin to see why the French made the claim that the gout de terroir had its say in the over all aroma and taste of a wine. Ellen, if you sit down and perhaps notice the tint of what you might think of as earthy or even chalky, realize that you are tasting a little bit of everything that went into making that glass in front of you. Cheers!!
Le Tastevin
March 10, 2008
Will you please explain what a “le tastevin” is? Recently, I went to a very nice restaurant and I noticed what seemed to be a silver cup like ash tray thing hanging around the sommelier’s neck. I asked him what it was and he simply pointed at it with a look of pride and said le tastevin! What the hell is it and what is it used for? Thanks. - Katie in Lake Charles, LA
Wow, I have never quite heard a tastevin or “le tastevin” as your sommelier calls it, described in such a straight forward way. You’re right, come to think of it, it does look sort of like a strange ash tray or how about a miniature urn? The “bling” in which he so proudly pointed to was actually a curious bit of history.
Wine trivia can be so captivating… you see Katie, a tastevin is simply a wine-tasting cup. Long ago, cellar masters created this to sample wines deep down in a cellar, where it was dark and lit only by candle light. As far as the odd shape of the cup itself, it was designed to catch and reflect the little light that was available to make it easier to check the color and clarity of the wine.
Nowadays, there is really no practical use for the tastevin and it is mainly seen as a badge of honor among many sommeliers. If you’re curious to pick one up, look online because a number of wine shops will actually carry them and if you happen to go back to that restaurant and encounter the same guy… look at his cup and give him a knowing smile. Cheers!!
Cleanse the Palate
March 10, 2008
Hello, what would I need to do to cleanse the palate so to speak? You glanced over this last week in your “Wine Nose” post about not eating for a couple hours before hand. Is there anything else I can do? - Tawny in Buffalo, WY
Actually, a great way to cleanse the palate is simply by eating bland white bread and a drink of water in between tasting various wines. This is because the bread is neutral in flavor and will give you a base to reference from. Sometimes a social gathering to taste wine can be accompanied with various cheeses or meat based snacks. As simple as some of these may seem, they can have a large influence over your wine palate, making it quite difficult to get the true taste of the wine you are interested in.
Tawny, you now have a very easy way to get a reference point in developing your wine palate and have no more excuses with putting new and interesting flavors into your mouth. Enjoy!!