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Wine Tasting - The Sense of Sight
Wine tasting basics begin with knowing how to use your senses to understand, interpret, and enjoy the wine. The ability to recognize what you see, and furthermore describe it in clear terms, is a very important wine tasting skill.
Although some may say the appearance of the wine is the least important aspect with regard to the senses, it is still worth noting. When examining appearance, we are looking for clarity and color. We want the wine to be free of any sediment, leaving it clear and brilliant. Red wines tend to lose their color as they mature, while white wines tend to grow darker with age. A good quality wine generally will be intense in color. The "legs" seen running down the sides of a glass after being swirled, are an indication of flavor density. It is best to use a plain white background, and tilt the glass slightly as you observe clarity and color.
Red Wine Marinated Lamb Chops
with Blue Lake Beans & Pomegranate
**Recipe courtesy of Tastings Restaurant & Wine Bar, Healdsburg,
CA
2 racks of lamb
1 T. Olive Oil
1 C. Red Wine
1/2 C. chicken stock
1 T. chopped Rosemary
1 T. chopped Parsley
4 T. chopped Garlic
1 T. chopped Shallots
1 T. Juniper Berries
1 T. Chopped Thyme
56 Blue Lake Beans
1 Pomegranate – seeds removed (40 seeds reserved for garnish)
For Lamb: Clean racks of lamb into 16 chops. French the bones and marinate for 2 hours with red wine, rosemary, parsley, 3T.garlic, shallots and juniper berries. Season chops on side with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill 2 minutes per side.
For Beans: Clean beans and blanch in salted water for 1-2 minutes until al dente. In large sauté pan, add 1T.garlic, beans, thyme, and 1T.olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until hot.
For Sauce: Pour marinade and 1/2 C. chicken stock with pomegranate seeds into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce until sauce coats backside of spoon. Strain through a fine strainer
