(Mouth-watering pictures found here).
One of my favorite things about work is that we have these monthly wine and beer classes when we get new features in - we all pile into back tables right before closing and swish through the bottoms of glasses while our resident wine supplier/guru tells us what we should be tasting.
As we are getting a totally revamped drink menu, this week's wine class was a religious experience.
I love the descriptors: leather, perfumed, perfect for summer on the patio, notes of apricot, unoaked, coffee, Argentinian, spicy, spritz, aggressive, layered, bite, bright, medium-bodied, ripe plum, smooth, finish, creamy, delicate, citrus...
I love how some make your mouth go completely dry and some fill it with juiciness.
How you can taste a scent.
I love the acid in white wine, the richness of red and the completely new discovery of rosé (which is apparently the hot new thing, and not your prissy aunt's White Zinfandel).
I love food pairing - how well certain wines enhance certain foods (and vice versa): cheese and olives and Italian sausage, etc. And how Italians believe there's no such thing as too much wine, it all depends on how much food you eat alongside it.
...we also sampled a lot of beers and while I don't feel like I quite get it yet, I see the art in brewing as well.
So while I wont be claiming expert status and sticking the tip of my nose into every glass of wine - I feel like I have a definite, lifelong, exploratory interest and enjoyment in a great glass of wine alongside a great plate of food.
