Ever wonder where wines flavor comes from? Would you like to be able to enhance your appreciation for wine and try new varietals? The Traveling Grape can help you improve your appreciation of wine! Our enjoyment of tasting wine is entirely linked to our sense of smell. 80% of what we pick up from wine we get from our nose. Our nose detects 2,000 aromas, our mouth about 5.
We all enjoy drinking wine but that pleasure is heightened if we are able to appreciate different tastes and assess the wine's richness and complexity. Wine, or more specifically the fruit of the vine, takes on the characteristics of the elements that surround it. Within the earth, air and water are aromatic compounds and essences of plant and floral life, layered over centuries. These are the exceptional aromas found in red and white wine. Aromas can give us an indication of a wine's country, region & vineyard of origin, grape varietal and the wine-making techniques and aging conditions that contributed to the vintage.
You CAN develop your sense of smell. We all have a very sensitive sense of smell but practice helps us to recognize and identify the different aromas present in wine. We have forgotten how to recognize smells. To varying degrees, most of us have acquired the habit of closing off our sense of smell. Consequently, we end up forgetting what things smell like and, when we come across a smell that is detached from its traditional source, we may find that it is almost impossible to identify. For many people, the smell of an apple may be familiar and frustratingly unrecognizable, unless they see the apple and can anchor the smell to a visual reference. This conundrum also occurs when we are presented with a glass of wine. When we raise the glass to our nose, we know that there is a smell; but what is it? The only visual clue we have is a red or white liquid, which is not at all suggestive of what we are trying to identify.
What is an aroma class? It's a fun and educating evening developing your palate and senses, creating a common language to describe, understand and better enjoy wine. The class will teach you to recognize and describe the aromas that compose wine. You will sample and discuss 4 to 5 wines, while comparing a range of aroma's provided.
The introductory class is for 4-8 people and starts at $35 per person. You can expect the class to last 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the size of the class. I encourage you to invite your guests to stay longer to enjoy appetizers and the wine, putting to motion your heightened nose!
*inquire about this experience for your next trip to Napa and Sonoma