Use wine ratings, research and personal taste for best enjoyment

A recent note from Robb asked what was McD and which scoring system I use. My primary reason for replying in print – I recognized many new readers aren’t informed of my rating system. McD is the first three initials of my family name. Following is a template for a printable wine tasting score sheet that works for most folks: cf.ltkcdn.net/wine/files/4298-wine-tasting-printable.pdf. In addition, I add price points to my ratings for particularly good value, for example, 89 + 2 PP. Over time, my own sheet has become complex, with many of my own categories and abbreviations. Here’s a good thumbnail on how a wine tasting works: newyorkwines.org/how-a-wine-competition-works. The part about spitting is particularly germane. Find a wine store owner who supports you and buy locally. Requesting a single bottle of inexpensive wine is difficult and is quite expensive to ship. In my opinion, an unfair request.

I’ve been actively buying wine since 1972 and acting as a panelist since 1981. Prior wine experiences: Grandpa grew grapes and made wine, plus 44 years in upscale restaurants. While in business I achieved six Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence and three Best of Awards of Excellence with the very able assistance of Tim Wood. I have visited most major Euroland plus many U.S. viticultural regions as an active taster and terroir-studying guest or visitor. Kind of broad brush. When asked to write this column, I requested let’s provide a broad knowledge of wine other than Chardonnay and Cabs, fourth-tier Bordeaux and Burgundy. Fortunately, Dennis and Trish agreed. At the time, in some cases, Aussie just meant toss some shrimp on the barbie. Big sellers were White Zins; big oaky, fruity, alcoholic Chards and Cabs; Sonoma Zins and “Pooli Foosay.” Chile was mistaken for chili, and Italian conjured up two dogs rubbing noses over a straw bottle. (All huge exaggeration for effect.)

Initially, I suggested the following. We don’t all share the same descriptors for visuals, nose and palate, but we do recognize the basics. Follow several critics, searching for those whose recommendations please or displease you on a regular basis. Timing your purchases is key to value. Unless production is very limited, you can bet your last $ that today’s 100-point famous label will take a dip in price when the smoke clears and the next hits the tout sheets. This may be the area where a writer whose palate profile you agree with can be of most help. You can find some of the “good stuff” languishing on shelves at favorable prices. Winesearcher is a great tool. Jancis Robinson is my guru. The world is awash in terrific product at favorable prices. Therefore, I rarely write of wines rated less than 87 McD, unless it is wine for mixing, mulling or punch. Avoid so-called cooking wine; adding low-grade ingredients detracts from food. These ideas are still appropriate.

The eyes and nose are the most perceptive sensing organs. However, the descriptor “greenish golden” given to a group of 10 people might elicit 10 different choices from a color wheel. Concerning tasting ability, that’s actually a poor word choice. Did you know you can only taste these modalities: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami (aka mouthfeel, savory). Perhaps a better phrase would be “detected orally.” I’m getting far afield here, so allow me to refer those interested to a good selection of reads: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6078535.

Aromas are distinct, and bouquet is a collection of aromas. Sense of smell is far more complex than sight or taste. Following is a listing of references: mdpi.com/journal/sensors/special_issues/ssfso. Most named flavors are actually aromas detected through the retro nasal canal. A well-trained nose can easily detect 10K distinct aromas. The science, due to recent electronics and modeling, claims there are billions of distinct aromas. With work, we can dramatically increase our perception. Nearly all experts in the olfactory biz agree very few people take time to smell things around them. We improve our sense of smell by using it consciously. The more you concentrate on smell, the better you differentiate and hopefully the wider your enjoyment. Few can accurately describe their own observations, mostly due to lack of proper exposure. I will happily respond to nearly all requests for information. When unaware, I’ll try to do the research. Please use the email posted with each column for best results.