WINE & SPICE and EVERYTHING NICE !!!

Wine & spice and everything nice! That's what great wines are made of! Spicy in reference to a wine can mean anything from peppery to cinnamon. When I first started sitting in on wine tastings or even a dinner with my friend Paul several years back, I was totally clueless as to what they were talking about. All I knew was I totally enjoyed the wines he had chosen to share with us. And I learned much. I must say until a few months ago when studying more on my own and with a few close friends when drinking I have finally trained my nose to pinpoint that peppery smell everyone was talking about. Now I even taste it immediately. It is amazing how we can train our noses and palates to pick up the scents and tastes. If you would like to start training your senses might I suggest you try this. Upon opening a bottle of your wine at hand gather some spices from your pantry. I am sure you have some cooking spices on hand, perhaps not, if not then you will have to stretch your imagination a bit further and try to remember the smells of the certain spices. Line up 6 wine glasses in front of you.....no you are not going to drink 6 glasses of wine! You are going to then add a small spoonful of each spice into a different glass. Swirl, sniff & smell just as you would a glass of wine. Put into your memory bank the smell of each spice and associate it somewhat with a food you have consumed made with these. Do this exercise a few times and before you know it you will be able to pick up the aromas when given a glass of wine. Doing this with a few great friends can be great enjoyment and conversation when entertaining.
Salute'