This is....Somm School!

So I haven't decided yet whether the west coast thing is driving me crazy crazy or crazy in love but I'm sure trying to figure it out. If one this is in it's favor, it's the weather. Holy mackerel....this is the third day this week that I've sat on my back porch drinking chardonnay in a bikini. Not even joking my neighbours think I'm insane but it's broaching 85 degrees there is no way anyone can make me wear pants on my own property. ***I have thick cold weather proof Dublin skin*** How the hell this can ever be considered January...it alludes me........

So I've been in wine school for 2 weeks now, and my first exam is on Tuesday. Even though I've only had eight class days...I already feel like I've been here for months!!!! **crazy eyes*

Definitely the most fun part of wine school is the blind tasting. There's something super exciting, and almost liberating, about a "mystery" glass of grape juice. The idea that, if you're not overly concerned with enjoying the wine, you can address it from a neutral stand and often notice things that might have been fleeting before. I actually find I taste better blind than if I know what it is, because, to my detriment, I tend to search for things that should be present rather than what is actually shouting at me from the bowl of my glass.

We did a blind for two to study for the test this weekend, and it really displayed exactly that. I got together with "The Nose" (her nickname for sheer skill of what that thing can pick up!) and tasted four wines blind, did a comparison of two wines from two different areas, and then just drank a few....all in the spirit of research (of course!). Whether it was luck or we're getting better, we got all of the blinds right.....but I'm pretty sure she may have been rubbing her genius off on me. They ended up being a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (medium/medium plus acid, bone dry, good tropical notes, grassy undertones), a Napa Valley Chardonnay (butter, medium acid, mild use of oak, fruit reminiscent of apple and pineapple), Barossa Shiraz (big blackberry, blueberry jamminess, mild pepper, subtle bay leaf), and a Right Bank Bordeaux (bright red fruits, new leather, chocolate flavors, medium plus tannin). They were all yummy, but the shiraz I probably won't end up drinking just because it is a little too much like blueberry syrup.

We finished off by tasting a Hungarian and Austrian Gruner Veltliner back to back, followed by a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Conn Creek, finishing on what we actually wanted to dig into, which was a Slovakian Riesling. This Riesling was interesting because it was made by a famous German wine maker whose wife is Slovakian. He decided to make dry Slovakian Rieslings in the German style-and man is it delicioussss! This would be the equivalent of a Kabinett level sweetness (dryyyy) and would have paired excellently with some smoked salmon. If you haven't tried smoked salmon with dry reisling yet, get on it.

I've sat out on my porch for the last few nights now....I can deal with the whole shorts and a t-shirt in the middle of January!

Until next time, stay warm!