Christopher WatersSupplied
Four years ago, my tasting notes would have been written in all sorts of settings and contexts, including while visiting different wine-growing regions around the globe. But the day-to-day duties of this job changed with COVID-19. Today, the majority of my tastings take place at my kitchen table.
The close confines offer a controlled environment – with few intrusions, save from barking dogs or courier deliveries – in which to smell, taste and assess. I sit down with samples that are provided by wineries, distilleries and the trade in the hope that I’ll recommend the products to readers. There is no pay to play. I am committed to The Globe and Mail Editorial Code of Conduct.
On intensive tasting days, I avoid coffee and mint toothpaste, which have an adverse, lingering effect on taste buds. My “wine o’clock” is ideally before lunch, because the palate is more sensitive early in the day. Since I’m tasting almost daily, I keep the number of samples down. Less than 12 wines or eight spirits ideally – to be fair to what’s in the glass – but sometimes more when I want to evaluate a large volume of samples based around a regional theme. The ones that stand out are revisited with dinner or on the next day to confirm my impression.
The wines are tasted at the correct temperature and in a clean glass. (I typically use a universal glass such as the ones designed by Richard Brendon or Zalto, but do use Riedel Vinum Burgundy glasses for pinot noir and gamay.)
Virtual interviews continue to be a valuable way to keep up with winemakers in different parts of Canada and around the world. We usually taste as we talk. I am not interested in hearing a sales pitch or someone else’s opinion about how the wines taste, but I welcome the opportunity to engage and receive insights about the philosophy or approach to the winemaking and how the team’s efforts in the vineyard or cellar helped shape the character of the finished product.
While I continue to prize the ability to focus as I evaluate, I seldom taste without knowing the wine’s identity as much as I once did. More than 30 years after attending my first professional wine tasting, I am confident that my perceptions have a solid base to them. Through experience, practice and tasting ability, I can make sense of the samples in front of me. Having the information about the wine, grape variety and vintage, which is how consumers drink wine, is useful to assess a wine’s quality and make a sound judgement on its ability to age, which is difficult to deduce from tasting alone.
The suggested drinking window is my perception of its potential, while the score assigned to each review is an indication of how the product tasted when it was evaluated. The 100-point system has been used by The Globe and Mail’s wine writers for decades, after it gained popularity thanks to American critic Robert Parker Jr. Like most rating guides, it has its flaws, but it is the accepted gold standard for the wine trade. As for wine lovers, I’m not sure the rating system is as meaningful as the words used to justify the score.