Week 4 WSET Sparkling, Sweet & Fortified Wines

SWines for Wednesday, April 12, 2017

We are all bringing a tapa:

• Garlic Shrimp, (Beth)
• Chickpeas and Chorizo (Jan) The recommended pairing was. Spanish Rioja, Jumilla or Priot made from Tempranillo, Monasrell or Granacha. This wine has deep red and black fruit flavors with. Hint of balsamic, curry and fennel.
• Chicken kabobs from southern Spain (Dianne)
• Olives
• Various cheeses
• Dark Chocolate and nut bark

The wine study group liked the Beaujolais and Vouvray with the tapas that were spicy. The sweeter wine didn't kill the taste. The sherry was good with the chocolate.

We will be conducting a tasting activity:

• 2 uncooked mushrooms
• A slice of lemon
• Table salt
• A light bodied red wine e.g. Beaujolais or Valpolicella (if you don't have this wine style, try with any wine you have available).

I tasted a 2016 Beaujolais Nouveau from George Dubuef.

Take one of your mushrooms and cook it for around 30 seconds in the microwave (if you do not have access to a microwave, you may roast it in the oven or under the grill instead).  Taste the raw mushroom against the cooked one.  What do you notice?

By itself, the raw mushroom tasted rather bland and earthy with some mineral taste.  The texture was rubbery
The cooked mushroom tasted sweeter and creamy and richer. Very juicy.

Have a taste of the red wine by itself.  Experiment with how the salt and lemon effect the flavor of the red wine.  e.g. try a pinch of salt before tasting the wine or a drop of the lemon juice or both.  What do you notice?

Tasting the lemon and then the wine made the lemon less acidic and the wine more fruity.
Tasting the salt and then the wine made the wine taste sweeter and my mouth less salty.

   

There was much more joy in finishing this puzzle than illustrated in the picture.

Tasting Notes - any other 2 wines from those listed in the specification