http://www.spinthebottleny.com/spin-the-basics/wine-art-and-the-importance-of-focus Wine classes and blog featuring tips, reviews, and outspoken advice to help you understand your own palate and find wines you love. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:01:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.spinthebottleny.com/spin-the-basics/wine-art-and-the-importance-of-focus/comment-page-1#comment-177 roots Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:48:13 +0000 http://www.spinthebottleny.com/?p=997#comment-177 loved this post. i'm a big fan of cross disciplines. loved this post. i’m a big fan of cross disciplines.

]]> http://www.spinthebottleny.com/spin-the-basics/wine-art-and-the-importance-of-focus/comment-page-1#comment-171 sasha Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:17:38 +0000 http://www.spinthebottleny.com/?p=997#comment-171 Ha! Am totally familiar with this wine -- and the cherry cough syrup sensation! That's a great suggestion, to come to a wine a second time pretending you know nothing about it. Very smart. Ha! Am totally familiar with this wine — and the cherry cough syrup sensation! That’s a great suggestion, to come to a wine a second time pretending you know nothing about it. Very smart.

]]> http://www.spinthebottleny.com/spin-the-basics/wine-art-and-the-importance-of-focus/comment-page-1#comment-170 Kimberly Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:57:44 +0000 http://www.spinthebottleny.com/?p=997#comment-170 Oh my goodness, I was laughing as I was reading this -- that "I'm supposed to love this" feeling has made me doubt my own palate on more than one occasion. I remember a couple of years ago when I was going through my Australian Shiraz phase, and had been reading tons of good press about the Molly Dooker "The Boxer" Shiraz. 90 + rating, not too expensive. So I took myself to my local wine retailer and bought myself a bottle. Got it home, opened it, drank some. Thought, "Mmmm, this is good. But what's that slightly familiar, but as yet unidentifiable, flavor?" I kept drinking and thinking, and thinking that I really liked this wine. But then after a few days, I started thinking that I really didn't like the wine THAT all-fired much, and that instead I'd just been mesmerized by its good press, and therefore was weirdly predisposed to loving it. Then I tasted it again, and pretended (I know, it's goofy)that I had not read one word of good press about it. And you know what, I didn't love it! In fact, the flavor I couldn't initially identify came to me in a flash -- it tasted like cough syrup! Yes, indeedy. But I kept thinking, "I'm supposed to love this. All the 'important' wine cognescenti say so." Now my motto is, "trust your palate, and drink what you like." : ) Oh my goodness, I was laughing as I was reading this — that “I’m supposed to love this” feeling has made me doubt my own palate on more than one occasion. I remember a couple of years ago when I was going through my Australian Shiraz phase, and had been reading tons of good press about the Molly Dooker “The Boxer” Shiraz. 90 + rating, not too expensive. So I took myself to my local wine retailer and bought myself a bottle. Got it home, opened it, drank some. Thought, “Mmmm, this is good. But what’s that slightly familiar, but as yet unidentifiable, flavor?” I kept drinking and thinking, and thinking that I really liked this wine. But then after a few days, I started thinking that I really didn’t like the wine THAT all-fired much, and that instead I’d just been mesmerized by its good press, and therefore was weirdly predisposed to loving it. Then I tasted it again, and pretended (I know, it’s goofy)that I had not read one word of good press about it. And you know what, I didn’t love it! In fact, the flavor I couldn’t initially identify came to me in a flash — it tasted like cough syrup! Yes, indeedy. But I kept thinking, “I’m supposed to love this. All the ‘important’ wine cognescenti say so.” Now my motto is, “trust your palate, and drink what you like.” : )

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