One night, while attempting my own version of a blind tasting, I just couldn't seem to find the adjectives to describe my wine. I wanted to extend beyond grasping for "oaky" for a California Chardonnay, or "jammy" for a Zinfandel, but at the same time I wanted to steer clear of "supple, graceful plum and blackberry flavors". So, I decided to have some fun with wine tasting. I joined Ryan and Daniel Pernice of Osteria Mattone for a game of Apples to Apples, using the green descriptor cards to describe a slew of Italian varietals.
The deal:
- Each player was dealt seven green descriptor cards.
- For each wine, we poured a one-ounce taste.
- Each player selects one card as the description of the nose (smell) and one card as the description of the palate (taste).
- We only used the cards we were dealt to describe the wine, there was no "trade-outs." It allowed for some creativity.
Here were some favorite descriptions.
Ryan
Smell: Lazy- And I'm talking about good lazy, like a lazy river. This is my favorite on the list. It isn't super high acid.
Alexa
Smell: Calm- I don't get any fruit on the nose at all. It has a subtle minerality.
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Dan
Taste: Distinguished- This stands apart from other white wines. There are hints of exotic fruits like lychee and star fruit.
Ryan
Smell: Charismatic- This is full-bodied and voluptuous and I love everything about this wine. And it was the first wine we put on our "By the Glass" list.
Ryan
Taste: Awesome- I'm bias because I love this wine. It has big, bold, in your face flavors. It's fun to introduce the wine to people, when they want a California Cab, this is what I give them.
Alexa
Smell: Inspirational- I immediately get notes of ripe cherries and baked fruit flavors. It makes me want to drink more.
Dan
Taste : Hostile- The flavors are actively attacking my palate. They aren't subtle.
Ryan
Smell: Mischievous- It smells like there is something going on in here. You don't know what though, and that is because of the ripasso method, where the wine is repassed through the barrel.
Alexa
Smell: Lovable- I smell what I would expect, baked fruits. There is nothing overwhelming here, but it is easy and drinkable.
Ryan
Smell: Emotional- if you ask anyone in the world to name an Italian type of wine, they'll say Chianti. This how a Chianti should taste.
The game was wildly successful. As the night went on, we had more of the servers and bartenders join in. Next time, we’re trying this game with “Cards Against Humanity.”
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