I know this may sound Silly, but which nostril, or nostrils do you use when checking the nose of a wine? I have learned to listen to almost anyone in the wine industry who apparently has more wine knowledge than I. And those who I do listen to tend to be the old guard - Growers, Owners, Winemakers of our previous generation, sharing their experiences and acquired knowledge with those who will listen.
One gentlemen of note, Richard "Dick" Steltzner during an interview and wine tasting with two younger wine enthusiasts, "corrected" both about their approach to enjoying the nose of a wine. First you must see which, if any, of your nostrils is more dominant than the other. In my case, that's a no-brainer, since I suffer from a deviated septum and one nostril isn't as wide as the other. But, I too, used to put both into the glass, thinking I was getting a better wine "nose." After 35 years, I realized I too was nosing the wine incorrectly. As good stem ware will prove in a side by side comparison with sub par stemware, so does a good nostril.
I have heard through tasting rooms that this "newly discovered" approach is getting mixed results - one tasting room employee was telling me that both nostrils were providing her with different results - oak nose on the left and the fruit qualities on the right! She's lucky.
It's quite simple to do: First, use the rim of the glass to "pinch" one nostril, while the other is inside the glass - check the nose with that open nostril and remember, or even write down your experience. Then, reverse the process. Yes, it does look silly, but if we all start doing it, we'll all look silly together! Your results may not be as remarketably different as mine, due to my physical defect. Try it and send me your results to the comment section for this post. Then we can all compare
I shared this with members of a wine forum on Craigslist and the results are still coming in. I will repost with those results, and provide you with contact information, so you too can review them. Talk to me soon! And, remember, "It's OK to break the glass, just don't spill the wine!"
One gentlemen of note, Richard "Dick" Steltzner during an interview and wine tasting with two younger wine enthusiasts, "corrected" both about their approach to enjoying the nose of a wine. First you must see which, if any, of your nostrils is more dominant than the other. In my case, that's a no-brainer, since I suffer from a deviated septum and one nostril isn't as wide as the other. But, I too, used to put both into the glass, thinking I was getting a better wine "nose." After 35 years, I realized I too was nosing the wine incorrectly. As good stem ware will prove in a side by side comparison with sub par stemware, so does a good nostril.
I have heard through tasting rooms that this "newly discovered" approach is getting mixed results - one tasting room employee was telling me that both nostrils were providing her with different results - oak nose on the left and the fruit qualities on the right! She's lucky.
It's quite simple to do: First, use the rim of the glass to "pinch" one nostril, while the other is inside the glass - check the nose with that open nostril and remember, or even write down your experience. Then, reverse the process. Yes, it does look silly, but if we all start doing it, we'll all look silly together! Your results may not be as remarketably different as mine, due to my physical defect. Try it and send me your results to the comment section for this post. Then we can all compare
I shared this with members of a wine forum on Craigslist and the results are still coming in. I will repost with those results, and provide you with contact information, so you too can review them. Talk to me soon! And, remember, "It's OK to break the glass, just don't spill the wine!"
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