Now, I’m no connoisseur of fine wines and champagne. I certainly can’t tell a brut from a sec or a demi-sec even. And if I were to sip with eyes closed I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a white wine and a red one. Ok, maybe if a gun were held to my head (or a corkscrew), I’d hazard a guess, but no more. Yes, I know enough to tell if I like it or not, but that’s the first lesson in ‘Art Appreciation for Dummies’ so it’s no big deal.
A wine could be described as ‘buttery’ ‘creamy’, ‘silky’ or ‘velvety ‘and I’d still think of chocolate cake instead. And ‘crisp’ is potato chip not a white wine. Simply reading about wines and their descriptions makes my mouth water but I must admit that I’d be just as happy with a glassful of grape juice. (Ok, maybe not that!)
In my defence, I’ve not really tasted a whole lot of wines or been educated about them, although I’m ready and willing to do both- taste and learn!
Recently, I was fortunate enough to sample authentic French wine and champagne and though I wasn’t too thrilled by the red wine (may the gods of the vineyards not strike me down for saying this), the champagne was indeed a heady, bubbly, fizzy, sparkling delight. Hah, I do know how to use some words appropriately!
But what really pleased me about this experience was the absolutely gorgeous, rich, ruby-red colour of the wine. Talk about being ‘deep’ and ‘full-bodied’; and I don’t mean the taste! Tingling taste buds aside, the sight of the wine in a delicate, long stemmed glass, set against a festive backdrop was a visual treat. I could have sat and admired it without needing to take even a sip from it. Burgundy is not a hair colour, people!
As for the champagne, just looking at those tiny bubbles rising gracefully to a surface of liquid gold, in a never ending wavy column made me smile with delight. With due apologies to Asterix, Obelix and Getafix, THIS is what a magic potion looks like. How can anything that’s so pleasing to the eyes, possibly offend the taste buds?! Subtle aromas, taste and textures come later and are probably just as important, but if it looks good, it’ll taste good. (And yes, I’ll probably flunk ‘Art Appreciation for Dummies’ too)
And I must admit you were right, girls, the champagne does look much, much better in the lovely crystal flutes you bought, than it would have in the tacky wine glasses that I picked up on discount. So there, happy now?!
Where wines are concerned- looks DO matter!
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