Drink This Now: Lesson 1

After completing both the wine and cheese blog and the wine and dinner blog, I wanted to have a better understanding of exactly how food alters the taste perception of wine.  Enter in John Boyer's textbook, Drink this Now! Step By Step Lessons for the Aspiring Wine Connoisseur.  Lesson one of the book highlights the mysterious relationship between wine and food and demystifies it.  Here's my attempt at following Lesson 1, and my overall takeaways:

What to grab: The book gave a few red wine recommendations for this activity, at different price points. I had a difficult time finding the recommended wines, so I headed over to Wine Lab to ask for a recommendation directly from John Boyer himself.  He recommended a bottle of Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano for this activity.

Name: Poliziano Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Variety: Red Blend, Sangiovese

Country of Origin: Italy

Region of Origin: Tuscany

Vintage Year: 2017

Price: $24 for a half bottle

Review: "Lots of plums on the nose with some flowers.  Black cherries and dried flowers, too.  Full-bodied with chewy, juicy tannins and a flavorful finish.  Deep and rich, yet there's a fresh form to it.  Give it a year or two to soften.  Better after 2022." - 92 pts, James Suckling. 

What to do: 

1. After opening the bottle, I immediately did the sniff, swirl, and taste technique that I have done for all of the other wines that I have tasted throughout this course.  The wine itself had a brownish-purple tint and smelled of red currant, red berries, wood, and oak.  It was heavy bodied, very tannic, and dry with flavors of cherry, red berries, and oak.  Smooth finish and not very acidic overall.  

2. After two hours of "opening up" sans cork, the wine smelled fruitier overall.  Strong notes of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry on the nose.  It was tannic, acidic, and earthy as well.  Flavors of cherry, red currant, oak, and leather on the palate.  The flavors of the wine itself were more "mature" and cohesive, but I found the wine to be very tannic and acidic on the palate.

3.  I then tried the wine with cheese.  I purchased Murray's Parmigiano Reggiano to eat alongside the wine.  With the cheese, the wine tasted fruitier and earthier.  It was less acidic and tannic overall, as well.  It tasted of sour fruits, oak, and mushroom.  I did not like the tart taste of the wine with the cheese, although I did appreciate the reduced tannins and acidity.  

4.  After tasting the wine with cheese, I tried it with Murray's Sopressata Salami.  I really enjoyed this wine with the salami.  The wine tasted fruitier - notes of cherry, raspberry, and other red fruits - and oaky with undertones of tobacco and vanilla.  It softened the tannins and acidity of the wine, making it a very pleasant pairing.

I also tried the wine, cheese, and salami all together.  It was absolutely delicious!  Notes of cherry, raspberry, oak, and vanilla on the palate.  Medium tannins and acidity overall.

I did try the wine with La Quercia Prosciutto Piccante as well. This pairing was also delicious!  Notes of red and dark fruits on the palate, with almost no woody or earthy flavors.  Slightly acidic and medium tannins with a smooth finish.

5.  I then left the rest of the wine to sit overnight.  The next day, after 24 hours had passed, I tried the wine again.  This time, it was juicy and full of red and dark berry flavors.  Notes of oak, tobacco, and vanilla on the palate.  The wine had softened up - it was less tannic, dry, and acidic than when I first tried it.  Very pleasant on the palate after 24 hours! 

Key takeaways: Old-world wines, like this Sangiovese, pair extremely well with food, and oftentimes, are even better if they sit out for a bit.  The fat in the cheese and meat reduce the acidity and tannins in the wine, revealing hints of other flavors underneath.  The next time that I have an old-world red wine, I will definitely let it sit out for a bit and try it with cheese or meat!