If Wine Makes You Feel A Variety of Emotions, You’re Doing it Right
Have you ever taken note of how different wines makes you feel? Perhaps you’ve noticed that a red wine by a toasty fire on a cold winter evening leaves you feeling cozy inside. But have you ever noticed that wine regions also evoke differing emotions?
Vino Verde
You can bring a vino verde to a summer picnic. You can also begin the first course of an elegant dinner with one.
From the Minho province of Northern Portugal, Vino Verde will start your evening with a laid back, yet lively tone. It has a raciness that makes the mouth water and the perfect minerality to pair with seafood. I find that people intimidated by wine often relax when a vino verde is being poured.
Barolo and Barbaresco
The Piedmont region of Northern Italy has historically been influenced by France’s noble court. Due to its proximity to France the region has also been more influenced by Burgundy than the rest of Italy.
Wines made from the nebbiolo grape variety in the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco provide an elegant balance of tannic structure and infinite subtlety.
Barbaresco is said to exhibit feminine characteristics while the neighboring town of Barolo creates a more masculine nebbiolo. Do not be surprised if you feel a connection to your inner intelligence when you drink them. These wines have an old soul that speak with wisdom.
Northern Rhone Syrah
Syrah from the Rhone is hedonistic. Hand harvested from some of the most steep and rugged terrain in all the wine-growing world, Northern Rhone Syrah will pleasure you with rustic pheromones.
Syrah from this region sets the standard for every other region in the world producing this grape variety.
Expect to pay a pretty penny for a bottle. But also expect an incredibly delicious and animalistic evening.
Champagne
Bubbly makes us feel jubilant. That’s why we love to toast with it during our most memorable moments. But if you look more closely you’ll find that different Champagne producers evoke different emotions.
Try a Grower Champagne that has rested on its lees for three years or more. Lees aging is the technical term for resting the Champagne on its yeast cells during secondary fermentation. This gives the Champagne a round, luscious mouth feel while adding complexity. The silky richness on the palate, along with the Champagne’s perky bubbles will likely cause your date to swoon over you. A Grower Champagne will also fill your imagination with delicious thoughts and excitement.
Hungarian Tokaji
It’s believed that the first wine made from noble rot was in Hungary when soldiers returned from war to find their vineyards ravaged by botrytis. Often called ‘noble rot’, botrytis is a mold that naturally forms in the vineyard, decreases the water content in grapes and ultimately concentrates the grape’s sugars.
Out of desperation the Hungarian soldiers vinified their rotten grapes to discover a mouth-watering and poetically balanced desert wine. With stunning flavors of honey, mandarin and caramel, the experience of a Hungarian Tokaji is like having Princess Grace at your table. You will find yourself savouring the moment.
How have different wine styles affected you? Do you experience a difference from one region to the next?
Images Courtesy of:
- Solar de Serrade Vino Verde Courtesy of Catavino
- Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvee de Reserve Courtesy of 3 Cups- Wine, Coffee, Tea
- Tokaji Aszu 3 Puttonyos Courtesy of Wikipedia
- Cascina Luisin Barbaresco Courtesy of Altissimo Ceto
- Yann Chave Hermitage Courtesy of Enclave Vinotheque
- Hide and Seek (Lead Image) Courtesy of Faithful Chant
