That was tough. Cruel even. Not the theory, or even the blind tasting. Those were fine. Interesting. No, I mean, being expected to taste and spit eight sweet wines, ranging from ‘very good’ to ‘outstanding’. There was a Recioto della Valpolicella Classico. A Canadian ice wine. A Tokaji. A 1992 German Beerenauslese. You get the idea, but the list goes on.I just wish I had thought through the cultural vandalism that was to be an...
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Yesterday I started the WSET Diploma. I may or may not do a running commentary on it as it progresses over the next two years. That depends on other obligations and time commitments. Nonetheless, I thought a few thoughts on it seemed in order.The first day was scary, enlightening, humbling, scary, and occasionally encouraging. I alternated between ‘What did I get myself into?’ and ‘Yeah, I can do this.’The first part of the day was a...
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Analytically, one of the things that intrigues me most from our recent stint of fieldwork is the role of taste. I was interested to see the various roles taste plays in the harvest and selection. This was a fortuitous find, as the project is, after all, about taste. During our too-few days in Austria, taste kept cropping up in unexpected ways. Specifically, it often was used as an indicator of quality, both in picking and in selecting...
Read MoreAnthroenology is currently carrying out some field research in Austria.To see what we are up to: Follow us on Twitter; https://twitter.com/anthroenologyLike us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthroenology
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For the inaugural decoding, I’ve chosen Judith Beck’s 2013 Blaufränkisch Alte Lagen 2013, from Austria, for a number of reasons.First, it is a favourite here at Anthroenology. (In the spirit of full disclosure, Judith Beck is someone we’ve been talking to and working with on the project, although there is no compensation involved.) Second, when I recently ordered some to use in wine tastings, it arrived with a...
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