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How to Understand the Wine World

Image June 25, 2014October 7, 2017itswinebyme

What a useful chart! 

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About itswinebyme.com

Musings, tastings and wine news from Alicia Cypress. Simply put, wine makes me happy, so I’m experimenting.

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I recently popped open a bottle of really nice sparkling wine at a brunch and in a blink of an eye, a friend was ready to mix it with some fresh orange juice for mimosas. Knowing the quality of the wine I just poured, my heart stopped a little. I put my nose in the glass and immediately the scent of orange peel hit my nostril. “Are you sure you want to add orange juice? There’s already some really nice orange peel in here!” A second friend overheard the conversation and asked if the wine was actually made with oranges. Of course it wasn’t — but how else is the flavor wafting through? Aromas in wine can be some of the most mysterious parts of experiencing a glass of wine — especially for those who don’t already study, or drink it regularly. So when the folks at @stikkybooks and @BookPublicityServices asked if they could send me their newest book “Stikky Wines,” I couldn’t resist seeing what it was all about. This small easy-to-read instructional book is a great little wine 101 lesson written through the lens of identifying wine aromas. With a specific structure that helps you remember what you actually read, bright photographs and a few fun cartoons, it’s an easy read for anyone looking to get up to speed on wine aromas. Knowing the kinds of fruit, flowers and spices you should expect (and even a few you shouldn’t!) can make a big difference in identifying flavors and ultimately enjoying your experience with wine. Adding this to my library for the next time I’m asked, “How did you know that?!”🥂#winebooks #bookreviews #winearomas #winestagram To me finding new wine shops is like stumbling on a new indy bookstore. Perusing bottles brings the same joy as checking out the latest book selection. So when @gentlemenofthevine told me I had to visit @outerspacewine in Napa, I knew I couldn’t leave town without a pit stop to meet Thad and Emily! Outer Space specializes in small production bottles, has a lovely tasting bar and such a welcoming atmosphere! I went home with (or rather shipped home) some new-to-me bottles like Beitler and @kizorfamilycellars and an old favorite like @gracewine (scroll for bottle pic). What an incredible couple of days of visiting Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Forestville and tasting through barrels and bottles of some of California’s best winemakers for low-intervention and elegant wines! A perfect palette reset! Thank you @enfieldwineco, @dirtysouthwine (@winecoyeah) for your time, so many delicious sips and friendship! Thank you @ryme_cellars and @ruthlewski for the last-moment drop-ins! (How fun to discover @evanlewski pouring right next to Ryme!) 🍷 #wine #drinkcalifornia #winegeeks #winewinewine #sonomawine A post-symposium visit to @corisonwinery to see the beauty of these 55–year-old Kronos vines, taste the elegance of these wines among towering barrels, and an opportunity to talk with @cathycorison and meet @gracecorisonmartin were moments I will never forget from this trip! A big thank you to Mario, too, for guiding us through! Spoiled by some beautiful bottles during the @winewriterssymposium! Thank you to @napavintners @louismmartiniwinery @continuumestate for sharing these special bottles with us! 🍷 So much fun spending 3 days in Virginia wine country last month helping judge @vawineriesassoc @vawine Governor’s Cup competition. @drinkwhatyoulike runs a tight ship and knows how to bring together an amazing group of judges and volunteers! I’m always amazed at the amount of effort to ensure we can get through hundreds of wines fairly and without us going too insane! Special thanks to @breauxvineyards for hosting again on your beautiful property! Can’t wait for the March gala in Richmond to see which wines ended up on top! I’ll try to share what stood out to me once the winners are announced. I snuck a few photos of @enfieldwineco with some of his delicious bottles during this week’s lovely wine dinner at @neutralgroundbarandkitchen with @cbcwine and @lizvanwazer from @williamscornerwine (@bymags, I missed you! 😢). Some delicious bottles to celebrate @jdabrowski5 at his annual swine and wine fête! 🐖 🍷 This only scratched the surface of the offerings, but posting the bottles that made me smile most! 🥂 Now that the results have been announced, I’m posting this week-old lategram. Had such a fun time judging the @marylandwine Governor’s Cup for the second year in a row! In just a single year, could taste marked improvement among many of the wines I tasted (we tasted blind so while I have an inkling of what some of my favorites were now that I’ve seen results, I can’t say for sure — but my favorite flights included sparkling rosés, syrahs and the ciders — note, the “red wine” in the first photo is actually a beautifully dry cider!). Excited to see how this industry continues to grow! 🥂
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