One thing I need to focus on over the next few months is emphasizing the need for decanting wine. On my YouTube channel, I open the wines just before I review them. The reason for this is simple. Stats show that most people open a bottle of wine and consume it within an hour. I know that is not true of everyone, but for the majority it is. My job is to review the wine most people are going to experience when they open it. However, I can tell when a wine will improve with a little more oxygen contact and my grade is based on my experience with wines that will open up with time. I do think it’s important for me to put more emphasis on the importance of letting a wine open a bit to enjoy its full potential. Some wines need no decanting. Pop and pour. There are more that do need some decanting than not.
Recently I have been opening a few bottles at a time to see how they will evolve over two to three days. In some cases, the results have been amazing. Some have gone south of course and I’ve had to pour them out. This is a luxury I have simply because I’m in the wine business and a wine writer, so samples come my way often. The research I do is for the benefit of my customers. I can lead them to a wine and give them some advice on decanting or not decanting.
I know what you are thinking…”Poor guy has to drink all that wine in the name of research!” I won’t tell you I hate my job, that’s for sure. It is work though and sometimes I look at a bottle of wine and say to myself “Do I have to take tasting notes on this?” When I skip taking notes, I miss the opportunity to describe that wine on my signs at the store for the benefit of my customers. Plus, if I don’t take notes the first time, I end up buying a bottle of the same wine so I can take said notes. I’m quite serious about what I do and I think that is what helps me be successful in my career. I had a nice comment on an article I wrote recently discussing my tasting notes and it was nice to hear that they really appreciated what I write about a wine on the stacks I have at the store. Thanks, Sharon, it’s always nice to get encouragement.
On a completely different note, Governor Inslee recently mandated that social gathering is prohibited. He admitted that this will be difficult to enforce. Please do not call the cops if your neighbor has a couple of extra cars at their house. The last thing we need is folks snitching on their neighbors. Plus, does local law enforcement have time for such foolishness? We have a responsibility for our own health. Take care of yourself and stay out of other peoples business. And don’t say to me that Thanksgiving and Christmas have been cancelled. If I hear that one more time I’ll scream!
I’m very curious about all this fearmongering. Inslee is claiming that our medical facilities will be stressed to the max because of the new outbreak, yet he has not turned Quest Field into a hospital like he did in the past. If you remember, last time it was not utilized at all. So, I encourage all to remain calm, take necessary precautions for your own health and don’t waste time worrying about what everyone else is doing. Most of all, enjoy a glass of wine in the evening and stay positive. One day, we will be talking about all this in past tense. I am really looking forward to that day.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
