Yesterday’s California Wine Fair at the Centre Sheraton in Montreal was big. There were over 350 products to sample and well over 100 labels showcasing their wares. Professionals were given three and a half hours to taste their way through this incredibly vast selection, and while I’m sure no one actually succeeds in tasting everything, I’d bet money that lots of people tasted way more than I did.
I’ve always been slow as a taster. During my first MW practice tastings at my wine prof’s house on Sunday mornings, I was consistently the last one to finish up my notes before comparing. I am constantly reminded of my (lack of) speed at any group tasting. I am still mulling over nuances and taking notes on the first wine as many have already started their go on glass number three.
The problem is that I when I come into these huge fairs I am so enthused with wanting to taste as much as I can that I don’t do a good enough job of weeding things out from the very beginning.
That’s not to say that I don’t do any cutting. I had already determined that there were some wines I didn’t need to taste again since I had sampled them with sales reps only a short time ago. Yesterday I began to only visit the tables that had varietals other than Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Syrah and Pinot Noir because I was so underwhelmed by the homogeneity of what I had tasted thus far. Probably not the best strategy, as I’m sure I missed out on some highlights, but my palate was so oaked-out and it was a good quick-and-dirty solution.
So how ’bout it people? Any suggestions for how to improve my tasting strategy at these massive events? I’m sure you retail folks have some insight to share here too, with your experience in product expos or other things of the same nature. Post your comments here or email me directly at vanessa.langevin@lgv-consulting.com and I’ll post some of the most helpful notes in a future piece.
You’ll be able to see the tasting notes from some of the more-memorable (read: less yawn-worthy) wines from yesterday’s fair on CellarTracker or as they post to Facebook over the weekend.
