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Confession Time: If I Tell You a Wine Tastes of Strawberries, I’m Probably Lying
I am a Sommelier who struggles to identify wine aromas. If you do too, I PROMISE it’s no barrier to wine
Well, lying is a strong word, but what comes out of my mouth is not what is happening in my brain. I might say strawberries because I know that’s what I am supposed to say when tasting, let’s say, a Beaujolais.
What my brain is really doing is conjuring up images. Sometimes colours (Beaujolais to me is orange). That is how I identify wines.
But I know I am “supposed” to say things like red berries or flowers or earth, so that’s what comes out of my mouth. What I really want to say is “it smells / tastes like Beaujolais.” Because to me, that’s what I smell and taste and what my brain conjured up.
Here’s the thing — not everyone learns the same. Yet the wine industry is very good at telling people they need to, above almost all else, get really good at identifying wine aromas.
If you struggle with this, I’m here to tell you that that’s OK. It’s never stopped me.
The longer I am on this earth, the more I realise how many people learn and think in completely different ways. If you happen to think the same way as…
