This sparked a desire in me to learn as much as I can about wines and how to make an elementary evaluation of them. A couple of books that are in my possession are NOBLE ROT A Bordeaux Wine Revolution by William Echikson; and The Taste of WINE The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation second edition by Emile Peynaud. Noble Rot tells the history of Bordeaux in lavish fashion. The Taste of Wine is scientific in nature and gives detailed information about the senses and how they work. The Taste of Wine gave me the information I needed to develop a fundamental rating system.
The rating system I initially used was based on a scale from 1 10 for each indicator. The indicators that were used were; SIGHT, NOSE, TASTE, ATTACK, MIDDLE, FINISH, and PRICE. However, upon further consideration Ive developed a rating system that I feel creates a more balanced playing field. First of all, Ive decided not to use Price as an indicator as to let the wine speak for itself and allow others to decide if the price is right. Sight, Nose, and Taste will remain indicators, but provide a more informative function, as opposed to a valued one. The valued indicators are Attack, Middle, and Finish. This new approach is more consistent and will provide a more balanced assessment across the board.
Sight State of clarity or cloudiness, effervescence and fluidity. The colors that I use as a description for the color of wine will be, as much as possible, based on the colors of gemstones for consistency.
Nose Aroma or bouquet
Taste - Flavors, body, astringencies, length.
A synopsis will be provided based on aspects of: Color; Bouquet or Aroma; Balance; Cleanness; Finesse; Body; Personality; Acidity; Hardness; Maturity.
Valued Indicators:
Attack Low; Moderate; Intense
Middle Soft; Average; Strong
Finish Short; Medium; Long
The values for each indicator increase from left to right.
Low, Soft, and Short have a value of 1.1 1.6
Moderate, Average, and Medium have a value of 1.7 3.2
Intense, Strong, and Long have a value of 3.3
3.3 is the lowest value that will be assigned and 9.9 (10) is the highest.
10 = Perfect
9 = Excellent
8 = Very Good
7 = Good
6 = Quite Good
5 = Average/Acceptable
4 = Inadequate
3 = Mediocre
The wines that I purchase for evaluation will not cost more than $50.00
The wines that I evaluate will have been decanted for at least 30 minutes. A sample may be taken upon the initial opening to get a feel for the wine, and to assess how well it opened up after a 30 minute decant. Evaluations may last up to 48 hours.
An overall rating will be given based on the aforementioned parameters along with my personal assessment.
Observations to consider -
Keep in mind that the Overall score is based upon the Attack, Middle, and Finish. When considering the purchase of a wine, one may only want to also consider the other categories, as one may simply want a wine for a specific occasion or meal. I, on the other hand, have a personality trait that seduces me into going full tilt boogie into hobbies. Thankfully, I only have three, two of which I'm using in this present endeavor (wine connoisseur and photography). With that in mind, the other categories including the synopsis are for detail. Purchase, if you will, the wines that are on my website, and see if you come up with the same or different conclusions.
For consistency, my wines, both red and white, are stored at 20 degrees Celsius. Upon evaluation they are decanted in crystal at room temperature (22 24 degrees Celsius) for 30 - 45 minutes. Riedel Sommelier stemware is used to taste. Upon the conclusion of the tasting, the stemware is washed using liquid soap, thoroughly rinsed to ensure that no soap remains are left in the glass, cleaned using non decorative paper towels, then hung or set upright on the base until the next tasting, at which time the stemware is rinsed again using only water, and dried using a non decorative paper towel.
There are 3 stores that I purchase wines from in Nashville, TN. They are: The Wineshoppe in Greenhills; J. Barleycorns; and The Brentwood Wine Store. The Wineshoppe in Greenhills and J. Barleycorns have very large selections of fine wines from every region, and their sales personnel are very knowledgeable, can help you choose a wine, and are willing to supply, in great detail, information and education about wines. I have considered ordering wines online, but Im sure it cant take the place of actually going to a wine store and making a purchase.