Yumi is a sommelier, based in New Caledonia since 2008. She has a Level 3 Diploma in Wines from WSET, which is the largest wine-training organisation in the world, and works at Le Chai de L’Hippodrome, a wine bar and restaurant in New Caledonia’s capital city, Noumea.
1. Don’t underestimate the importance of reading the label on your wine
The wine bottle label says much about what you’re about to drink, including where and when it was made (or its vintage), and the geographical indications such as AOC,—which is a French food-labelling term that refers to the style, ingredients and origin of a product. AOC stands for appellation d’origin controllee (‘protected designation of origin’) and many of Europe’s oldest food products are protected by similar terms.
Where it’s made will tell you the wine’s type and style. Its vintage will tell you its age and condition—for example younger wines tend to be fruitier and fresher, the older wines more complex. AOC will tell you what grape varieties are used, which often dictate the wine’s flavour—for example, a wine made using a pinot noir grape is usually lighter, whereas a wine made using a cabernet sauvignon grape is bolder. The way the wine label is written depends on the country of origin, but with these three things you’re on your way to knowing more about what you’re going to drink before it’s even open.
2. You don’t have to stick to ‘traditional’ wine pairings!
News flash: just because you’re eating fish, doesn’t mean you have to drink white wine! You can be clever with your pairings, here are three to try:
If you’re unsure which wine to pair, go for sparkling. The carbon dioxide refreshes the palate, making this variety a perfect match for any type of meal.
If you want to drink red wine with fish, try a light-to-medium-bodied red. There’s less tannin—the naturally occurring part of wine that adds bitterness and astringency.
Pairings can bring out different flavours in food. Try matching an acidic wine with an acidic food to create a fruity taste. A beef carpaccio in a balsamic sauce will pair wonderfully with a sweet white wine, like a noble rot, as it usually has high acidity. Noble rot is a natural process of shrinking and drying the grapes by fungus, resulting in a more concentrated wine.
3. Always smell and taste a little bit of the wine before serving
You’ve seen sommeliers do this in restaurants or wine bars, however smelling and tasting a wine before serving should not only be reserved for these special moments. Smelling and tasting before serving allows for three important things:
If drinking a wine with a cork closure, you can check for something called cork taint. Cork taint is caused by a chemical that is present in some corks that can give wine a mouldy and cardboard-like aroma.
You can check for unwanted oxidation. Oxidation happens when a wine is exposed to air for too long and essentially turns the wine stale and, in extreme cases, to vinegar. You’ll know if a wine is oxidised as the colour, aromas and flavours of the wine will be changed.
You can check if it’s the ideal temperature for serving, or if it needs to be decanted. Ensuring your wine is at the ideal temperature and decanting often help ‘open’ the wine and bring out more of the aromas and flavours.
Words—Yumi Furukawa
