“We don’t need no education” (Pink Floyd)
Education, books, study, even WSET don’t instil immediate excitement or a rush to book (excuse the pun) a course. School days have done a good job of turning education into a dreary, uninspiring word. ‘Wine tasting’ on the other hand…
My first wine memory was a Malbec, Cabernet blend from Argentina, the mighty beast that is Yacochuya. Said wines effect on my now more mature palate (by 20 years!) is less memorable, but this is wine, this is what catches us. The sublime subtleties of Raveneau now whisper from their case, aged Pauillac, ethereal Tuscan delights: Popular with my palate, worrying for the wallet!
Our relationship with wine is a journey. A long windy road that seems to narrow as we progress, excluding simpler less interesting wines, seeking more serious scintillating sustenance. Some punctuate this road with stops at wine tastings and courses to expand the knowledge and enrich the journey.
Enter education: wine is not a whim, having been around since 7,000 BC, we can assume that it’ll be around for a few more years. Jancis Robinson’s recent book Wine Grapes catalogues 1,368 different grape varieties. This diversity and richness of style carried from generation to generation can’t be discovered on the aisles of your supermarket, but through discussion, tasting and enjoyment at special occasions, celebrations, dinners and even on Monday nights in front of the fire.
It has been found that the more we understand something the greater enjoyment we take from it. The recent upsurge in mindfulness has led to an expansion of yoga and a hunger for the understanding of what is behind the teaching, to ‘deepen the practice’ for individuals. You’d think with the amount of wine we consume, wine courses would be run every day of the week. A little bit of knowledge opens up a whole world of wonder in wine.
Imagine, being able to ascertain that the vanilla hints on the nose suggest some new French oak, the linear acid lifting the fruit suggests a moderate to cool climate, the textured mid palate with a savoury edge suggests some time in older barrels…. that’s just the beginning!
At Tindal Wine Merchants we recognise the importance of education, we DO ‘need’ education. Our staff are WSET trained, in fact we offer the courses. Our customers hold regular wine tastings for which we supply a visiting winemaker or one of our team. Not only does education improve your enjoyment of wine, it has been shown in trials by the WSET to increase sales and improve cross list variety within these sales.
We are running a number of WSET courses this Autumn. Check out the dates here. Any wine dinners we will be running are also listed in our events page. We offer corporate tasting events tailored to your needs. Add more avenues to your wine journey, explore the narrow lanes, learn more about what’s in your glass and bring it to life!
Google+
Leave a Reply