It’s All in The Glass
“What you taste is in the Glass”
This may sound like an esoteric mantra- But it means exactly what it says. What you taste is in the glass, its as simple as that.
You taste grapes?
Then grapes it is!
You taste cotton candy?
It’s there!
As a sommelier, this has been the most difficult concept to understand and thus explain. When you begin to try and name flavors you THINK you should be tasting is when you stop the practice of actually tasting and almost inevitably end up with the wrong idea.
Take this for example, before becoming a sommelier, the bulk of my income came from working as a nanny with toddlers. With over ten years of experience in this field, I can confidently tell you they are better at tasting and smelling than most adults. The reason for this can be attributed mainly, to their unabridged honesty when asked for their opinion. What they lack in vocabulary they I study children by giving them things in nature to taste and smell. They are not limited by what the THINK they should be smelling or tasting.
In essence, everyone’s palate is unique, and has a lot to do with our upbringing and environment. We may have different ideas of what tastes like what and ultimately; it matters very little which flavors and aromas we taste and smell. What matters is what you taste and how you relate that to your world and that’s it!
Don’t ever let a pretentious wine drinker tell you what flavors you should or should not be tasting .