365 Wines in 2013

The goal: to taste and document 365 different wines during 2013

Happy New Year to you all and my apologies that my first post for the year is 2 weeks in. However by the time you have finished reading this you’ll understand why. I have been very very busy.

I enjoyed doing the 25 Swan Valley Wines of Christmas so much that I just had to do another challenge for 2013. This one is a lot bigger, a lot more work and it will take a lot of time but it’s also going to be a lot of fun. I have decided to try at least 365 different wines during 2013.

I was explaining this to my workmates at my day job last week and I realized it made me sound like a complete pi*%head. Therefore to back up my #365winesin2013 Facebook album I figured I really should justify why and to what this challenge will bring me and to all of you.

As I document each wine I will note down the details of the wine, as well as where I got it from and for roughly what price. I will also write a tasting note on the wine as to how it tastes and the quality of it. As I explained to my workmates, tasting wine is an ability. It is an ability anyone can learn and once you have the basic structure then you may as well go and try 365 wines in a year! Like anything, if you don’t practice it will most likely get worst. And no I am not making that up!

How I taste is due to my studying through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) based in the United Kingdom. It is called the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine and it includes the following 4 steps:

1. The APPEARANCE of the wine, how does it look in the glass:

Is it clear or dull (clarity)?

What is the intensity of the colour?

What colour is it?

2. The NOSE on the wine, what does it smell like: 

Is it in good condition or is it off?

What is the intensity of the aroma; is it weak or strong? 

Is it young, old or over the hill?

What does its aroma characteristics smell of?

3. The PALATE of the wine, what is it like in the mouth:

How sweet is it?

How acidic is it?

What is the tannin level like?

How high is the alcohol level?

How full is the body?

If it is a sparkling wine, what is the mousse like?

How strong are the flavours of the wine?

What types of flavour characteristics are in the wine?

What is the finish on the wine like?

4. Your CONCLUSIONS of the wine:

Is the wine of a good quality?

Is the quality relative to the price you paid?

Is it ready for drinking now or should you keep in it in the cellar?

I blabbed just a tad then, basically it is look, smell, taste then a spit or swallow type of exercise!! Now that you know what I am looking for when trying these 365 wines you can see that i am not out to get totally off my face every single day of the year but i am undergoing a very educational challenge.

All the wines I review will be my honest opinion (my boyfriend says I can’t lie to save myself anyway!) and just because I might like them or not like them it doesn’t mean you’ll be just the same. Everyone’s taste buds are different and that’s what makes wine drinking so fun!

Please feel free to share with me what you have in your glass and I’ll share mine with you.