Midterm Exam

Midterms are coming and that can mean only one thing. Multiple trips by my wife to the LCBO to pick up
different kinds of wine so that I can do a "fake" mid term blind tasting. It's probably better that she goes alone because watching me pick wines out is a slow and painful process. Much like watching a senior
citizen back her Crown Victoria out a mall parking spot. Also, with her holding the list of 7 white wines and 8
red wines for the blind tasting, it will make it more difficult for me to figure out which wine is in the glass.

 "Studying" as I like to call it involves pouring 3 wines into unmarked taster glasses. I have 30 minutes to
observe, smell and taste the 3 wines. Evaluate them based on colour, aroma, taste, body/mouthfeel, tannins/
acidity and finish. At the end, I give my review of the wines and attempt to identify the varietal for each. Now, you have to realize that there's nothing more deflating to a future sommelier's ego than to ramble on for 5 minutes about colour, floral notes, green apples, minerality, acidity and about a dozen other descriptors finally wrapping up the entire review with a monumental Sherlock Holmes mastery of deductive powers display and announcing with total confidence that the first wine is obviously a Chardonnay from the Niagara region. I sit back in my chair visualizing a Tiger Woods fist pump and waiting for my wifes nod of approval and amazement at my finely tuned olfactory skills. My ego begins slip and tumble down the steep "valley of doubt" when a smile starts to form on her face as she pulls the bottle out of the LCBO bag and announces that it's actually a Gruner Veltliner from Austria.

What ??? It can't be! How could I be so wrong?

The Tiger fist pump quickly turns into a hook drive directly into the middle of a water hazard. I repeat the same mistake on the next 2 wines for a total ego crushing 0 for 3. Ouch ! At this point, most people would be down and slightly depressed but when you're studying to be a sommelier you tend to see the glass as half full or more importantly.. there are 3 bottles of opened wine in the kitchen! Back to cramming for midterms.

 Here's todays wine review.

Fetzer Chardonnay - 2008 - Hopeland California

This light yellow medium to full body chardonnay has a nice aroma of peaches and apples. The fruit is also on the palate with some vanilla and a creamy texture finish with a moderate amount of acidity.
Price - under $14 (LCBO)
I like this wine because of it's rich creamy texture balanced with the fruit. This wine could be served with homemade turkey barley soup.
If you like this chardonnay, you may like a Pinot Blanc from the Alsace region - Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc