Dawn Brookes

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Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting

Posted on 1st February 2019 inCozy Mysteries, Cruising, Rachel Prince Backstory, Rachel Prince Behind the Scenes, Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting

Rachel Prince attends a wine tasting lesson in the book ‘Deadly Cruise.‘ I thought it would be fun to put together a summary of what she may have learned!

Introduction to Wine Tasting

In terms of fine dining, no drink plays nearly as important a role as wine. Top restaurants and cruise ships have their own sommeliers to advise guests with regard to the wines suitable for accompanying their food choices.

A good wine is an experience in its own right. Accordingly, wine tasting is growing in popularity as more people have opportunities to dine out and to take cruises. Many cruise lines offer wine tasting lessons on board ship with the ship’s own sommelier and visits to wine growing vineyards as part of a land-based tour. In particular, a vineyard tour offers a unique insight into the inner workings of wine growers.

Wine tasting provides an excellent opportunity to engage intensely with wine variants. By practising wine tasting you will learn which grape varieties and dishes can be combined. This helps you choose which wines are suitable for which occasion and what specialties you can serve with what wine. You will learn to sensitise your taste buds and your nose for the different flavors!

What is Wine Tasting?

When it comes to wine, tasting wine is not synonymous with drinking. Tasting comes from engaging and stimulating the senses including those of sight, smell and taste. Wine tasting is a skill needed to analyse wine to check it is suitable for serving and that there are no imperfections.

You will use the eye to check colour and clarity, the nose to check aromas and the mouth to detect flavors and textures. Tasting also involves the pleasure of recognising aromas, identifying flavours, assessing the style of the wine, and sometimes its vintage or origin.

As a result, tasting then becomes a journey in your memory, in time and in history.

Visual Examination

The glass is filled to one-third, and then the process of examining the dress of the wine. A sommelier might explain that visual examination provides information on the age of the wine, its concentration and its power.

In most cases, reds become lighter over time, with purple robes turning to ruby ​​and garnet. The intensity of the dress, which goes from strong to weak, gives information on the power of the wine.

Reflections reflect the age of the bottle, purple or pink raspberry reflections are the hallmarks of a young wine, while reflections of orange suggest an older wine, already well evolved.

Finally, the brightness of the wine confirms these first indications, the wines becoming less and less brilliant with age. The information thus collected must be consistent with the label and following the tasting. Thus, lack of brilliance and ruby ​​reflections could be indicative of a wine defect.

Smell

The olfactory examination helps detect the volatile aromas present in the wine. It informs and completes the first assessment gathered by the visual examination. The smell of a wine indicates its evolution, quality and origin. Begin by holding the glass still as this enables you to detect intensity, finesse and aroma.

You will be able to detect the aroma of fruits, spices and other ingredients. Note the intensity while gently inhaling through the nose. Next you will need to shake the glass gently in order to agitate the wine. Agitation oxygenates it thereby intensifying the aromas and refines your analysis. After stirring, the wine will present a complexity of the aromas already detected.

Taste

Tasting is the final step and the most favoured. Tasting makes it possible to assess the indices already obtained from the first two steps and brings new elements in terms of texture and taste.

Specialists divide the tasting examination into three:

  • The first sensation or attack
  • followed by the mid-palate
  • and the finale.

Taste analysis:

There are four elementary tastes: sweet, salty, bitter and acid.

5 tips for getting the best out of a wine tasting experience

  1. Take your time. Great wines get better and better with age. A longer barrel maturity is therefore a special proof of their high quality in red wines. When it comes to wine tasting with a winemaker, an afternoon walk through the vineyards is a nice way to tune in to a wine tasting session in the early evening in peace.
  2. During wine tasting sessions several wines are tasted one after the other. Even if you do not drink from every tasting glass on offer, alcohol is accumulated during the course of such a test. This has an influence on the sensitivity of the sense of taste. After a certain number of wines, the tongue detects fewer differences. In this respect, it makes sense to make an appropriate pre-selection of the bottles to be tasted in advance with the winemaker. A professional wine taster will spit out the wine after tasting.
  3. Enjoy wine in community. Even if the wine tasting is primarily about increasing stocks in your own cellar, such a sample is always an experience in itself. This can also be shared and wine tasting together with good friends can increase your enjoyment of the experience.
  4. If visiting a vineyard as part of a cruise ship tour it is not always possible but where possible eat on site and stay overnight if you are not on a tour where a vehicle is provided.  Never drive after a wine tasting session. Staying overnight provides the advantage of eating in the same place during the evening. Of course it is advisable to visit a restaurant that also offers the previously tasted wines. In this way, their suitability as a companion to a good meal can be checked immediately putting your learning into practice.
  5. Many wine lovers find their favourite wine grower. They often order the same wine over the years. Such loyalty is of course honourable, however, it can shut out the experience to be gained from many other fascinating facets of the world of big and small wines.

Therefore, one should always maintain a certain enthusiasm and plunge again and again in to the varied tasting adventures provided by wine tasting with a new winemaker.

Rachel enjoyed her brief wine tasting lesson on board the fictional Coral Queen, and I hope you enjoyed taking this ‘behind the scenes’ look into what that might have involved. If you haven’t yet read ‘Deadly Cruise‘, you can purchase it by clicking on the links below:

Buy Now UK

Buy Now USA

Images except for the book cover courtesy of CCL from Pixabay with thanks.

Tears of Fire Book Review

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Tears of Fire by Gordon Bickerstaff

This is another gritty and gripping political thriller from Gordon Bickerstaff.

This is the second book I have read in the series but works as a standalone if you haven’t read any of the others. Zoe is a ex SAS soldier and ferocious opponent with a softer side and her character makes the book compelling. In this book Zoe is being hunted by the very people she has saved from terror and they will do anything to capture and kill her.

The story features evil twin sisters who have a love for torture and will mete out suffering in any way they can. It is a well-woven plot that starts with a bang and then continues full throttle right through to the end. If you are a fan of thrillers and don’t mind some graphic violence then this book is a great read. Another page turner by a talented author.

The Mitford Murders Review

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The Mitford Murders

by Jessica FellowesCozy blog by Dawn Brookes

Having picked this one up at the Derby Book Festival where the author was speaking, I have to say that I loved it, particularly as I like historical fiction and a good cosy murder mystery. There is plenty of content to keep you interested as the story progresses introducing different characters along the way.

The setting in the early 1920s, I felt was well researched and the effects that the Great war had on ex soldiers and nurses who were subjected to at that time was true to life. I liked the mix of fact and fiction and how the author brought in the true horrific murder of a war nurse, Florence Nightingale Shore, a murder that took place on a train and one that was never solved.

I confess, I knew nothing about the Mitford family, except the link to Chatsworth House of one of them, but am intrigued now to know more about them and the controversy surrounding the family. The story of this book centres mainly around the oldest Mitford sister, Nancy. I also enjoyed the insight into the upstairs, downstairs life of the family which is interesting and continues in the vein of Downton Abbey from that perspective.

The main protagonist, Louisa was plausible and her background believable as that of a young woman brought up in poverty during the era. Her love interest, Guy is also a likeable character whose tenacity to solve the murder of the nurse is admirable. I liked the plot and the introduction of red herrings at various points throughout the book that kept one guessing. It wasn’t until nearer the end that I guessed whodunnit! I liked the writing style and the humour that was interspersed at various intervals.

I would highly recommend it if you like a good, clean murder and if you are a fan of historical fiction. I look forward to reading the next book. I actually bought my copy at the Derby Book Festival where the author was speaking and I recommend the print copy as the gold embossing makes it a real treat of a hard copy. I will also be buying the book about Florence Nightingale Shore, the murder subject of this book written by Rosemary Cook to discover more about this nurse and her tragic end.

Portrait of Stella Book Review

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Portrait of Stella, Susan Wuthrich

Dawn Brookes Author

Book Review 17th June 2018, Dawn Brookes

A Great Start

I loved this story from the beginning when Gemima finds out that her birth certificate is a forgery. The story spans two different times which took a bit of getting used to for me. The first timeline is that of Gemima searching for the truth of her birth and the second one goes back in time and follows the events of her mother, Stella.

Apartheid History

At times the story is sad and tragic and the history of apartheid is covered well and I learned a lot more about the era. I followed the protests about Nelson Mendela’s imprisonment over many years but the experiences that people like Stella and even Gemima had were insufferable.

Could have been a saga trilogy

Initially I found the moving from one time to another tricky but I think the author introduced it in a creative way and made it a good read. I think the book could have been told in two or three parts as a family saga but it was an intriguing and enjoyable read.

It could have done with a further proofread as there are a number of typos which, although they don’t take away from the story, they can be irritating from a reader’s perspective.

I still think this is a great story though and loved it. It has a bit of everything included from World War II to the year 2000 and spans three generations and three continents which is why I think it could have been three books.

Review The Art of Healing

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The Art of Healing

Jeanne Felfe

May 18th 2018 Review by Dawn Brookes

A beautifully written romantic novel set in the USA, that has healing of past hurts at the centre. Julianne and Jokob are brought together by chance it would seem but they both have scars from previous relationships that are hard to bear.

Not a romp novel

Devoid of graphic sex scenes this novel will not disappoint and provides a refreshing change. There is enough background about the characters to enable the reader to engage with them in a meaningful way. While their attraction to each other grows they are both frightened of giving away their hearts lightly, neither wanting to repeat the experience of pain already suffered.

Engaging Characters

Julianne is a children’s nurse and comes from a close knit Italian family. Her best friend is married with children and wants nothing more than for Julianne to find the right man to love.

Jokob is a photographer who travels around in an RV, not staying anywhere for very long. He has scars that will not be easily healed.

Will they be able to move on?

The story is told mainly from the POV of Julianne but some from Jokob’s POV. Any romantic involvement means that these two will need to let go or come to terms with the past in order to look to the future. I like the way the story is told and I really like the ending but I am not going to give that away!

Book Review First Dry Rattle

First Dry Rattle, Celia Boyd

Review 16th May 2018 by Dawn Brookes

An engaging and fearful look into the dark history encountered during the English Civil War. This book provides an insight into the chaos and mayhem that occurs when civil war breaks out.

Tom Fletcher

This first book in the series is set during the early days of the English Civil War. The very engaging lead character, Tom Fletcher is just a teenager. Tom is the son of a butcher and is expected to follow in his father’s footsteps, something he doesn’t want to do. The book begins with a bang that captures attention immediately through Tom’s attempted suicide and it gathers pace quickly.

Tom begins working as a doctor with his cousin before setting off on an errand where he meets with the young Phoebe who has suffered much. After rescuing her from bullies and asking her to join with him on his journey, it is not long before he tires and doesn’t show her the respect she deserves. She is long-suffering and patient with him and he may grow to appreciate her for who she is over time.  The journey home results in a fateful meeting with an evil, psychopathic, parliament soldier, who becomes determined to see Tom’s ruin.  The soldier causes the young Fletcher much heartbreak and pain.

Dark Days

As the civil war spreads through England, Tom meets with soldiers from both sides and determines to stay neutral. He tries hard to avoid the war altogether but finds it impossible.

After an altercation with another parliament soldier Tom has to leave home to escape the gallows. During his travels, the young doctor meets with many people who become a part of this well-woven story. Tom saves the lives of many, including a captain, left for dead, and encounters much death and suffering with some, close to home.

As the evil soldier closes in on him, Tom finds that his life is in danger as murder and mayhem is wreaked by the man.

 

Series of Books

I loved the author’s writing style, language and grammar throughout the book and found all of the characters to be believable.

This is the first in a series of novels about the young Tom Fletcher and I will most certainly be reading the rest. I am intrigued as to what will happen to him next!