Exploring the Wine Industry- #273

In Blog 272, I delved into strategies for Stress Relief in daily life. Now, let’s embark on a journey through the wine industry.

Reflecting on my 18 years, 10 months, and 18 days in my last job, I experienced both the best and worst moments. Amidst 48 job rejections, I pondered if it was ageism or simply the need for a change. Onje thing is for sure, I have a lot of knowledge to share in those experiences so how can I do this and enjoy myself in the process. After some reflection It really became a choice between staying on the same path or opt for something different.

Change of Course

Opting for a new path, I enrolled in the Certified Sommelier course at the National Wine School. Unsure about working in a restaurant, my goal was to acquire extensive knowledge for potential opportunities beyond the culinary domain, such as wine buying or reviews.

The path to becoming a Sommelier  involves Introductory, Certified, Advanced, and Master levels. I chose Certified, a 7-week course with three levels. The initial stage covered regions and grape varieties, followed by a deeper dive into wine tasting, including blind tasting. The third level explored major vinicultural regions, terroir, and winemaking styles.

Despite the absence of tastings, the theoretical aspects covered seven topics, from Major Varietals to Food and Wine Pairings. A quiz followed each topic, allowing me to repeat them until I achieved 100%, reinforcing my understanding through video revisits.

Fascinated by each topic, I gained a profound appreciation for the wine industry. Achieving Level 1 certification, missing only one question, propelled me into Level 2 with enthusiasm.

Level two more intense

Preparing for Level 2 involves acquiring approximately 22 bottles of various wines, covering a spectrum of different varietals. To enhance this experience, it’s recommended to use a Coravin, a nifty device facilitating the pouring of wine without the need to uncork the bottle – all thanks to a hollow needle that grants access to the wine while preserving its integrity.

In this upcoming level, the focus shifts to the intricate world of Red and White Varietal Components and delving into the art of Blind Tasting. As I progress through the program, my goal is to develop the expertise to unravel the layers of wine flavor, dissecting it into fundamental components. These include identifying primary fruit notes, recognizing winemaking techniques such as barrel aging, understanding distinctions between wine styles, and detecting varietal fingerprints.

By the program’s conclusion, I envision not just a heightened appreciation for the diverse nuances of wine but also the ability to articulate and distinguish its core elements, elevating my understanding and enjoyment of this rich and complex beverage.

Food Pairings

The other side of this is food pairings. Embarking on the journey of becoming a sommelier is a fascinating exploration of the intricate dance between food and wine. It begins with the thorough understanding of flavor profiles. Discerning the primary tastes- sweet, salty, sour and bitter which sets the stage for crafting the pairings. You learn to identify these elements in both food and wine, laying the groundwork for a successful marriage of flavors. I would never have thought before  that pairing a red wine like pinot noir is amazing with salmon. 

Vino-Rater is born

I thought it might be fun and also assist me in the course in exploring a wine blog. By doing this I can get more comfortable with explaining the tasting notes  and such to others. Little different than explaining the difference between a pump and a mule.

I decided to transition Soleman Studios to Vino – Rater. I have the URL, I just need to give the site a face lift so working on that now. I started an Instagram profile @vino.rater, A Tik Tok @vino.rater, You Tube @Vino-Rater, Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/Vino.Rater, A new Thread page https://www.threads.net/@vino.rater and will update my medium page too. more to come on that. The goal with these sites is to spread the knowledge I’m learning to other people. I have wine reviews and quizzes to accomplish that. I use videos I make and also canva posts as well.

The journey continues…