Wednesday, Mar. 15, 2006

Big tastings challenge the palate

By Ken Robertson

Q. How do wine judges manage to sample scores of wines during a major tasting and come away with their palates still functioning? Can they really taste much of anything at the end of several hours of evaluating wines?

A. There's a simple word behind the judges' survival - spit. And every judge develops his or her own strategies for coping with the effects of tasting wine after wine, which otherwise can take a toll. But spitting is the foundation. I doubt anyone can survive swallowing even a fraction of an ounce of 75 or 100 wines during a day.

Here's what I've observed from participating in Wine Press Northwest judgings and learned from talking with several judges from around our region and the nation.

Judges vary in their taste for what works for them as individuals. Water is always nearby - and usually sniffed and tasted for any aromas or flavors that might have an effect on the palate.

And of course there often are breads and crackers, but always bland stuff that won't compromise the taste buds. It's also common to use cheeses (again no strong aromatics or huge flavors) and bland vegetables such as mushrooms or maybe a carrot.

Some judges also like a bit of fruit, but again, not usually something that has aromas and flavors that are likely to linger.

Judges can be way beyond persnickety, a fact any tasting organizer will vouch for. I've seen a judge question at length the dishwashing procedure (no detergent, please) for the wine glasses being used. Judges regularly ask for unscented hand-washing soap, and you'll never catch a whiff of perfume or aftershave near a tasting area.

I heard of one particularly petulant fellow who complained about the too-cool temperature of the red wines put in front of him. A diplomatic tasting organizer disappeared and returned moments later with a thermometer that could take the wine's temperature without being dipped into the judge's glass. Crisis averted.

At many lengthy tastings, judges also get the break of moving from whites, which are less palate-challenging, to reds at some time during the process, although at really large tastings, they can face a long day of Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Nationally known wine judge Coke Roth of Richland, Wash., for example, recalls an interminable day at a California judging when he faced dozens of mediocre midpriced Merlots with so little difference among them that many could have come from the same vat of juice.

During a recent Wine Press judging that included 70 Cabernets on the first day and 60 more on the second, I found facing 130 heavy reds, which was a first for me, a bigger challenge than tasting 233 wines, which included both reds and whites, also over two days.

The wines entered in the magazine's fall Platinum Judging ranged from bone-dry whites to rich-as-honey ice wines, plus an array of pinks and reds as light as a delightful Sangiovese rosé to high-alcohol, tarry, tannic, fruit-bomb Cabs, Syrahs and Zinfandels.

The regular changes of pace provided a respite from the big red wines but added the hazard of sometimes switching from a couple dozen bold reds to a brace of delicate, floral, fruit-driven whites and having to capture their nuances.

Of course, no one ever believes wine tasting is real work. But it is an art when done well. And evaluating a dozen or more good wines in less than 30 minutes, noting their virtues and vices and then being ready to defend and justify your opinions is no small challenge.

Riesling update: A year ago, my column focused on the renewed popularity of Riesling, the grape that was the foundation for Washington state's wine industry. Recent U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show the trend is continuing. In 2005, Riesling ranked second among whites, with 18,800 tons made into wine in Washington and third overall when both reds and whites are counted.

In first place was Chardonnay at 26,000 tons, followed by Merlot at 20,500 tons. Riesling edged past Cabernet Sauvignon, with 17,800 tons. Nothing challenges the big four in popularity. They total 57,900 of the 110,000 tons of grapes made into wine after the 2005 harvest, the USDA reported.

The fifth-place wine grape, Syrah, rose from 5,900 tons in 2004 to 7,900 tons in 2005, but in total tonnage gain still lagged behind Riesling, which rose from 16,500 to 18,800 tons year-to-year.

One category to watch for growth is what the USDA calls "other reds." In 2004, when Sangiovese, then at 500 tons, first was broken out of this catch-all group, the total dipped from 1,500 tons to 850 tons. For 2005, Sangiovese continued to gain, rising to 600 tons, but the other reds group swelled suddenly to 1,900 tons. USDA puts Malbec, Grenache, Zinfandel, Barbera, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Mouvedre, Petite Sirah and pretty much everything else red into this group.

Those numbers should give wine lovers some interesting Bordeaux and Rhône blends to savor in a couple years, not to mention some Northwest Zins that will challenge California's monopoly on that grape.

Among the big four, Chardonnay declined by 2,400 tons, Merlot eked out a 100-ton gain, and Cab dipped by 1,100 tons. Those numbers make Riesling the star grape for 2005. And with consumer demand still blossoming, it's no wonder Chateau Ste. Michelle, the world's largest producer of Riesling wines at 500,000 cases, has doubled its production over the past five years.

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