Rant: After Labor Day, Expand Your Palate

Two weeks from today will be Labor Day, which many see as the end of summer although autumn won't officially arrive for a few weeks more.

Besides the change in the seasons, Labor Day is also the unofficial start of wine tasting season. From September to December, most wine stores will hold large-scale wine events, some where you can taste more than fifty wines. Even better is that most of those events will be free, or they will charge only a nominal fee. This is your opportunity to taste many dozens of wines, and you should seize the chance to do so. As I've mentioned many times before, the best way to learn about wine is to taste it, and taste even more.

The best way to learn through tasting is to expand your palate, to taste plenty of unfamiliar wines, to experience different grapes and to sample wines from new regions. You could easily attend these events and drink only wines you know but why do that? It won't teach you anything. It won't provide you a new experience. You learn something from what is new. And what you learn might also bring you much joy.

Sure, you probably won't like everything new you taste but that shouldn't be an issue. You are only sampling the wines, taking a sip or two, and it is probably for free. If you dislike a wine, if might help you understand what wines you will enjoy. And amidst all that tasting, you'll probably find a number of other wines that you do like, and may even find a new favorite. Take the risk, expand your palate and taste as many different wines as you can.

And a little more advice. When you attend these tastings, take some notes so you remember which wines you liked. Don't rely on your memory alone because after tasting a couple dizen wines, you probably won't remember your favorite wine the day after. At the very least, use your smart phone to take a photo of the label. That is the easiest way to remember the wines that impressed you.


You'll thank me later for helping you expand your palate.