Say What?

What’s your greatest piece of advice in regard to evaluating or enjoying wine?

“Be sure to take notes while you taste, taste, taste, taste!”
Travis Motter, The Portland Bottle Shop

“Trust your gut and first instinct to answer the most important question of all: Do I like this wine? The wine world can be complex and often wine is overanalyzed, often too much so. Wine should bring pleasure, so if you’re not enjoying it, don’t fight it, no matter who says it’s ‘great’. There’s plenty of great wine out there that will fit what you are looking for.”
Andrew Turner, Valley Wine Merchants

“Turn hate to great. Whenever you find a wine you hate, celebrate! Go to your fridge. Find the nearest food with no sugar in it whatsoever. Pop the food in your mouth, then try the wine as a response to that food. Do this with three foods with no sugar added, and there’s a huge chance you’ve just turned hate to great.”
Jeff Weissler, Pairings Portland

“The most important thing is to pay attention to what the wine has to say. You can’t evaluate if your attention is elsewhere. Long smells! Hold the wine in your mouth and feel it. If it’s a good wine, if you listen, it will respond!”
Sandy Thompson, Mt. Tabor Fine Wines