THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A WRONG ANSWER

I am reading Kevin Zraly's excellent wine education book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Despite the dense and dry title of the book it's a fast and fascinating read, all about wine from the different types to the impact it has on our senses. In fact, I've just finished the chapter dealing with the relationship between wine and our senses. In particular, taste and smell.

In my line of work I am often asked for recommendations for wine, particularly with people who are just starting to explore their interest in it and may not yet have developed a full understanding or appreciation of their palate.

I begin with a series of questions designed to help me find something the questioner will like. A lot of these questions have to do with the senses of smell and taste.

"Are you drinking this by itself or with food?"

"What kind of food are you serving it with," or "What kind of food do you like?"

"Have you had any previous wines you liked?" "What kind?"

Questions as simple as "Do you prefer red or white wines?" before moving on to more specific questions: "Do you prefer fruitier or sweeter wines? Drier?" Etc. All designed to get me a bit more familiar with what wines might be a good recommendation.

(This is much easier if there's a tasting table, but with coronavirus any such activities are frowned upon. For good reason, I might add.)

And one of the things I reassure people about is that there's no wrong answer when it comes to describing what you like. Your palate is your palate, and nobody else's. If you like pickles and ice cream, who am I to say you're wrong? If you like cauliflower on your breakfast cereal, more power to you - though I won't be joining you for breakfast any time soon.

So, if you tell me you like sweet wines, for example, I want to select something

YOU will like, not something I would like.

And with everyone, I try to make three or four pertinent suggestions, explaining each time why I picked that particular wine for them. 

If they like Stella Rossa then I might recommend Il Duca Cardinal, aa sweet red wine, then suggest that they might go from that to Il Duca's Imperiale, which is semi-sweet. 

I give them a path towards different wines, and encourage them to explore. I might suggest a Tesoro Della Regina rose (above left), which is bright and fruity without overt sweetness. Or a Phebus Torrontes, which has a burst of fruit followed by an almost lemony finish. All of these are inexpensive yet flavorful wines that will appeal to a palate oriented towards sweetness.

And most importantly, the person seeking assistance must feel like I've contributed something to their enjoyment and education - without being overtly teachy about it. I want this to be a fun adventure, not a student lecture.

Because, after all is said and done, the end goal, for both of us, is to have a good time. 

And when it comes to your personal palate, there's no such thing as a wrong answer.

Cheers.