How I Met Wine

Let’s talk about wine, remembering… my first approach to wine was with my nose! For those who know me, it makes perfect sense. I am always smelling things around me, as funny as it sounds. It is something I do ever since I have memories. So, it is not strange to imagine that my father´s first talk about wine with me was… “come here and smell this glass and tell me how many aromas you can find”. It was a game for me to guess how many fruits, flowers, spices, or things I could find. This was how I met wine.

At the beginning, it was a little bit stressful for a lot of my friends to be asked about which aromatic notes they found in their glasses. I would always ask when taking a wine class, at a wine tasting or with other friends. I remember one of them that used to say, “… Hey! It smells like wine!”

I found this is something that always gets people nervous: what if I say something wrong, what if I think it is apple and it is strawberry, or… I cannot smell anything else than wine smell, alcohol, or something I´m not familiar with. But what if we try it as that wonderful start I had, what if having a glass of wine is just fun and about finding new things, just for the pleasure of it?

Nose is important! That is how I met wine!

We can “train” our noses to perceive what is going on within that glass of wine. My way of doing it is by smelling around me. I like to go to the market and smell the fruits, flowers, even the bag I use to carry them. Smell the food you eat at home while cooking, or in a restaurant. Try to find out the ingredients by smelling and tasting. I am talking about everything, the bags of the supermarket, the street you are walking on. If you have a spices cabinet, that is a great space to spend some time. It is easy: just pay attention to everything surrounding you. Remember, it is about of being present at this moment.

When opening your next bottle of wine, try to share with your companions which aromas can be detected by each one, and be surprised to notice the big differences! Try to find them in your own glass. It is fun and not mandatory to find every smell in your glass, remember that the olfactive sense is very personal. And also remember, Puerto Vallarta is one top destination for wine lovers!

See you next time, and let’s talk about wine.