Sound could very well be your 'Gateway Sense' to higher level wine enjoyment. There. Someone said it. Sure, smell and taste are pretty dang important when it comes to wine enjoyment and taking your experience to another level. (So important, in fact, we promise to circle back to these in another post.) But sound has two critical things on its fellow senses, Smell and Taste:
1.sound cues how we feel2.sound is something that, for 95% of the population, is easily accessible
And when it comes to wine there's a lot to be heard.
With the audacious pop!of a cork, the squeak, squeak, squeak, tap-pull-pop!of a still wine being uncorked or the clink! of glasses joining forces, a certain ambiance is being created, and your mood is impacted as a result. Perhaps there is also a low murmur humming around the restaurant - things feel additionally romantic. If the sound of activity in the kitchen is playing out, there's an air of anticipation. If friends are laughing and carrying on, a festive note rings true. You know we're right: ambiance matters and sound plays a large role in creating it.
Ok - you've got the basics. Let's dial things up a notch!
Recently we were listening to a Pandora-curated music flight in the office. Mostly we were working along seamlessly without thinking about what was playing. But when Meghan Trainor carried out over the air waves with her brand new "Close Your Eyes" hit, we looked up from our work. She may not be legally old enough to be enjoying a glass of wine (in the USA anyway), but Meghan Trainor had just burst into the office with a perspective all her own.
Behind her catchy modern pop style, her back-up is bringing the thunder of old school sounds; her music could also rock it in a 1950's malt shop. Trainor's blend of old and new, new and old, has an historic sensibility, yet is lively and fresh.
Maybe we're just a big bunch of wine nerds, but from our perspective, Meghan Trainor's pouring some fun stuff! We recommend tuning the dial to Trainor - because here's what she inspired us to uncork when we did:
"everybody is born to be different"Ever tried a white wine from the Jura (France)? There the local white grape Savagnin is one to behold - wild, captivating, funky, nutty and familiar all at once. You can make analogies, but like Trainor's blended style, the real Jura stands alone.
"I got that boom boom that all the boys chase and all the right junk in all the right places" Ever tried Chilean Carmenere? How about one from a select vineyard site, where the attention to detail is mind-bottling? Whow-sah. When done well, these wines have a refined earthy complexity more reminiscent of fine Bordeaux than flashy, fruit-forward, New World wines playing dress up. Such a wine experience is - boom! - spot on.
Maybe Trainor's not your thing, that's cool. But next time you are thinking about engaging in a little squeak, squeak, squeak, tap-pull-pop! throw on some tunes first. See what strikes your fancy. Your glass will be 1/2 full in no time! And then you'll be in the right mood to let your mind wander as you sniff and taste what's in your glass - but more on that in due course!
Cheers!