Post 1: Experience with Wine

For three years, I've found myself to be a connoisseur of vegetarian cuisine. Influenced heavily by the French mentality of enjoying food in its purest form (in my case, using only basic fruits and veggies as my ingredients), I have always struggled to found that meals are missing something. Perhaps not enough salt or pepper? Are these peppers cooked thoroughly? I've recently came to the conclusion that perhaps it is not my cooking, but the pairing of wine and other yummy beverages that are absent from my cuisine.

 My goal in this course is to become an "oenophile," or connoisseur of wine. I've been to a few wine tastings here and there at the Vintage Cellar and I was able to pick up a few key pointers on how to find the flavors of fruits that are made in wines. A big reason why I am taking this class is because I'm curious about vegan wines. The majority of people are unaware that wine, although made from grapes, may have been made using animal-derived products. To remove protein, yeast, off colorings, and cloudiness, winemakers use products that are referred to as "fining agents."

When I first learned that this included blood and bone marrow, casein (milk protein), chitin (fiber from crustacean shells), egg albumen (derived from egg whites), fish oil, gelatin (protein from boiling animal parts), and isinglass (gelatin from fish bladder membranes)- it freaked me out. Still, I choose to drink non-vegan wines simply because there are so few available at the supermarket. In addition, vegan wines are not too easy to distinguish unless they have a Kosher/Parve emblem. I've read that carbon, bentonite clay, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel, and vegetable plaques are all suitable alternatives. But are there other options? I'm curious about how fining agents change the taste. What other composites or natural ingredients can have all the qualities of animal-based fining agents?

 For now, I'm hoping to just learn more about the elements of wine tasting and being able to distinguish certain colors (red, cherry, maroon, ruby, brownish, light-green, yellow, buttercup, golden, amber, clear, cloudy), aromas (fruity, floral, herbal, earthy, spicy, nutty), and taste (sweet, acidic, spicy, tasteless, tannic, and the finish). I'd also like to learn the specific details of how to differentiate a tannic wine from an acidic wine. I'm also interesting in learning about a wine's shelf-life... how do I know whether or not a wine expires? Why do some wines turn into vinegar and others do not? I'd like to learn about some aerating tips and about what wines are appropriate for decanters.  

List of general wines I know of: cab sauv, merlot, pinot noir, shiraz, white and red zinfandel, chardonnay, reisling, and sauv blanc, champagne, prosecco, and moscato.