![\"Chelsea](\"http:\/\/suitcasejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/NYC0174.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTo avoid the hordes of people and satisfy our wine addiction, we stopped into a wine shop, Chelsea Wine Vault<\/a>, to explore. \u00a0Once there, we learned about a weekend “wine school class” they offer: each weekend features four wine from a specific region (it changes each weekend), and the class is taught by a sommelier. \u00a0It just so happens that our wines were all from Napa Valley – somewhere all four of us had been. \u00a0Since none of us had ever done anything quite like this, and because a little wine in the afternoon sounded delightful, we paid the $20\/person and waited for the class to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n I’m so glad we took the class. \u00a0Not only did we try fantastic wines (my favorite was the 2010 Pine Ridge “Forefront” Cabernet Sauvignon – I left with a bottle and plan to visit the winery next time we’re in Napa), but we learned a lot about what to look for when tasting wines and evaluating wines. \u00a0We even had an official “Wine Evaluation Form” in our packet, which helps explain what “90+ points” means for a wine. \u00a0One fun fact we learned is that when wines are evaluated, they are only compared to wines of the same varietal, from the same region, and within the same price range. \u00a0<\/p>\n Our sommelier was David Hunter, who personally tastes and buys all of the wine sold at the Chelsea Wine Vault. \u00a0He was funny and full of information – the hour-long class flew by and we were wishing it was longer. \u00a0We went through each section of the evaluation form, and I’d love to pass along some of the information we learned (a brief overview).\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Appearance (15 points)<\/em> – color and clarity: hold your wine glass at a 45\u00b0 angle against a white piece of paper to judge the color and clarity. \u00a0Is the color consistent all the way through? \u00a0Is it cloudy, chunky, hazy, or clear?<\/p>\n 2. Nose (20 points)<\/em> – cleanliness, complexity and bouquet: is the aroma appealing? \u00a0Or does it “hurt” you (think of smelling vodka)? \u00a0Does it smell like cheap perfume, is it too fruity, or does it have no smell? The complexity – how many aromas can you identify? \u00a0Are there multiple layers? \u00a0And finally, the bouquet is how the aromas come together – the overall smell.<\/p>\n 3. Palate Impression (50 points)<\/em> – body, texture, flavor, balance, and finish & aftertaste – how heavy does the wine feel on your tongue? \u00a0Is the texture smooth, does it “hurt” you (again, think about taking a shot of vodka), is it acidic (does it make your mouth water)? \u00a0Is each element balanced without one taking over (for example, not too sweet or too acidic)? \u00a0How long does the aftertaste stay in your mouth? If it’s under 30 seconds, it’s simple, if it’s between 30 seconds and one minute it’s medium, and if it’s over a minute, it’s complex.<\/p>\n 4. Overall Assessment (15 points)<\/em> – overall quality, value for your money, food compatibility, aging potential, and general appeal of the wine – is the wine good for the money? \u00a0What is the aging potential (he let us know that this would be a hard one for us to judge)?<\/p>\n And finally, David left us with the most important piece of information: in order to store wine properly, the bottles should be left on their side at 55\u00b0 F (this we have been following since we started using a wine cooler) and kept in a humid area. \u00a0The humidity part is where we failed, but luckily it’s easy enough to fix: just place a damp sponge in the cooler and change it out every month. \u00a0While we are likely okay without the added humidity for most of our wines, this tip may save the bottles of Brunello di Montalcino that we brought back from Italy and plan to store for over 10-15 years. \u00a0Thank you, David! \u00a0The class was enjoyable and informative, and a great way to escape the afternoon heat!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of our favorite activities during our trip to New York was visiting the High Line and the Cheslea Market. \u00a0Both were overcrowded, but very enjoyable, especially after a satisfying brunch. \u00a0The Chelsea Market reminded me a bit of what … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n