Can a grenache really taste like strawberries, rhubarb, hints of leather and dutch cocoa, all over the course of a long swig? While it may sound ridiculous, it does pose the challenge: how would you describe a flavor? It’s not easy to talk about wine! This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Winespeak”
You’re listening to A Way with Words, the show about language and how we use it. I’m Grant Parrott.
And I’m Martha Barnette. The other night I was at a wine bar, and it was my first time there.
And I was looking over their unfamiliar menu, which reminded me of that peculiar variety of language we call winespeak.
You know what I’m talking about, right?
Yes, very stilted and weird, isn’t it?
Yeah, well, check out this description of a Santa Barbara Grenache from that menu.
Luxurious and mysterious with every kiss to your lips.
Strawberries, rhubarb, and hints of leather are present in the nose.
Ripe forward fruit with mulberry, cardamom, tea leaves on the first sip.
Medium body is belied by the depth and melange of flavors,
Melding into a long finish with Dutch cocoa lingering on the palate, balanced by soft tannins.
Dutch cocoa. We’re not talking Ovaltine. We’re talking Dutch cocoa.
I gotta admit, it sounds like somebody’s just been licking the spice rack and then talking about it.
I’m not convinced.
I mean, my mom had a lazy Susan.
They always got the debris down at the bottom of it.
This sounds just like that.
Yeah, yeah.
I love your description of that.
That’s so good.
Or how about for Beaujolais?
On the other hand, we’ve talked about this before, how difficult it is to describe flavors in words.
Yes, yes.
So what do you do?
So credit to the writer.
So props to the writer, right?
What’s the Beaujolais one?
The Beaujolais one, I came across this in a collection of wine writing.
It says, a texture like the sinful strokes of a feather boa.
I mean.
Hello.
Oh.
But, yeah, you’re right.
It’s difficult.
I bet they have a lot of leather in their closet.
By the way, you said that the menu was strange to you and you’ve never been to this wine bar.
I’m not convinced.
This one I hadn’t.
It’s new.
Okay.
We will be talking later in the show about wine writing.
And we have some great advice from one of the best wine writers on the planet.
But in the meantime, we’re going to talk about other kinds of language.
You can call us at 877-929-9673 or send those emails to words@waywordradio.org.
‘How to describe in words…’ – not always easy, and my attempts sometimes get people to question my sanity.
Example 1a: Sitting around with some friends, one said he couldn’t tell the difference between regular Coke and Diet Coke.
… The rest of the guys said, “Are you kidding? They don’t taste at all alike.”
… I chimed in, “Yeah, sugar tastes SHINY.”
… Blank stares.
… I tried to explain, “Well, Nutrasweet is sweet at first, but then it turns gray in your mouth, like gum after you’ve chewed all the flavor out of it…” I trailed off as the blankness of their stares deepened.
… Finally one of the guys nodded slowly and thoughtfully, and said, “Yeah, I guess in a way sugar DOES taste shiny.”
Q 1a: If you were trapped in my brain, how much would you pay to get out?
Example 1b: A few years later I was having lunch a different set of friends. Somehow I ended up telling the sugar-tastes-shiny story, and one friend understood it immediately.
… Then I turned to him and said, “Another question just popped in my head, and since you’re a master’s student in music, you can probably answer it: Which composer sounds most like a radish?”
… The others at the table gave me that I-hope-‘crazy’-isn’t-contagious look, so we let the subject drop and went on to other topics.
… A few minutes later, during a lull in the conversation, he turned to me and said simply, “Poulenc.”
… “Of course!” I responded, as it clicked in my mind. “I kept thinking Prokofiev, but he’s HORSEradish.”
… “Oh, definitely,” my friend nodded in affirmation.
Q 1b: So there are TWO of us in the world who think like this. Is that as scary to you as much as it is to me?
“Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.”
― Terri Garey, Devil Without a Cause