Tasting v. Drinking

I haven't posted in a bit, but its not because I haven't been drinking any wine. I'm still drinking/tasting up to 10 wines a week, the issue just comes when I look at "how" I'm drinking and/or tasting.

When I'm critically tasting a wine to make some tasting notes, I really have to focus and write it down while I'm doing it. I don't have the skills to remember specifics about the wines I taste for a long time. I remember if I like it, and how good it was, but not enough to make good tasting notes later. My memory just isn't that good, I guess. Sirpa is the opposite, she can remember specifics about something she tasted 6 months ago. Its amazing really.

So that's the conundrum. I've been drinking wines lately, or tasting some wines while at a wine bar, and not able to write things down while doing it. I've had wine with dinners, and I've had some good stuff, just nothing worth writing home about. I did have a Pinot Noir while at Thirst (a wine bar in downtown Portland) that I'm trying to get a bottle or three of. When I do, and I drink it, I'll probably put some notes up about it.

This has all made me really think about the difference between tasting wine and drinking wine. To me, tasting wine is to really evaluate it, to pull it apart and see what is there. Drinking wine, on the other hand, is what you do when wine is not the focus, like when out with friends, eating dinner, or just watching some tv. Its when I want a glass of wine, and I don't evaluate it beyond just how good it is, which means that I don't put up notes about it. I think this is a good thing, because is shows that wine can be enjoyed in the same way a beer would be. Its tasty and satisfies the thirst, but I don't want to write about every time I drink a Drop Top.

Thirst Wine Bar