The Art Of Wine Tasting In Marylebone
If one were to say that a sommelier conducts his business with panache, one might flip through the dictionary on the hunt for two references that might not immediately come to mind. The first refers to a knowledgeable wine steward; the latter to one who is flamboyant and courageous in style.
The two seem to fit, hand in glove, with good reason. And while panache may have its detractors who just cannot escape the notion of Cyrano de Bergerac, who might have reflected on his nose, offering the following: "Sommelient: Forget the truffles; with a nose like that, the finest sommelier in France would shamefully retire," a sommelier worth his nose is respected day and night.
But this is Marylebone, and while the village is just north of the best regions of the world to ply the vintners trade, the bottled effort can certainly be appreciated in several venues dedicated to the art. Here are three suggestions:
Begin in central Marylebone, on Marylebone Lane, where 28º - 50º is found. While you try to figure out how this particular moniker is given- and its origin is a truly masterful stroke for the founding sommelier of 28º - 50º -- consider the available cellar of over forty wines to savor from a dozen countries. There is also a delightful menu of selections to best compliment the star ingredients. Give up? 28º - 50º refers to the latitudes of northern and southern hemispheres within which vineyards find their best soils and climate.
On Moxon Street just off Marylebone High Street is La Fromagerie, a delightful wine and cheese shop whose owners describe their appeal for the two as "passionate." And why not? Wine and cheese are natural companions whose aromas and flavors feed off one another until the palate is set adrift on a dreamy sea of silent contemplation; could anything taste as divine? Here must be offered another term: affinage; the art of cheese ripening. Here, it is as refined as a sommelier's nose and the two are masterfully paired at La Frommagerie.
Vinoteca on Seymour Place boasts a wine list that fills 21 pages - don't count them; we did it for you - documenting some 250 wines from over a dozen countries, all in a PDF online document linked to their website. Most of these treasures are from small vintners whose dedication to refinement is generally unmatched by the larger labels and vintages.
Monsieur de Bergerac notwithstanding, tasting wine is a refined art that goes beyond drinking. Once poured, an art of its own, look at your wine in the glass, preferably with a white background. Lightly swirl the glass to expose more surface area of wine and to release the aroma. Bring the glass to your nose until it is within the glass, then inhale. Take a sip, move it around in your mouth, aspirate by light inhalation through pursed lips -without a sound! -- And draw the aroma into your nasal cavities. Swallow if your wine tasting is limited to two or three wines; otherwise, a spittoon should be available to employ. Cheers!
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