Sommelier Wine Tasting-Disney Magic

Sea days on Disney Cruise Line are always packed with events for every age group and interest. Among the most popular events for the adults (of legal drinking age-21+) are the various tastings. 

For a nominal fee ($15-$30 per person) you can enjoy a generous sampling of various liquors as well as a seminar and "how to/mixology" lesson. 

The 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Magic offered various tastings as well as two different wine tastings: a standard wine tasting and a sommelier selection wine tasting.


The standard wine tasting was $15 per person and the sommelier selection $30 per person. The sommelier selection offer tasting of wines that were more expensive and sold by the bottle. 


The tasting was lead by Raj from India, the sommelier aboard the Disney Magic. 

Each place setting had:

• 1 white wine
• 2 red wines
• 1 champagne

 ~and~

• A bottle of Evian water-To cleanse your palate
• White chocolate-to pair with the wine
• Dark Chocolate-to pair with the wine 

Here's a breakdown of what I learned: 
~Grapes~
The seminar began with a bit of a wine lesson as we were instructed to take a grape and peel the skin off with our teeth. The white on the grape is yeast and the bitter taste contained in the skin is tanin. Tannin is the ingredient in wine that's good for your heart and the skin on the grape also determines the color of the wine. The pulp of the grape is sweet and makes your mouth water-this is an example of the acidity. 
 
~Glass~
Why do wine glasses have a stem? Apparently it's not just to look fancy, they actually serve a purpose. You are supposed to always grab a wine glass (regardless of the color) by the stem. Why? Because you could alter the taste of the wine by grasping it by the glass (your hand could heat up the wine and this could change the level of acidity in the wine). Who knew?!

~White Wine~
"The older the golder": Age is a big factor in wine and the rule of thumb for white wine is "the older the golder" meaning that older wines will have more of a gold hue. More pale colored white wines indicate the grapes are from a colder region and a darker color indicates the grapes are from a warmer region. 
White wines should have no sediment unless there's an indicator on the bottle that says "unfiltered". 

~Look, Sniff and Swirl~
I used to have a bit of a panic attack when a sommelier would pour me a glass of wine. As he stood their patiently waiting I had no idea what to do so I would mimic what i saw other people doing-take a sniff and give it a swirl. I had no idea what I was doing or why but it seemed to suffice. Well...there's actually a method to the "sniff and swirl" madness.


The Look: Tilt your wine glass at a 45% angle and hold it over something white so you can clearly see the color. 


The Sniff: When your wine is poured, hold it about 1" away from the bottom of your nose and inhale deeply. What's the purpose of this? This will give you your first indication of what is in the wine and what it might taste like. You may pick up scents like oak, spice and fruit. 


The Second Sniff & Swirl: After your preliminary smell is done, take your hand and place it over the top of the wine glass and swirl it. After a good swirl remove your hand and smell again...this opens up the wine and allows you to smell quite a bit more than the initial sniff. You may be able to smell more flavors such as vanilla or cinnamon. If you pick up a smell of rotten egg or a lot of vinegar this means the wine is spoiled. 


~The Gurgle~
Ok, so something I never knew was how a sommileir actually tasted wine. I actually giggled when I saw Raj doing it because I thought he was trying to trick us all. Turns out there's a method to tasting wine. 


So you take a sip of the wine and before you swallow it, purse your lips together like you're going to whistle and suck in air. This puts oxygen in the wine and brings out the flavors and allows you to taste it better. Your taste buds will take in the flavor of the wine and your throat will take in the alcohol...so if it burns a lot, your wine has a high percentage of alcohol by volume. 


~The Finish~
You hear wine conosiours refer to a "long finish" or "short finish", no that's not the speed at which you drink the wine...it actually refers to what the wine does after you swallow the sip. A long finish will have many flavors and will stay and linger on your taste buds. A short finish has fewer flavors that disappear quickly. 


~The Chocolate~
One thing sommeliers are trained to do is pair wine with food. Sucking on a piece of white chocolate before drinking wine gives the wine a softer taste because the cream of the chocolate clings to your palate and absorbs the acidity in wine. 


All that we learned while taking the first sip of white wine. Then it was time to break into the reds. 

~Red Wine~ 
Young red wines are a deep red and older red wines take a brown to dark orange hue because the tanin decreases the older the wine is. 


Why does red wine have a cork? Cork allows the wine to breathe, slowly releasing tanin and beginning the oxidation process.  


After you swirl the wine you may see "legs" on the side of the glass. If you've never head this term think of it like streaks on a mirror after you spray the Windex. If the legs are thin and disappear fast that means the wine has "light body". If the legs are thin and slow that means the wine has "full body".  


~New World vs. Old World~
Did you know there are different kinds of red wine? "Old World" wines are those that come only from European countries, these have a more earthy taste. "New World" wines are from non-European countries and have more of a fruity taste. We tasted two different red wines and I learned I'm definitely a "new world" wine kind of gal. 


~Champagne~ 
What makes a white wine a champagne? The grapes must come from France. So not all sparkling wines are champagne. 


How do you know if a champagne is a high quality? The bubbles will be very tiny. Raj said "if your friends brings a bottle of champagne to your party and you pour it and the bubbles are the size of fish eyes...you have cheap champagne and will have a headache in the morning!" 


~Wine Pairing~
So how do you know which wines go with which foods? Of course it's a matter of personal preference but here is the rule of thumb. Lighter less complicated foods need lighter less complicated wines. A complex dish with lots of flavors needs a complex wine to match. 

• White wine pairing:
• Chardonnay-with chicken, lobster, veal, white pasta and buttery sauces.  
• Sauvignon Blanc-raw oysters, fish, shrimp, seafood and vegetables
• Reisling-turkey, mild cheeses, trout, ham or pork loin, oriental dishes

• Red wine pairing:
• Cabernet Sauvignon-beef, lamb, blue cheese, garlic dishes, spicy sauces
• Pinot Noir-tuna, salmon, duck, veal, pork, stews
• Merlot-beef, ribs, savory sauces, goat cheese 

It was an amazing experience to hear a sommelier share some of his knowledge and I understand a lot more about wine than I did before I walked in! The fee was certainly worth it and the wines were all excellent. It was a fun experience and everyone enjoyed it, especially as it went on and the wine was disappearing! Raj was an amazing host and kept us interested the entire time and we didn't want it to end!