“I’d like to try your Goosetaweiner.”
Since barrel-tasting weekend coincided with a few of the major NCAA college basketball conference tournament finals, I had half an eye on the high def TV on the counter. While I was pretty sure I had heard “Goosetaweiner,” I wanted to give the visitor the benefit of the doubt.
“I’m sorry? You’d like to try our Gewurtztraminer?” I figured I’d let him off the hook by pronouncing it correctly. That way, he could just repeat it.
“Yes, the Goosetaweiner.” There it was again.
This guest was clearly intimidated by the bowtie and artsy, black glasses wearing gentlemen to his left who had been showing off his commanding understanding of the language of wine. Mr. Bowtie was confidently busting out words like “nose,” “acidity,” “balance,” “tannins” and “finish.” The guy was E.F. Hutton in a tasting room – it seemed everyone was listening.
During a special event like barrel-tasting weekend, with as many different varieties of people as there are varietals of wine being served, it’s easy to get swept up by the “wine tasting professionals.” Obviously, my guest had heard this wine connoisseur opine about one of our Pinot Noir and panicked. He looked at the tasting notes, saw “Gewurtztraminer,” and out came, “Goosetaweiner.”
I guess it’s a little like that feeling of walking into a gym and hearing the grunts and groans of the ripped, muscle-laden regulars. As you step up to the rack and struggle with both hands to lift 10 pounds, you can’t help but feel the slightest bit intimidated by the guy next to you doing pinky curls with 45-pound plates.
In a packed tasting room, if you’re not one of “the experts” who can identify the “hints of cherries, charcoal and mushrooms” in the nose of the wine, it’s easy to get equally intimidated. You might ask to taste the Goosetaweiner.
But, just like the vast majority of gym members rarely do pinky curls with 45-pound plates, the percentage of people who taste with a professional palate seems to be relatively low. The fact is that most people who come into the tasting room simply like what they like. There are only the select few who can confidently describe the “subtle pear flavors hidden by the robust burst of raisin and cola with a sublime fruity finish.”
So, in the tasting room, we do the only thing we can do – pour our wines and hope that the guests like them and buy a bottle or two (or 12!). And, that’s exactly what my “Goosetawiener” friend did. He walked out of our tasting room with half a case of “Goose.” The fact is you don’t have to be able to pronounce Gewurtztraminer to drink it, or more importantly…to enjoy it.
After we rang him up, the next person sauntered up to the counter. “Can I try your Peeknow Nore?”
