I've hit a wall with wine. It's a good thing, I suppose. Coming back from Burgundy I was turned off to Pinot Noir and let an army of Cabernet Sauvignon into the house led by my wife. But now I'm redoubling my efforts in order to grow and challenge my palette. All the while growing my "collection" - a 12 bottle fridge and spare closet in my office - to show a diverse range of grapes.
This is where the 18 Noble Grapes comes in. They are the 18 major, most readily available grapes that cover the entire spectrum of wine flavors. It's a perfect first step outside of drinking what I only know and love.
Now the goal of drinking all of the 18 varieties is to understand the wide range of taste wine can offer. After trying the initial 18, I can then methodically and with clear intent start to dive into specific regions and vintages of each variety.
This will necessitate that I keep clear, organized records of what I taste. A difficult task, especially for me if I forget before my second glass. But its important to have a strategy for this, to find out which variety I care for the most, the least, and where I should go after I try all 18 grapes.
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