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Text Box: La part des anges, c'est l'esprit du vin : le corps du vin en quelque sorte volatilisé, spiritualisé. Opération métonymique ou métaphorique, ou les deux à la fois : c'est la part qui cache les parties, celles-là mêmes qu'une feuille de vigne occulte dans certains tableaux. Autrement dit, et pour le dire vite : le vin a-t-il un sexe? Amancio TENAGUILLO y CORTAZAR Docteur, professeur de lettres à Bordeaux

 

La Part des Anges

                        (The Angels' Share)

   In winemaking, when the wine is aged in barrels, the French refer to the wine lost to evaporation as “La part des Anges” – the angels' share. I find this expression symbolic of the expansiveness, even the generosity, of winemaking. True to this aspect, it follows that when enjoying wine one should bear this aspect in mind. For at least a moment, give generously of your time and attention in experiencing wine. Use all your senses and truly engage the wine.

Sight . There is an extraordinary beauty captured in the range of colors found in wines of reflecting different grapes, vintages, locations and soil characteristics, and vintners. From the inky depth of a Malbec to the playful golden sparkle of a Champagne . Each tells a different story and sets up different expectations. Let your eye roam the color and allow the brain to take a mini-vacation – to France, Spain, or California.

Smell. Swirl the wine, gently, then allow your nose to fully engage the aromas it encounters. Does it remind you of summer? Of leather? Of ripe fruit? Is there something floral? Take a moment to notice these. The purpose in swirling the wine is mainly to allow oxygen to work its magic on the wine and allow a greater release of fragrances. Particularly if the wine is “hot” (meaning a high alcohol content, usually recognized by an immediate recoil by the nose), swirl again and reexamine the aromas. You need not precisely identify each aspect, merely recognize it. Your nose is a key to truly enjoying wine because it is far more discerning than your palate. Your mouth generally recognizes sweet, salty, sour or tart, and bitter (some also add savory) but may not differentiate further without the participation of your nose. As the saying goes – the nose knows. It refines the general information gathered by the palate to advise us more precisely on the taste of a food or drink. An interesting challenge is to see whether the aromas detected by the nose are the same as those experienced by the palate.

Taste. Take a medium-sized sip of the wine and allow it to stay in your mouth for a while. Allow the sip to travel throughout your mouth and take in a small breath at the same time. The passage of air over the wine will allow the nose to participate again in experiencing the wine. Are the flavors in your mouth what your nose brought you to expect? Could you taste the wine throughout your mouth or only in certain areas? This is the structure. Now swallow and see how long the taste stays with you. Once you swallowed, did the wine's taste disappear rapidly or slowly? This is the finish.

The sense of touch must be satisfied with holding the glass and the ears are likely to be engaged in conversation. This too is part of the generosity of wine. It is an experience to share and may even serve as an ice-breaker at parties – Sophisticated:“Hey, did you find an element of cocoa on the nose?”; More casual: “Is that a hint of chocolate?; Earthy: “CocoPuffs!” Obviously, wine is a versatile beverage that has the ability to engage even the most introverted. “Wow, can you believe that someone actually went to the trouble to bottle this plonk, truck it across any distance, and then put it on a shelf?” “I wonder what the angels thought of this wine.” Or, better yet, “This is an amazing wine – what a great way to start the evening!” A real conversation starter could be “Do you find this wine to be masculine or feminine?

The best part about wine is that whether it is good or bad is purely a matter of taste – yours. Whether it is masculine or feminine may depend on much more than that.

 

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