Monday, April 27, 2009

Tasting wine US style

My ancestors are rolling in their graves.  Today I ingested wine from tiny black plastic cups in a windowless WashU campus lab.  
Our good friend Katie, studying different varieties of yeast had invited me to be a part of a sensory experiment
SIP...
GARGLE at the front of the mouth (the term was more exact...I do not remember it at the moment, but you get the picture)....
SWISH...
SPIT (in the provided other plastic cup thank you)....
SWALLOW....
Ahh the joys of wine tasting.
7 rounds of 3 little cups.  You say what you want, even if I spitted all, I was a bit light headed as it went.  Sip....spit. Water...  Sip.....Spit. water...  Sip.... Spit  Water... crackers...water
Why did it have to be only white wine..... arggghhh :)
So sample 389 was more acidic the 253, but was it more similar to 365.... or was it sample 452 and 783?   right! easy!
....Not.  Katie will call times of doubt "sensory fatigue".  I love PHDs.  They have a name for everything.
Now the clock is ticking.  I am scheduled for six more sessions, but on Wednesday Katie is playing the part of that reality show person telling the unlucky one he or she has to go.  Understand, if one of us (we were 6 I believe) totally failed, he or she will be banned!  Science has no heart.  If Katie calls me to give me the horrible news, I know my ancestors will roll back the other way (probably relieved I will not subject myself to this sacrilegious ritual!)
I know you are anxious to hear.....
To be continued....

3 comments:

  1. That technique is called the "reverse whistle."
    You must have been light headed, I only gave you 6 rounds :P

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  2. Light Headed???? Les Soph???? On just six rounds of wine??? Surely there is some mistake!

    ReplyDelete