Cork Dork - Book Summary

Dive into the world of wine and unravel its mysteries

Wine connoisseurship often seems shrouded in mystery, with its talk of vintages, grape varieties, and the soil's influence on a wine's flavor profile. It's easy to get lost in the lexicon of tasting notes, brimming with descriptors that might seem cryptic or even ostentatious to the uninitiated. And then, there's the lingering question: does the steep price tag of a $200 bottle genuinely denote a taste that outstrips a $20 counterpart?

Embarking on a quest to demystify these vinous puzzles, Bianca Bosker, once a journalist, chose to pivot her career toward mastering the art of sommelier — a virtuoso of wines. Through her journey, she not only elevated her own olfactory senses but also uncovered the very essence of flavor.

This narrative is your gateway to understanding and savoring wine in its full glory. Charmingly intimate and profoundly enlightening, Bosker's expedition reveals the intricacies of wine from the ground up.

Throughout this exploration, you will discover:

- The often-overlooked distinction between taste and smell, and its pivotal role in our perception of wine;

- The curious yet essential practice of licking rocks to deepen one's understanding of a wine's terroir; and

- Practical techniques for honing your nose, enabling you to truly appreciate the nuanced ballet of aromas wine has to offer.

From casual drinker to sommelier: A journey of obsession

For Bianca Bosker, wine had never been more than a casual beverage — a simple choice between bottle or box without much thought beyond that. That all shifted dramatically one evening in a chic Manhattan restaurant upon a fortuitous encounter with a sommelier deep in preparation for the World’s Best Sommelier Competition. The concept baffled her: How could serving wine transform into competitive sport? Driven by a spark of fascination, she plunged into the rabbit hole of sommelier competitions that same night, igniting what would become an all-consuming passion.

Here lies the crux of the tale: The path to becoming a leading sommelier is one marked by intense dedication and near-obsession.

Curiosity piqued, Bosker found herself mesmerized by the spectacle of competition on her screen, particularly drawn to Véronique Rivest — the competition's first female finalist. The challenge before Rivest was formidable: a blind tasting demanding the identification of the wine's grape, vintage, country, and specific region of origin.

Consider the sheer magnitude of this task for a moment. The world boasts fifty wine-producing countries, over 5,000 grape varieties, and in France alone, 340 distinct wine regions. Faced with an almost infinite array of possibilities, Rivest had a scant 180 seconds to decipher the secrets held within her glass.

As the clock silently marked time, Rivest’s focused tasting—sniffing deeply, sipping carefully—culminated in a precise identification: a 2011 Chenin Blanc from Maharashtra, India. Her accuracy was astonishing.

Bosker, a journalist by trade, was hooked not only by the competition but by the extraordinary sensory skills these sommeliers displayed, akin to those of elite sniffer dogs. This marked the beginning of her own odyssey into the world of wine.

Fuelled by her newfound fascination, Bosker made a life-altering decision: she left her stable job in journalism to dive headfirst into the vinous universe. She dedicated her mornings to tasting, her afternoons to contending with hangovers, all while setting an ambitious goal for herself — to pass the Certified Sommelier Exam. This prestigious qualification is recognized as a hallmark of distinction in the sommelier community.

However, she rapidly realized that she was on a steep learning curve, with much to learn on her journey from novice enthusiast to certified expert.

The sommelier's quest for sensory mastery

In the midst of a culture obsessed with seeking out the finest flavors—from the most meticulously brewed cups of cold coffee to the most indulgently rich chocolate bars—there lies a curious contradiction. We're relentless in our hunt for the best tastes, yet we seldom consider enhancing our own capacity to savor these delights. We're keen on self-improvement in many aspects, but tuning our senses rarely makes the cut. However, for sommeliers, mastering the realms of taste and smell is not just a passion—it's a way of life.

Herein lies the essence: Sommeliers take the art of tasting and smelling to profound depths.

Ian Cauble, a California-based master sommelier, once imparted sage advice to the author. To truly grasp the nuance of taste, one must immerse fully in the experience. Cauble suggested embarking on a citrus exploration like no other—sampling the wide array of oranges from the fully ripe to those just shy of maturity, including every variant in between. Tasting should extend beyond the fruit itself to its juice, pits, and peel, building a comprehensive sensory library of aromas and flavors.

Yet another sommelier advised an even more unconventional technique: the act of tasting rocks during nature walks. This wasn't mere whimsy—red slate, rich in iron, echoes the faint taste of blood, while blue slate carries the fresh, mineral notes of river stones.

This obsessive dedication to cataloging a broad spectrum of tastes and smells is what enables sommeliers to perform blind tastings with remarkable accuracy.

The commitment of elite sommeliers to their craft extends to safeguarding their sensory tools as a musician might protect their hands. For instance, a prominent New York sommelier takes no chances with unfamiliar foods while traveling, packing his own granola to maintain a consistent sensory baseline. Another cautioned Bosker to stick to a single toothpaste brand, lest a new flavor introduces unwelcome variables to her palate.

These practices might seem over the top to the casual enthusiast. Yet, for Bosker, they underscored a vital realization: to truly elevate her tasting abilities, she must first delve into the mechanics of how we taste.

This journey of sensory refinement is not merely for those pursuing a sommelier's pin but a reminder of the depth and richness sensory experiences add to our lives—should we choose to fully engage with them.

Unveiling the intricate dance of flavor: Beyond taste and smell

The intricacies of how we perceive the flavor of food and drink are more complex and misunderstood than many of us realize. The notion that our tongue acts as a map, with specific zones for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes—a belief that persisted until the late twentieth century—stemmed from a mistranslation of academic work from over a century ago. It was only decades later that scientists debunked this myth, unveiling that the entire tongue is capable of detecting each of the five basic tastes, including umami.

Here lies a crucial insight: Our understanding of how flavor comes to life in our minds remains limited.

To delve deeper, it's essential to distinguish between the concepts of flavor, taste, and smell. Flavor is the overall impression we gather as we eat or drink, a phenomenon crafted by both taste and smell. Thus, when we express our enjoyment of a delicious burger, it's more accurate to say we relish its "flavor" rather than just its taste, as our perception is equally shaped by its aroma.

Smell, in fact, may play a more dominant role in how we experience flavor. Research led by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that many patients reporting a loss of taste were actually experiencing diminished smell capabilities. This highlights the profound influence smell has on our enjoyment of food and drink. For an immediate demonstration of this connection, the next time you drink coffee, try plugging your nose; you'll notice that without the aroma, coffee's flavor is vastly reduced to mostly bitterness.

So, poses the question, can our sense of smell be honed for a richer perception of flavor? Indeed, it can. Thomas Hummel, a professor with a focus on olfactory studies in Dresden, Germany, conducted experiments showing that individuals who engaged in systematic smell training—regularly inhaling scents like eucalyptus, rose, and lemon—saw a notable improvement in their smelling abilities, in contrast to a control group with no enhancement.

Inspired by such research, the author herself embarked on a regimen of persistently sniffing key wine aromas, discovering firsthand that our noses are indeed trainable. This realization opens up a realm of possibilities for enriching our culinary experiences, highlighting that the world of flavor is a vast and nuanced one, awaiting our exploration with every sense we have at our disposal.

Unlocking the secrets of wine tasting: A beginner's guide

Grasping the theory behind our senses of taste and smell is foundational, yet for anyone nurturing dreams of sommelier stardom—or simply looking to deepen their wine appreciation—translating theory into practice is where the true adventure begins. Let's embark on a journey to demystify the nuanced art of wine tasting, making the complex world of wines a bit more accessible.

Here's a straightforward guide: Mastering wine characteristics with simple techniques and terms.

Picture yourself with a glass of wine in hand, better yet, if circumstances allow, pour yourself a glass to follow along. First and foremost, engage with the wine visually. Give it a swirl within the glass, observing the liquid grace the walls. The wine's "legs" or tears—the streaks that flow back down—reveal clues about its alcohol content; slow-moving, thick legs suggest a wine richer in alcohol, whereas quick, thin ones indicate lower alcohol levels.

Next, take the time to truly smell the wine, which involves more than a fleeting sniff. Tilt the glass to a nearly horizontal position to enhance surface area exposure, enriching the aroma that reaches your nose. Dive in for a thorough inhale from various angles, embracing the full spectrum of scents the wine has to offer.

Now, it's time for the sip, a step where a unique technique comes into play. Gently swirl the wine in your mouth, slightly pursing your lips, then draw in a breath of air. This aerates the wine, releasing its flavors and aromas more fully. Yes, it might feel a bit odd, but the rewards in taste are undeniable.

As you savor the wine, pay attention to the presence of tannins, discernable by a drying sensation on your tongue and mouth—a natural byproduct of the winemaking process. The texture of tannins can even hint at the variety of grape; for instance, young Nebbiolo grapes often leave a sandpapery texture, while a silkier sensation suggests a wine with lower tannin content, like Pinot Noir.

Finally, assess the wine's body, an aspect more about its physical feel than taste per se. To train your palate, compare the sensation of holding different types of milk in your mouth—cream represents a full-bodied wine, while skim milk parallels the experience of a lighter-bodied wine.

Approaching wine tasting with these steps—swirl, smell, sip, and feel—not only elevates the experience but also enriches your understanding and enjoyment of wine. It's an invitation to a world where each glass tells a story, waiting to be discovered with every attentive taste.

Mastering the art of sommelier service

Imagine the scene: the author, Bianca Bosker, at home in her New York apartment, trying her hand at the sommelier ritual of decanting wine over a candlelight. This time-honored technique, aimed at separating any settled sediment from the wine, is foundational in the sommelier's repertoire. Using a candle to scrutinize the bottle's neck for sediment is quintessential Sommelier 101, promising an optimal tasting experience when executed properly. Unfortunately for Bosker, her initial attempt resulted more in a minor kitchen mishap than in perfect decantation.

This story underscores a vital truth: For professional sommeliers, mastering the nuances of service is as critical as their encyclopedic knowledge of wines.

As Bosker discovered through her journey into the wine world, impeccable service involves mastering a litany of precise actions and choices. For those aspiring to the revered title of Master Sommelier, this means navigating an exhaustive checklist with elegance: always pour for women before men, never lift a glass to pour, and ensure a clockwise progression around the table—all while avoiding the cardinal sin of spilling a drop.

Yet, the essence of exceptional sommelier service transcends mere choreography. It necessitates a sophisticated balance of intuition and strategy, a skill exemplified by Victoria James, a celebrated young sommelier at the Manhattan culinary gem, Marea. James understands that deciphering diners' preferences often means reading between the lines of their self-image and aspirations. A common scenario involves a young banker, whose request for the "richest, fullest" wine—despite dining on fish—reveals more about his personal aspirations than his palate preferences. For James, the challenge lies in selecting a wine that both complements the meal and satisfies the diner's ego.

The stakes are high, as the economics of wine service are profoundly impactful for restaurants. While there's a ceiling to what one might charge for a dish, the potential markup on wine knows almost no bounds. At Marea, a $300 bottle is standard fare, while a big spender, affectionately termed as a "PX" (personne extraordinaire), may indulge in bottles ranging from $500 to well beyond $1,000.

As for whether a wine priced at $1,000 can truly embody a commensurate level of excellence, it's a compelling query—one that invites further exploration into the complex interplay of taste, expectation, and value in the world of fine wines.

Discovering the True Essence of Quality Wine

Venture into the nuanced world of sommeliers, and you'll encounter various poetic musings on what makes a wine truly exceptional. Phrases like "it's a spiritual experience" or "it speaks to the heart" are often voiced. While these sentiments might resonate within the sommelier community, for the everyday wine enthusiast, they leave much to be desired in terms of practical guidance.

The essence of quality wine, then, distills to this straightforward principle: A good wine is one that beckons for another sip—and then another glass.

The relationship between price and quality in wine presents an intriguing curve. Indeed, splurging on a $60 bottle generally ensures a more delightful experience than what a $6 counterpart could offer. However, Karl Storchmann, an economist specializing in wine studies at NYU, points out that beyond a certain financial tipping point, price ceases to align with incremental improvements in quality. High-ticket wines, such as those from the esteemed Burgundy producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which releases a mere 8,000 cases annually, command their hefty price tags more as collectible rarities than as benchmarks of superior taste.

Further complicating the discourse on wine quality is the modern era of mass-produced wines, which often depicts idyllic vineyard scenes on their labels, belying their industrialized origins. Today, the reality for many affordable wines involves a high degree of technological manipulation—from oak chips substituting for pricey French barrels, to designer yeasts engineered to mimic rich, natural aromas, down to additives like Mega Purple that imbue budget wines with a richer hue and flavor profile. One Californian winemaker candidly revealed that virtually every bottle retailing for under $20 undergoes some level of such enhancement.

While purists may decry these interventions as deceitful alterations—the oenological equivalent of airbrushing imperfections from a photograph—the argument stands that if these techniques yield more palatable and accessible wines, their merit cannot be outright dismissed.

Ultimately, the quest to define a "good" wine defies a universal answer, winding back to personal taste and momentary delight.

The author, in her journey, found a resonant philosophy in the words of a wine bar proprietor who defined his criterion for quality in simple terms: a wine should be "yummy." That initial taste should naturally lead to a second, a first glass to another. In the world of wine, where opinions abound and preferences vary, this notion strikes a chord for its simplicity and truth. After all, the best wine might just be the one that leaves us yearning for more.

Navigating the Maze of Wine Descriptors

As Bianca Bosker honed her skills in the art of blind tasting, a certain aspect of the wine world began to trouble her. Amidst sommeliers eloquently describing wines with terms ranging from "dusty road" to "dessicated strawberry," she found herself baffled. To the everyday wine enthusiast, such descriptions might not only sound extravagant but also entirely bewildering.

This highlights a poignant observation: Tasting notes, with their often elaborate lexicon, tend to be more confusing than clarifying for the average wine drinker.

Supporting this notion is a study from 2007 where participants, amateur wine enthusiasts, were presented with two wines alongside tasting notes from professional critics. Each wine came with purportedly distinct characteristics; one was described as "lively with hints of rich minerality," and the other as "refined with slate, showing a soil-fruit battle." When asked to match the wines with their respective descriptions, the success rate of the participants was no better than a random guess—an indication of how inscrutable such tasting notes can be to the untrained palate.

In pursuit of a solution to this enigma, the author sought insights from Ann Noble, a sensory chemist and professor in California credited with creating the tasting notes used in the study. Witnessing the struggle of her students to articulate wine aromas, Noble was motivated to establish a more systematic approach to this inherent challenge. The result was the development of the Wine Aroma Wheel, a pioneering tool that simplified wine description into 12 accessible categories, including spicy, fragrant, woody, and earthy, among others.

Noble's innovative aroma wheel was designed to democratize wine tasting, using only descriptors that could be readily found in an average supermarket. This accessibility meant steering clear of niche references like "dessicated strawberry" or "dusty road," opting instead for more universally recognizable aromas.

Despite this push towards standardization, the author acknowledges a lingering appreciation for the poetic and imaginative expressions found in wine narratives. Describing a Nebbiolo as "a male ballet dancer" or a German Riesling as resembling "a killer pair of stiletto heels" adds a layer of allure and fantasy to the experience of wine tasting. While there is merit in making wine descriptors more tangible and universally understandable, there remains room in the wine world for those evocative, if not entirely precise, descriptions that can captivate and inspire the imagination.

From Novice to Certified Sommelier: A Toast to Perseverance

A full turn of the seasons had passed since Bianca Bosker embarked on her immersive journey into the world of wine. With the Certified Sommelier exam on the horizon, she found herself in the throes of intensive preparation. Her mornings were dedicated to solitary blind tastings, her smartphone was a treasury of 1,000 wine-related flashcards, and she could eloquently discuss the nuances of Brunello di Montalcino's aging requirements. It was a testament to her unwavering dedication.

This brings us to a pivotal realization: Through sheer determination and a rigorous pursuit of knowledge, Bosker conquered her sommelier exam, affirming that the art of wine is indeed a realm open to mastery.

Despite her exhaustive preparation, it was the service aspect of the exam that loomed as her greatest challenge. Bosker's evenings became rehearsals of grace and precision within the confines of her kitchen, where she practiced serving faux guests with a blend of hope and imagined elegance. The stakes of real-life spillage were replaced by the forgiving presence of empty chairs.

When the day of reckoning arrived, anxiety gripped her. The task was to serve a Master Sommelier—referred to as Master Keith—sparkling wine, and demonstrate a flawless service technique. This segment of the exam was her Achilles' heel.

The procedure was etched in her mind: meticulously remove the foil, secure the napkin, cautiously untwist the cage, and ease the cork out with a balance of pressure and finesse. Her previous attempts at practice had been a comedy of errors—corks astray, prosecco fountains, and bottles that remained stubbornly sealed.

Yet, in the decisive moment of truth, every motion aligned seamlessly. The cork whispered its exit from the bottle, rather than declaring it. She served with the poise of a seasoned professional, pouring precisely, navigating the table clockwise, and adeptly addressing the spectrum of queries Master Keith presented—from the intricacies of Champagne vintages to the ideal Californian wine pairings for salmon.

To Bosker's astonishment and elation, she passed. Eighteen months since her initiation into a world once alien to her, she emerged not only as a certified sommelier but as a fervent ambassador of wine. She took a position at Terroir, a Manhattan wine bar with a spirited vibe, where she delighted in guiding patrons through their vinous adventures. Each time a diner took another sip, requested another glass, or indulged in another bottle, her journey came full circle—her happiness found in their discovery and enjoyment.

A Journey from Novice to Wine Aficionado

The world of top sommeliers is one marked by an unyielding dedication to the craft of wine tasting. Employing an extraordinary olfactory prowess and a comprehensive understanding of viniculture, these masters of wine immerse themselves completely in their quest for the pinnacle of beverage experiences. While the level of commitment seen in professional sommeliers might seem daunting, their practices and insights offer valuable lessons for anyone looking to deepen their appreciation of wine.

Embarking on this journey requires an open mind and a willingness to enhance one’s sensory capabilities. By honing your sense of smell and taste, you unlock the doors to a richer, more fulfilling wine experience. This pursuit doesn’t just elevate your enjoyment of wine; it transforms the very act of selecting a bottle into a confident expression of knowledge and preference, liberating you from the constraints of uncertainty and the all-too-common fallback of choosing the second cheapest option on the menu.

Embrace the lessons from the world of sommeliers, and you'll find yourself on a rewarding path, where each glass of wine is not just a drink but a discovery, a story, and an adventure to be savored.