At a wine tasting

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1. AND OUR NEXT WINE IS...

Emma and Carol are at a wine tasting, where the host, Ken, is introducing the next wine.

Ken: Now, our next wine is from the Valpolicella region of Italy. Again, I’m not going to say too much about it before you try it. So, first of all, how would you describe the colour?

Carol: It’s quite a dark red, isn’t it? Ken: Yes! It has a dark, intense, garnet red colour. Now, the nose. Swirl the wine around the glass to release the

aromas and then stick your nose in and have a good old sniff. (sniffs) What can you smell?

Carol: Eh, plums, or is it cherries? Ken: Yes, both. What else?

Emma: I’m getting a whiff of dark,

roasted coffee.

Ken: Yes! So, we have plums and cherries, and coffee, even chocolate. Now, what about the taste?

2. WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? Emma and Carol are trying a red wine from the Valpolicella region of Italy.

Ken: Take a sip and allow a little air into your mouth at the same time. This will accentuate the flavours. (sips)

Carol: Mmm! Oh, that’s gorgeous. I’ve never tasted a wine like this before.

Ken: Yes, I thought you might like it. What is it that you like about it?

Carol: Everything! It has a very nice velvety texture and it’s just so... opulent.

Ken: Well, yes. It has a relatively high alcohol content at 15 per cent, and it’s full-bodied with lovely rich flavours. What can you taste?

Emma: Cherries, prunes, straw

berries...

Carol: And vanilla, and toast.

Ken: Excellent! Yes! I can also taste clove and nutmeg, leather and oak.

Emma: You’re right. How much is

this? It tastes expensive.

3. ALL ABOUT THE WINE Ken is telling Emma and Carol more about the wine they have just tasted.

Ken: I’ll tell you the price of the wine in a moment, but would anyone like to hazard a guess as to what kind of wine it is? (pause) No? Well, it’s an Amarone della Valpolicella.

Carol: Ah! That’s what I was going

to say.

Ken: (laughs) It’s produced mainly from the corvina grape. After they’re harvested, the grapes are airdried, and they shrivel up into raisins. This concentrates the sugar and the flavours in the grapes. The process is called appassimento. Amarone is a wine that’s well suited to ageing. It goes very well with game and also mature cheese. How much would you pay for a bottle?

Emma: I’d pay £40 for a bottle — just

not very often.

Ken: (laughs) That’s about right. Now, would anyone like some more?

Carol: Yes, please!

Emma: Yes, please!