Comments on: Holy spritz! Water delivers flavors

By: Dave Erickson

Dave Erickson — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:49:32 +0000

Just to expand a bit on Dan’s comment: A single-malt Scotch aficionado will nose and taste a glass of whisky straight, then add a bit of water to release more aromas.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:48:28 +0000

While it does seem, on the face of it, counterintuitive, if you stop and think about things like a Scotch and Soda, or Bourbon and water, it’s not done to extend the drink, but to bring out the aromas. Not surprising that it works well with wine too, though it’s always good to have the authority of McGee behind you when you tell people these things.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:58:20 +0000

And it was considered unacceptable to not water your wine down in ancient Greece and Rome, only drunkards consumed wine without water.
Granted, the water back then may not have been that safe to drink without wine to make it somewhat safer.
Now the big question will be, what kind of water? Distillled, fancy bottled water, or straight from the tap. Probably not the last one unless filtered a few times, unless if you live somewhere like up here in the Pacific NW where the water is fantastic. I can’t even brush my teeth with the water down in So. Cal, much less drink it.

By: Robbie C.

Robbie C. — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:15:27 +0000

I read once that Napoleon’s favorite wine was Clos de Beze (with water in it). Wasn’t it the fashion to water down wine ages ago?

I definitely add water to wine occasionally. I have found that with wines such at Pinot noir it brings out more of a floral character in the wine..In Cabs and Zins it definitely brings out the fruit (for example, I might taste cherry flavors I didn’t notice before adding water.)

The only problem, for me, is that it totally changes the weight of the wine. After adding water I no longer really consider it wine. It becomes more for drinking (glug, glug) than for tasting/sipping.

By: Gerry Dawes

Gerry Dawes — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:30:11 +0000

Now, I know what I should be doing with the 14.5% to 16% samples I have been tasting, water them down. I know a couple of winemakers in Spain that I am going to try this on the next time I taste wines with them. Of course, they may croak from apoplexy when they see me watering down their 50-100 Euro a bottle wines.

By: Damien

Damien — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:15:20 +0000

This should be contrasted with Clark Smith’s adamant insistence of not rinsing wine glasses with water, but leaving a trace of wine so as to not throw the wine to be tasted out of balance. In practice, and especially for tasting pours, I always prefer to avoid pouring into a glass rinsed with water, but then we don’t pour that many 15% wines. This is fertile ground for experiments if someone has the time.