Wine Thieves

Spit or Swallow?

When it comes to barrel tasting, it's a universal question with no universal answer.
'To spit or to swallow, that is the question.'
And at the end of the day, it's a personal decision.
(While Peter spits, I prefer to swallow.)

Last week, Peter & I had the fabulous opportunity to sip on top of, between and around barrels of Pinot Noir
with the winemaker of Ghost Hill Cellars - Rebecca Marie Pittock Shouldis (my sis from another miss).
Why do we barrel taste?
That's a good question, and here's the answer.
"It's not about tasting what the wine is at the moment. It's about tasting what the wine will be when it's ready."
(Yep. That's my quote on the matter.)
Now, when it comes to barrel tasting, there are a few things you should be aware of.

THIEF
Because pouring wine out of a barrel, as opposed to a bottle, is damn near impossible, a thief is required to do the job. So, that huge turkey-baster-esque thing you see Rebecca holding is called a 'thief'. Barrels are robbed by this device for tasting & testing purposes. In addition, angels take their share. Let me explain. In the wine industry, the small loss of wine that occurs due to evaporation in the barrel is referred to as the 'angel's share'.

TASTE
When tasting a wine in its stage of adolescence, attention is paid to the level of acid, the quality of tannin and the development of flavors. And then we circle back to the choice of spitting the wine or swallowing it. If you have many barrels to taste through, spitting is generally advised in order to prevent intoxication. That said, to quote Alice (from Alice in Wonderland),
"I tend to give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it."

TALK
After thieving and tasting, it's time to talk. Wine is a natural catalyst for conversation. And when speaking about what's sipped from a barrel, there's a lot to say, as the wine hasn't fully defined itself yet and lends itself to that much more interpretation. While Peter and Rebecca engaged in talking, I continued tasting - swallowing (not spitting) each sip of adolescent Pinot Noir.

- Allie Merrick