Paula Maia's Wine blog

Back at work after ten days visiting wineries in Austria and Italy. I’ll be posting details about those visits soon. Now I’m a bit busy resuming Wine Tuesdays, the weekly wine tasting event I do at my place, Oak Wine Bar.

Every Tuesday I pick a theme based on a grape variety; a wine region; a particular winery or anything that I wake up in the mood for. Then I go on to select the wines I’ll present. As I taste them beforehand, I start to think of what would be nice to eat with it, and I create a little tasting menu to complement the wines.

What intrigues me is how beautiful it is to stop everything and pay attention to the sensations one experience from all the different flavors that emerge from a glass of wine. As we begin to toss up ideas as to what is going on the palate and mind, it inevitably creates this energy that reminds me why I love this event so much.

www.oakwinebar.com

Wow, I just finished the Advanced Sommelier course of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, level 3. It was quite a challenge for me, giving the fact that I chose the one week intensive format. Each day we tasted about 18 wines from pretty much every corner of the world. Of course I loved, and always have, the Chablis, the Saint Emilion, the Margaux, but what really caught my attention were the wines from Eastern Europe.

When was the last time you walked into a wine store and thought to yourself; uh, how about a Romanian Pinot Noir tonight? Or should I go for an Agiorgitiko or for an Assyrtiko? I never really had this dilemma. While I was fully enjoying the course, I must say that I was freaking out about the exam. Now I’m pretty confident that I did well and most likely passed, however I still need to wait another 8 weeks for the official result, which can be a surprise. Did I really do well?

But, why wait? I celebrated it already buying myself a ticket to Europe! I haven’t figured out which wine region or regions I will visit this time, but Alsace, Austria and Italy is in the works. I’d be happy with any, since all I care for is the amazing wines that the old world continue to produce. Pictures to tell will follow.