Absolutely Fabulous

• So, evidently there was a party over yonder where I lucky lil ole me won an award...
  
  

I feel as though my lifestyle is substantially less than the woman depicted in this award. Although I do have the small dog...my pups do not wear shades, but they do sport fabulous Anthropoligie sweaters...and that is truly fabulous...earlier I received this award from a fellow giant of spirit in yet another witty way that leaves me stammering...

Perhaps, I am more Absolutely Fabulous...come on, you know, what I mean...

All this talk of fabulous reminds me of almost every wine online buyer comment...I know I too have slipped into the bear trap of "faaaabulous..."


I think many a reviewer suffers from "Fabulous" Terets...and the end result is that you do not really know anything more afterwards...other than that their opinion of fabulous ranks this pretty darn high...


So if we are giving out awards for fabulousity...it should have some reference point...

Although, if you have a wine tasting like this...



it might be a bit difficult to fine tune your reference points for a wine...

So we could use the ever handy Filoli's Five Points to Fabulous:

1. Do you smell that?

No really, what do you smell...take in and do short sniffs...

Does it smell fruity?



Does it smell like you are trapped in a throng of smelly sweaty people?


Get in there and nose around, have No Regrets about it and answer whether it has a medicinal smell that you don't particularly care for?

2. How is that Body?

The body of a wine is the weight of the wine. Is it light, medium, full? Does it slip quickly across your tongue or does it linger and coat? A reference point is usually made to milk (think of a range between skim to half-and-half)...or you could describe it like bicycle tires...

Was it fast and smooth like a racing tire?

A unique mix of lightness but enough traction like a cyclocross tire?

Or did it have a fat whiskered mountain bike of a tire feel?

Think about how the wine moves...is it quick or are you dragging it across like this princess?



Understand that assessing the weight of a wine is not a reflection on quality or flavor...

It is just a necessary Speedbump that must be evaluated so that you can better pair your wines and not find yourself Confessing serving a heavy white wine with a light fish meal...

3. Mouthfeel'n It Up

Mouthfeel is slightly different than Body because when we are talking about mouthfeel we are talking about the texture of a wine - not the weight of the wine. Most often mouthfeel is described with references to fabric.

Is it as smooth and slick as a silk ribbon?

or is it bumpy and gritty like a grosgrain bow?

Do want to curl up in and cuddle in it like your favorite thick flannel blanket?

Is it fuzzy like angora yarn?

If you take time to highlight the mouthfeel you will allow your reader (or just yourself) to better understand the Fascinating Life of the wine.

4. Flavor-Fav

The basics of flavor are Sweet, Sour, Salty or Bitter. Remember that if it is a complex (better wine) it is going to smack you with variations and transitions.

For instance you may be swimming in Bitter for what seems like forever, transition through Sour, Sweetly cycle through rollers, hit a quick Salty transition, then float for miles in fruity sweetness to a beautiful finish.

So although it is frustrating to challenge yourself to see if you have the Iron to experience it - you should at least TRI once!

5. All the Colors

Okay, I know most tasting guides start with color. I say "no" do it last because most people look at color wrong anyway and it doesn't really give you too much insight (other than age) and it is best to tuck it away and savor it at the end of the tasting...like appreciating a glorious sunset at the end of a long ride...

Now when you are basking in the color of this amazing liquid light and earth creation floating in your sexy glass - DO NOT hold it up in the air above your head or against a light. You want to look down on it or across it at a 45 degree angle...and definitely against a white background...or fresh snow on a mountain begging you to ride...


All of this is so you can see the depth and true diversity of the blend or grape that rests in front of you...

think of this as a grand journey...

Does it remind you of a silk in India?

Is it inky with the sparkle of your Little Ethiopian's eyes?




So this was my lil tour of what I think is fabulous and how (and who) I think speak fabulously...

and if you happen to find yourself here...

or lucky enough to be running through vineyards here...

The Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc

You can say with great PRIDE, you know it is...




So for you the fabulous to continue...

Here are the rules to receiving this award:

You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous bloggers in a post.

You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.

(Mine are here you just have to look...no list for you...you tell me what my addictions are...how's that...)

You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

Cheers!