MOUTHWATERING flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry

[TromboneAl]

With dinner, we had a Ravenswood Zinfandel that had MOUTHWATERING flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry, according to the label.

Does anyone really taste those things, or do they just make them up?

The wine was actually pretty good, considering it cost five bucks, but I tried to taste those things, and I couldn't. I can't believe that without reading the label, someone would say, "Hey, this tastes like raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry!"

 

[COcheesehead]

What did it taste like to you?

 

[audreyh1]

Did you taste the fruit in the wine?

 

[LOL!]

I saw a specific report that if one starts losing the sense of smell of berries that it is one of the first signs of dementia. So I would not be concerned that I could not smell any cherry.

 

[aja8888]

Does anyone really taste those things, or do they just make them up?

You have to be a certified wine snob or complete drunk to say you can smell or taste those berries.

 

[COcheesehead]

Some of us CAN actually taste certain elements in wine. What I don’t get is why folks who CAN’T, make fun of those who can.

 

[TromboneAl]

What did it taste like to you?

Wine.

 

[COcheesehead]

Wine.

White, rose, red? Deep, light, medium. Astringent, smooth, complex. Young, old, spicy. Fruity, forest floor, mineral?

 

[RetireBy90]

I find it interesting that you are told these tastes before you taste the wine. I’ve always thought it was power of suggestion. Perhaps it is like COcheesehead says and some can taste while others can’t? I know with cilantro some taste soap and others don’t. Wonder if is like that ?

 

[COcheesehead]

I find it interesting that you are told these tastes before you taste the wine. I’ve always thought it was power of suggestion. Perhaps it is like COcheesehead says and some can taste while others can’t? I know with cilantro some taste soap and others don’t. Wonder if is like that ?

I agree with this. Some can pick out elements of flavor on their palate. Some can’t.

 

[MooreBonds]

With dinner, we had a Ravenswood Zinfandel that had MOUTHWATERING flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry, according to the label.

Does anyone really taste those things, or do they just make them up?

The wine was actually pretty good, considering it cost five bucks, but I tried to taste those things, and I couldn't. I can't believe that without reading the label, someone would say, "Hey, this tastes like raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry!"

When you see a 'flavor' listed on a wine bottle label, it's never going to be like if you had ______ in your right hand, and the wine in a glass in your left, and the wine will be 'similar' to the essence you get from the ____ in your right hand. A wine 'flavor' is just a hint of the sensation. Personally, I rarely sense ALL of the flavors on the label. Different people can sense different things. And at Sommelier school, you actually have dozens of little boxes that you open up, sniff a few times, then put your nose in a glass with wine that has that scent to "look for it", and alternate back and forth to 'find' the scent (or so I've heard).

So don't expect to be drinking a glass that has "ripe peach" on the label and expect it to taste like you just took a big ol' bite of a ripe, juicy freestone from Georgia.

There are also ways to enhance your wine experience (different swirlings in your mouth, different ways to swallow it so it gets more arisol-ized and more to your scent receptors in your nasal cavities) to try to sense those flavors more. Also, taking a big bite of a flavorful steak and then taking a big gulp of wine could make it quite difficult to sense anything.

 

[MRG]

I get more of a faint odor than a taste. If I get the taste it is the first time it hits my palate.
There's many things I can't smell. Most are more pungent smells.

I also find cannibis to have more of an odor than taste. Girl Scout Cookies(thin mint cut) smells like Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. How did they do that?

 

[Col. Klink]

Here's a cost savings hint for the frugal of this forum. Have one glass of decent wine to start. Experience the aroma, the bouquet, etc. After that fine glass move on the Three Buck Chuck because after the first glass, it is really hard to tell the difference (IMHO).

 

[BigNick]

I remember seeing a reader's letter to a newspaper a while back that said "All this stuff about peach and elderflower... what if I want my wine to taste of grapes?"

The answer was, get an Alsace Muscat. Quite right too. Dry (unlike many Muscats) and very fruity. The only problem is pairing it with food. In Alsace, Muscat is traditionally served as an aperitif, or with just one food: asparagus.

(BTW, that means "a bottle of wine labeled 'Muscat' from the Alsace region of France. There are actually two Muscat grape varieties, "Muscat d'Alsace" and "Muscat Ottonel", and confusingly, Alsace Muscat wine is mostly made from Muscat Ottonel grapes.)

 

[Chuckanut]

I have always been suspect of the various flavors one is supposed to find in good wine. OTOH, I occasionally do detect a flavor myself. Overall I just like how the beverage goes with various foods and good company.

Now, talking about a good whiskey/scotch, that's when i really detected some interesting flavors when drinking some very fine examples that were 'out of my paying grade'.

 

[audreyh1]

I can definitely tastes the differences in the different reds we have. I can say from experience what kind of food it will go best with. It’s awesome when the food and wine enhance each other. But beyond that I have never tried to taste specific flavors. Body is obvious, dryness, fruitiness, tannins, is distinguishable. We drink wine with food, so as long as I’ve got the pairing right, and I usually do, I’m a happy camper.

 

[EarlyBirdly]

Very nice Strawberry essence with a clean citrus like finish.

 

[EarlyBirdly]

Hints of light weight motor oils with a resonant Cough Syrup note.

 

[EarlyBirdly]

Taasty. Hints of ....Hints of...Oh, Man. Uh, what was the question again?

 

[TromboneAl]

Is there anybody who believes the world's #1 wine taster, if given a glass of this wine (without reading the label) would say:

"Hmm. Well, there's a hint of ... raspberry. Wait. Not just raspberry but, uh, ripe raspberry. Hmm. Yes, it's a spicy ripe raspberry. Some cherry. Some boysenberry. And ... well, that's weird. It's definitely stimulating my salivary glands. Huh!"

One way to know that wouldn't happen? There's no such thing as a "spicy raspberry." Jalapenos can be spicy. Raspberries, not so much.

It's much more likely that some Madison Ave advertising man came up with those terms and ran a focus group to test them. When his boss read the copy, he said:

"Spicy raspberry? You're a genius, Johnson!"

 

[COcheesehead]

I can detect flavors in coffees, spirits, wine. I’ve had people tell me they sense flavors, but can’t put a descriptor to it. I think that is half the issue of identifying flavors. Pepper is an easy one. Fruits don’t have to be identified by type. You can taste general categories. Dark fruit, purple or blue fruits and red fruits. Floral flavors in whites are also easy. They taste like a flower.
If you drink plonk, that all tastes the same to me. Sugary, sweet, alcohol.

 

[W2R]

With dinner, we had a Ravenswood Zinfandel that had MOUTHWATERING flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry, according to the label.

Does anyone really taste those things, or do they just make them up?

The wine was actually pretty good, considering it cost five bucks, but I tried to taste those things, and I couldn't. I can't believe that without reading the label, someone would say, "Hey, this tastes like raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry!"

Eww.

If you want mouthwatering flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry, why not (gasp! ) enjoy a nice bowl of spicy ripe raspberries, cherries, and boysenberries? Sure beats guzzling wine while trying to detect nearly nonexistent flavors.

OK, I am a teetotaler so maybe that explains my bias. But me, I sure wouldn't choose a bottle of wine in order to experience those flavors.

I think the reason they claim this on the label, is to get you to drink more of it as you try to detect what are basically imperceptible flavors.

 

[MRG]

Taasty. Hints of ....Hints of...Oh, Man. Uh, what was the question again?

Young and fruity. Definitely a citrus aroma. Nice trichomes too.

 

[audreyh1]

I know I definitely get green apple from the Domain Ste. Michelle brut. Some whites have pear flavors, and some citrus.

 

[NW-Bound]

With dinner, we had a Ravenswood Zinfandel that had MOUTHWATERING flavors of spicy ripe raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry, according to the label.

Does anyone really taste those things, or do they just make them up?

The wine was actually pretty good, considering it cost five bucks, but I tried to taste those things, and I couldn't. I can't believe that without reading the label, someone would say, "Hey, this tastes like raspberry, cherry, and boysenberry!"

Hey, plagiarism is rampant, in the wine review world too.

Here's what I just found on the Web:

This ruby rich delight is packed with mouth-watering sumptuousness with hints of bramble, blackberry, boysenberry, Don Cherry and Frankenberry flourishes. A treat to open tonight with beef testicles or lamb spleen escabeche. Also an ideal companion for manic-depression. Shows promise to last longer than your belief in an afterlife.

How about this review of a white?

Straw yellow colour, reminds of bottles peed in when too lazy to leave the couch. Wafts of apples, pears and armpits on the subway, this one surely won’t disappoint. Break the seal tonight to help you forget you have to repeat the same day tomorrow or save it for next year after you’ve realized anyone can do your job. Good with pork or pancakes, this stunner is ripe for self-medicating any time of day.