I completely relate to this essay! I have had insomnia my whole life. And I have tried to lull myself to sleep with classical music and find myself jolted awake at older recordings of live performances that don’t mute the audience noise. I think you present some really thoughtful concepts here, regarding wine tasting as an in-the-moment point of view. Lots to consider!
Thanks Amanda, I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it relatable! Sometimes when you're up past 3am, it can feel like you're the only one – but it's surprising how similar our experiences are. I suppose those figurative little coughs – in recordings and in tasting notes – remind us of the human imperfections in all these things.
I was thinking as I was reading, how can we listen to the voice of the wine? And if we savour and listen to great accompanied musical storytelling, do we grant the wine agency to voice its own lifecycle and surprise us in unexpected ways?
Indeed, wine often does surprise us unexpectedly. We opened a 2004 Barolo last night – mouldy cork, not kept in the best conditions, expecting it to be knackered – but it was still surprisingly fresh. It was definitely voicing its own agency as a living, evolving thing.
Ahh Scheherazade! Those gorgeous melodies and fabulous orchestration. But I’m afraid it would keep me awake. A bit like the Sultan, I’d always want to know how the story ends.
I always enjoy reading tasting notes, and for me they’re all about whetting the appetite. It’s a bit like the programme notes at a concert, the sleeve notes of a CD, or especially the reviews of a recording.
I must admit I don’t like audience noise in a classical concert, but as you say, on a recording it can remind you of the human being behind the microphone. The Canadian pianist Glen Gould was notorious for singing along whilst playing, which drives some people mad, but doesn’t bother me.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. They always give me food for thought.
Thank you, really glad you enjoy reading our posts! Admittedly, there are moments when music can become very dramatic (a far cry from the typical lullaby) but it's the perfect distraction when you're wide awake at 3am and sleep isn't within reach. I personally think Glen Gould singing along sounds quite charming! But I can see how some might think there's too much of the person in the music for their liking.
Another beautifully written essay! I am a terrible sleeper but, after and because of 12 years of music lessons, I watch commentary YouTubers or environmental disaster videos between 1am and 3:30am 😂. I feel erm inadequate compared to your sensible and beautiful Rimsky-Korsakov choice.
I think good tasting notes convey a solid sense of what the wine smells/tastes like. A great tasting note paints a picture of what the wine feels like and what it feels like to drink it. Though, in terms of commerce, the best tasting note is the one that makes you buy the wine! As you've said, we taste differently and with different reference points...your tribe will appreciate your poetic or clinical vibe. Wine exam style notes are universal and hella useful...universal and useful to fellow wine students. Capturing the feeling with emotive writing is a beautiful way of building a picturesque memory of the wine for oneself.
Ultimately, I'm most moved by a counterpoint (contrapuntal ?) fugue where the poetry intertwines with tangible descriptions to deliver a layered and fuller picture of the wine. And the next time you or someone else opens the wine, the living moment will be a variation on that picture...but with an underlying leitmotif established in the first few bars.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the read. Wow your insomnia viewing preferences are quite niche haha! I agree with your thoughts on tasting notes – there's a time and a place for different types of notes, and there's no "one size fits all". Conveying a sense of the wine is a definite must-have. But to what extent differs for each audience. A poetic experimental tasting note would certainly not be appropriate for my day job – but then I can come here and write a very indulgent essay on such things!
He he he - I recognise that tsunamis and tornadoes are not the best cure to insomnia...but they make me realise that there are bigger problems in the world than those that are keeping me awake? And that helps me go to sleep...eventually. Theres' definitely room for both types of notes...and different audiences. But your writing here stops me in my tracks. Your pacing is beautiful. I hoard your pieces to indulge in during guilt free moments that allow for slow, meaningful, wandering thoughts. It's a lot more memorable than reading 'medium minus length' because we're too afraid to commit 😂!
I can see the logic in that, for sure! Thank you for your very kind comment - it's so lovely to know that our pieces are being savoured in that way. I write much more "commercial" stuff for work (often to the specifications of someone higher up the pecking order), so it really delights me that there's an audience for these slower, more meandering thought pieces too. It makes it all worthwhile!
I completely relate to this essay! I have had insomnia my whole life. And I have tried to lull myself to sleep with classical music and find myself jolted awake at older recordings of live performances that don’t mute the audience noise. I think you present some really thoughtful concepts here, regarding wine tasting as an in-the-moment point of view. Lots to consider!
Thanks Amanda, I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it relatable! Sometimes when you're up past 3am, it can feel like you're the only one – but it's surprising how similar our experiences are. I suppose those figurative little coughs – in recordings and in tasting notes – remind us of the human imperfections in all these things.
That’s a great way to approach it!
I was thinking as I was reading, how can we listen to the voice of the wine? And if we savour and listen to great accompanied musical storytelling, do we grant the wine agency to voice its own lifecycle and surprise us in unexpected ways?
Indeed, wine often does surprise us unexpectedly. We opened a 2004 Barolo last night – mouldy cork, not kept in the best conditions, expecting it to be knackered – but it was still surprisingly fresh. It was definitely voicing its own agency as a living, evolving thing.
Ahh Scheherazade! Those gorgeous melodies and fabulous orchestration. But I’m afraid it would keep me awake. A bit like the Sultan, I’d always want to know how the story ends.
I always enjoy reading tasting notes, and for me they’re all about whetting the appetite. It’s a bit like the programme notes at a concert, the sleeve notes of a CD, or especially the reviews of a recording.
I must admit I don’t like audience noise in a classical concert, but as you say, on a recording it can remind you of the human being behind the microphone. The Canadian pianist Glen Gould was notorious for singing along whilst playing, which drives some people mad, but doesn’t bother me.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy reading your posts. They always give me food for thought.
Thank you, really glad you enjoy reading our posts! Admittedly, there are moments when music can become very dramatic (a far cry from the typical lullaby) but it's the perfect distraction when you're wide awake at 3am and sleep isn't within reach. I personally think Glen Gould singing along sounds quite charming! But I can see how some might think there's too much of the person in the music for their liking.
Another beautifully written essay! I am a terrible sleeper but, after and because of 12 years of music lessons, I watch commentary YouTubers or environmental disaster videos between 1am and 3:30am 😂. I feel erm inadequate compared to your sensible and beautiful Rimsky-Korsakov choice.
I think good tasting notes convey a solid sense of what the wine smells/tastes like. A great tasting note paints a picture of what the wine feels like and what it feels like to drink it. Though, in terms of commerce, the best tasting note is the one that makes you buy the wine! As you've said, we taste differently and with different reference points...your tribe will appreciate your poetic or clinical vibe. Wine exam style notes are universal and hella useful...universal and useful to fellow wine students. Capturing the feeling with emotive writing is a beautiful way of building a picturesque memory of the wine for oneself.
Ultimately, I'm most moved by a counterpoint (contrapuntal ?) fugue where the poetry intertwines with tangible descriptions to deliver a layered and fuller picture of the wine. And the next time you or someone else opens the wine, the living moment will be a variation on that picture...but with an underlying leitmotif established in the first few bars.
Aka: 12 years of Bach 😂😂😂!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the read. Wow your insomnia viewing preferences are quite niche haha! I agree with your thoughts on tasting notes – there's a time and a place for different types of notes, and there's no "one size fits all". Conveying a sense of the wine is a definite must-have. But to what extent differs for each audience. A poetic experimental tasting note would certainly not be appropriate for my day job – but then I can come here and write a very indulgent essay on such things!
He he he - I recognise that tsunamis and tornadoes are not the best cure to insomnia...but they make me realise that there are bigger problems in the world than those that are keeping me awake? And that helps me go to sleep...eventually. Theres' definitely room for both types of notes...and different audiences. But your writing here stops me in my tracks. Your pacing is beautiful. I hoard your pieces to indulge in during guilt free moments that allow for slow, meaningful, wandering thoughts. It's a lot more memorable than reading 'medium minus length' because we're too afraid to commit 😂!
I can see the logic in that, for sure! Thank you for your very kind comment - it's so lovely to know that our pieces are being savoured in that way. I write much more "commercial" stuff for work (often to the specifications of someone higher up the pecking order), so it really delights me that there's an audience for these slower, more meandering thought pieces too. It makes it all worthwhile!