A late Tuesday afternoon/evening in September saw an innovative new tasting combining the senses while enjoying Languedoc wines. Was it a stuffy, traditional style tasting? No. Did it offer an alternative perspective on wines, wine events and sensory experiences? Yes!
Stretching between Provence and the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and the Mediterranean Sea, the Languedoc has always been a go-to region for good value wine from a huge range of grape varieties 🍇.
With a 2,500-year history of making wine, the region continues to reinvent itself with a new generation of creative, forward-thinking, young winemakers planting new vines in a diverse landscape of soils and microclimates.
There's a strong emphasis on protecting local ecosystems and soil health. The Languedoc is the most eco-friendly wine region in France 🇫🇷 with a third of production having organic and environmental certification.
Recent economic and political turmoil (see - I avoided the B- word there … kind of!) have seen some UK wine prices creeping northwards. Yet, affordability remains a huge factor in many people's wine buying decisions, but different, unusual, interesting choices can appeal too. So, can these all be combined?
It's not as if the Languedoc is unknown, but as a region, it's not always on the average wine drinker's radar. So what better way to promote these wines than an über-cool 😎 tasting with chilled jazz, a manageable number of wines, delicious food, three mini sensory experiences and, if the weather had been better, great views of the London skyline!
These were the challenges with a different wine at each 'sensory station', in addition to a tasting of white, rosé and red Languedoc wines.
Can our enjoyment of wine depend on where and in what situation it is drunk? Widely reported research, carried out by experimental psychologists at Oxford University a decade ago, arrived at this very conclusion, noting that the taste of a wine can be influenced by conditions including light, sound, mood and atmosphere. Therefore, the same wine can taste better - fruitier, less bitter or acidic - on holiday than at home! Similar research (Spence, C., & Wang, Q. (2015). Wine and music (II): can you taste the music? Modulating the experience of wine through music and sound. Flavour, 4(33), 14) also suggested that our perception of taste could be strongly influenced by music.
Several years ago, I attended an experiment where a number of wine professionals tasted the same wine twice, served in a blackened wine glass so we wouldn't be influenced by the colour of the wine, while listening to two pieces of music. The first was discordant, harsh and difficult to listen to. The second was more melodic, mellow and easy on the ear. Everyone agreed that the acidity in the wine felt more pronounced while listening to the first piece of music, whereas the same wine seemed fruitier and smoother with the second. It turned out the wine was a dry German Riesling.
So, was I affected this time by Languedoc vibrations too? Did I pick up different characteristics in the wines when listening to different pieces of music? Was I influenced by my own feelings associated with the music? 🎸 🎷 👩 🎤
Perhaps I was also affected by the order in which I heard each music clip when trying the wine. Yet, both myself and my colleagues felt the influence that music had on our appreciation of the same wine tasted under different conditions.
… and what about the wines at the free-pour tasting?
Biodynamic wine, made from Vermentino, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris.
Aromatic, textured, mineral with notes of citrus and wild herbs plus a hint of spice and melon rind on the finish.
Blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Vermentino.
Light and refreshing with good acidity and notes of white flowers, citrus, a hint of tropical fruit and a long finish.
Available in the UK from Stone, Vine and Sun, £11.95.
Organic wine, made from Marsanne and Grenache Blanc.
Notes of stonefruit with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and a mineral finish.
Pale-pink blend of Grenache, Syrah and Viognier.
Notes of red berries, garrigue herbs, crunchy rhubarb, peach and citrus fruit.
Available in the UK through Ellis of Richmond.
Blend of Grenache and Syrah.
Fresh, bright and aromatic with mixed berry notes plus a refreshing hint of citrus and stone fruit.
Available in the UK from Ocado, £11.50.
Biodynamic wine made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Notes of juicy, red and black fruit with a touch of spice, a velvety mouthfeel, well-integrated tannins and some complexity.
Organic wine, made from Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre.
An aromatic, fruity wine with supple notes of red berry, black cherry, spice and raspberry liquorice with a subtly mineral finish.
Blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault.
An easy-drinking style with notes of red and black fruit, spice and a touch of salty liquorice.
Organic wine, made from Syrah and Grenache.
Moreish notes of loganberry, cherry, wild herbs and spice with a touch of dark chocolate and liquorice.
Blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan.
An aromatic wine brimming with notes of juicy black fruit, spice and garrigue herbs.
As well as showcasing what the Languedoc offers, this tasting was another confirmation that there is far more to wine appreciation than just sight, smell and taste and everyone's personal experience of any wine may be influenced by many factors. With global wine consumption declining, the wine industry is feeling the pressure to win over new consumers and to encourage existing drinkers to seek out new options, ideally including increasing their average spend on a bottle. Perhaps associating wine with music (and I'm not talking about celebrity brands here) is an approach that could be used more, for example, in-store at sampling stations, when hosting wine tastings or as a marketing strategy.
I often use background music at my own events, but perhaps I'll play around with the concept further and experiment with different styles.
Pinot and punk, anyone?
More information on the wines of the Languedoc can be found on the Vins du Languedoc website and you can also find reviews on the Write Taste here.
