It’s not without peril this wine-tasting thing.

Yesterday was a modest day from the perspective of ‘number of tastings’ – I had just four appointments, one in the morning and three in the afternoon. But it was far from a modest quantity of samples:
Tasting #1 – 31 wines
Tasting #2 – 31 wines
Tasting #3 – 38 wines
And tasting number 4? Well, there was no number 4 – I had to cancel it. I was feeling quite alcoholically light-headed at the end of tasting number 3. Of-course I was spitting, not drinking, and I’ve done 100 wines before without this effect – but 2015s have more alcohol than most vintages, so I guess that may have been a contributing factor.

But there are various factors to consider; firstly I probably should have driven anywhere – though I did drive 2 minutes to Beaune’s Grand Frais – or rather its bakery – to take on some stomach ballast. I felt much better after. But I really wouldn’t have done a professional job at rendezvous number 4, and certainly shouldn’t drive after yet another 20 wines.

So how do those reviewers who make 8-12 visits per day a) drive safely and b) not suffer from alcohol-related medical issues?

Still, the excess of major Côte d’Or tastings finishes for me in a couple of weeks. Then, after a short tasting holiday, I’ll be doing the same again in Chablis in January and then in Beaujolais in February 🙂