Just a quick post today as I’ll be traveling and studying over the next few days. I’m heading to London for my Sparkling and Fortified wine exams on the 22nd. (Wish me luck!) While I might be able to sneak in a 60 Second Review, I’ll wrap up my series on the superlatives and exceptions of Champagne when I get back.
However, as part of my studies, I’ve been reviewing several of my favorite podcasts on blind tasting that I thought I’ll share. If you know of anyone having blind tasting exams coming up, this is a great list to email them.
Interpreting Wine with Lawrence Francis
I haven’t written a full review of an Interpreting Wine episode yet. But after being recommended this podcast by Noelle Harman of Outwines, I’ve been really digging it.
Francis conducted an excellent series of interviews on blind tasting sparkling and fortified wines with (now) Master of Wine Christine Marsiglio and Jim Gore of the Global Wine Academy. They are absolute “must-listen” for anyone taking WSET Diploma exams.
Ep 263: Prosecco | Sparkling tasting with WSET (20:48)
Ep 264: Cava | Sparkling tasting with WSET. (19:47)
Ep 265: Champagne | Sparkling tasting with WSET (25:57)
Ep 353: Jim Gore, The Science of Taste, Blind Tasting Series. (43:23)
Ep 354: Jim Gore, Fortified Tasting, Blind Tasting Series. (27:03)
UK Wine Show with Chris Scott
I did a feature on the UK Wine Show covering episode 111 with Ian D’Agata. Chris Scott is a WSET educator for Levels 1-3, so his episodes give a good idea of what examiners are looking for. While not speaking to the Diploma level, these podcasts are still a very useful review of the WSET’s systematic approach to tasting.
Decoding the WSET L3 SAT Part 1 – Eyes (8:58 with interview only)
Decoding the WSET L3 SAT Part 2 – Nose. (15:15)
Decoding the WSET L3 SAT Part 3 – Mouth. (25:02)
Decoding the WSET L3 SAT Part 4 – Conclusions (11:48)
Godfrey Spence series
Godfrey Spence is a WSET educator and Decanter World Wine Awards judge. He’s also the author of The Port Companion.
How to taste wine the WSET SAT L3 way with Godfrey Spence Part 1 (14:35 with interview only)
How to taste wine the WSET SAT L3 way with Godfrey Spence Part 2. (16:28)
How to taste wine the WSET SAT L3 way with Godfrey Spence Part 3 (10:17 )
How to taste wine the WSET SAT way with Godfrey Spence. The Nose. (12:50 with interview only).
How to taste wine the WSET SAT way with Godfrey Spence The Mouth – Part 1 (14:08)
How to taste wine the WSET SAT way with Godfrey Spence The Mouth – Part 2 (14:59)
GuildSomm
I’ve featured the Guildsomm podcast on a couple of Geek Notes about Champagne. For wine students, it’s truly one of the best wine podcasts you could subscribe to.
The episodes below tend to take a very technical approach. While there are notable differences between the blind tasting exams for the Court of Master Sommeliers and those of the WSET/MW programs, piecing together the underlying theory is still the same.
As I mentioned in my post on the Top 5 YouTube Videos on Sherry Wine, GuildSomm also has a YouTube channel. This is another tremendous resource which often has videos on blind tasting. I’ll share below the first part (7:05) of a great series on playing 20 questions with blind tasting.
2013 Blind Tasting Series Part 1/3 (30:51)
2013 Blind Tasting Series Part 2/3. (33:31)
2013 Blind Tasting Series Part 3/3 (1:00:29)
Three Approaches to Blind Tasting (57:50)
Blind Tasting Questions (1:03:14)
Podcast: Interview with John Hoskins, MW on the tasting exam for the Masters of Wine (45:49)
Blind Tasting & Poetry with Master of Wine Nick Jackson on his book Beyond Flavour (51:36) – I was lucky enough to get a copy of Jackson’s new book and I highly recommend it.
Know of any other great podcasts on blind tasting?
Post them in the comments. I’m always on the hunt for more recommendations.