The immemorial interplay between wine and love – Oenos and Venus – tends to produce varying erotic emissions according to specific varietals. We can only speak of tendencies because there are no more certainties in the bedroom than there are in the bottle. Different palates perceive different flavors and complexities, just as they do in the wines themselves.
The French as always, have some words for it – degustation des femmes – an apparently sexist tradition well justified, for once, by physiological reality. With an apologetic nod to Him, the flavors She produces when the same wine is shared will be subtler, more varied. He par contre, will produce something more monotonic, more obvious, with more forward flavors. The contrast is not unlike the robust assertive flavor of a varietal like Cabernet versus the gentler, more complex appeal of a Cabernet-based Bordeaux, where the silkiness of merlot softens the harsh, needy edges of the Cab.
But this is perhaps to introduce a confusing element of synesthesia into the whole delicious business. The simple fact is that what wine you drink at the beginning of love – wine is after all foreplay – will affect what you taste later in the process. So sip some wine and sup on each other and write some mouthwatering tasting ‘texts from last night…’
Article from The Final Edition