AlexRed
Northern VA
Barrel Filler
Posts:1347
 | | 02/11/2005 9:41 PM |
| sorry if this is already listed elsewhere. Maybe i searched incorrectly...
do any of you find that increased consumption of coffee affects your ability to distinguish flavors/nuances of wine? positively, negatively? a lot? a little?
and I am not talking about a burned tongue, just a tongue that has seen a lot of coffee that day/afternoon.
are there any other beverages that you have learned to avoid? any foods? meaning day, afternoon or evening of.
"....are you chewing gum?!" - Sideways ahahahaha
thanks
Alex | | | |
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Randy Sloan
St. Helena
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2059
| | 02/11/2005 11:17 PM |
| Interesting question. I'm looking forward to the responses because I drinkA LOT of coffee throughout the day. I don't know if it negatively affects my palate since if I haven't had any coffee for the day, I feel so lousy, I wouldn't enjoy the wine anyway.
Quote:
are there any other beverages that you have learned to avoid? any foods? meaning day, afternoon or evening of.
Tequila. Foods (i.e. salad dressings) high in vinegar. | |
Randy Sloan
Match Vineyards | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 02/12/2005 12:20 AM |
| | I normally drink one mug of strong coffee in the morning, then none for the rest of the day. I don't think it affects me at all, and I don't believe it would affect my wine tasting 15 minutes after I finished it. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12385
| | 02/12/2005 4:56 AM |
| The idea/goal of coffee is not to gulp it all they long (& in many cases to kill the "bitter" taste with cold milk, sugar, &/or water) so as to stay awake @ work. The concept of coffee is to enjoy & savor a great cup (much like a glass of fine wine).
Unfortunately, in America coffee became a fast-food type product/afterthought.
I find coffee compliments my wine taste. Much like wine, I concentrate on the taste, fruit, aroma, finish, balance, depth, etc… The 2 don't clash in my opinion.
Some foods will clash with certain wines. But, it's hard to generalize. It really depends on the food/wine you are trying to match/compliment that particular time.
If you are not sure what wine will compliment (or work best) with what dish/food, make a post in the Food Pairing section, & chances are people will suggest what variety will work best with the food you are planning. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 02/12/2005 2:32 PM |
| | For me, except for certain celebratory occasions, caffeine is restricted to the morning and alcohol is restricted to the evening. As a result, I don't think the two have much direct effect on each other. However, like lcc said, good coffee responds well to a reflective palate/tasting just like wine. I don't know that drinking coffee helps tune my palate for tasting wine, but the opposite is definitely true: tasting wine has brought a new appreciation for (and ability to distinguish between) characteristics of different coffees. | | | |
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pbubba
Grape Truck Driver
Posts:27
| | 02/12/2005 3:02 PM |
| | Intersting that I'm reading this thread as I'm enjoying a fine cup of Columbian. I agree with raybanz and lcc. I believe that fine coffee, fine tea, and fine food for that matter, actually expand, not limit our palates. The more we enjoy each, the more we appreciate the fine nuances of each. That being said, coffee and tea are generally limited to the morning, so for me they tend not to clash anyway. If coffee is introduced in the evening, it better be damn good. There's nothing like a poor cup of coffee to actually spoil a great meal and a great wine. Excellent and insightful question. | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12385
| | 02/12/2005 5:39 PM |
| I like your quote, BubbaP:
Quote:
I believe that fine coffee, fine tea, and fine food for that matter, actually expand, not limit our palates
One thing I find interesting from the posts of BubbaP/raybanz is that neither enjoys a cup of coffee "in the evening". I do it all the time, all the time. And, many times after having a bottle of wine. Try it guys. A nice cup of coffee to enjoy as that "after dinner drink" is very nice sometimes. Finishes a day off in a nice, relaxing, tasty way... (much like a dessert wine would, or a Cognac XO would, & etc...). | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1475
| | 02/13/2005 5:27 AM |
| I love coffee in the evening. Although I often can't control myself after a particulary satisfying meal, coffee in the evening usually means no good sleep that night  | | | |
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ChangeMe
Barrel Filler
Posts:1210
| | 02/13/2005 5:50 PM |
| | Coffee in the morning presents no issues for me to taste wine in the evening... However when I have coffee in the evening, it means my wine tasting is done for the night. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15713
| | 02/13/2005 6:47 PM |
| | I never touch the stuff... especially when I have to drive! | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 02/13/2005 10:02 PM |
| i have taken to drinking almost 6 cups of coffee in the morning. don't know if it affects my palate though, because i haven't drank in 3 weeks (personals reasons most of you know). but i can say that it makes my real hyper until around 1 pm then i crash real hard  | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts:12385
| | 02/13/2005 10:26 PM |
| No wine in 3 weeks?!? Man, what happens to a person's body??? 
Hope the reason is NOT health related. Everything else is not that critical...
About the 6 cups of coffee: anthonyiezzi, you may want to cut down a bit. That's a lot. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 02/13/2005 10:28 PM |
| | 6 cups with sugar...can you say ZOOMIN???????????? | | | |
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AlexRed
Northern VA
Barrel Filler
Posts:1347
| | 02/14/2005 3:52 AM |
| Cool. Exactly the kind of insight i was aiming for....
I usually have cup of strong stuff in the morning, and then i am pretty good... occasionally one in the afternoon if i am having trouble staying awake...
I too really enjoy my coffee and don't just chug it as a morning ritual. I like it strong, but distinct and tasty and black.... bad coffee really sticks out when it can't hide behind milk and sugar.
i enjoy coffee after dinner at restaurants (Eve in Old Town has the best coffee i have had at a restaurant in my admittedly limited experience) and often times i haven't finished my wine. I don't find that it is detrimental to my enjoyment, but i was wondering what other people with more dicerning palates might think about its affect on their ability to disect flavors.
Thanks.. | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13672
| | 02/15/2005 11:10 PM |
| | I am down to 1-2 cups of coffee a day. I used to pull an Ant on this front, but I found myself getting way too out of control that I had to cut back. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 02/16/2005 5:17 PM |
| tj,
my guys seem to think i should cut down as well. appearently i am already high strung to begin with. who woulda thunk it | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
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ChangeMe
Grape Picker
Posts:20
| | 04/12/2005 11:28 PM |
| Quote:
off topic, but speaking of coffee...
effects of caffeine
I think you've had enough!
Bad coffee is paired well with bad food. Great coffee works well with anything. I don't have any problem tasting wine if I've been drinking coffee...but I'll be the first to admit that my palate is not tuned up yet. Cigars and coffee, now those two I'm ready for! Drinking old coffee or just plane bad coffee will mess with your taste bud issues. If you like the coffee that's served when you go out, ask them to show you brand and/or varietal that they're using. | | | |
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Stephen D.
Grape Fermenter
Posts:678
| | 04/13/2005 3:34 PM |
| On the odd occasion that I have some coffee after dinner, I am always finished with my wine drinking for the evening. If I want something after dinner it would tend to be a cordial such as a Drambuie, B&B, or a cognac, which pairs better with a coffee. If I plan on having some port or an Aussie Sticky et al, I will not have any coffee. I have found that if there is some red wine left over, (How did that happen?), a sour taste develops when drunk simultaneously with the java.
Likewise, the wife and I have our salads after the main course, when the wine is finished, so as to avoid any clashing with the balsamic vinegar. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Picker
Posts:20
| | 04/13/2005 5:08 PM |
| | 10Buckkid, good call on the cordial after dinner. I do the same thing as you by having my salad a the end of the meal...seems to work just fine. | | | |
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