[The Typing Baker] "Stylish Wine Tasting, Focus on Color Over Taste"… 'Time of Wine'

Recently, wine has frequently appeared at company dinners, and it is a drink that requires you to express some kind of feeling after drinking it. Simply having a glass and ending with "It's delicious" can seem too plain, and using terms like 'body' or 'finish,' which are not easy to grasp, can easily lead to embarrassment if used incorrectly. But when you find yourself in a situation where you can't just stay silent like a mute who has eaten honey, how should you talk about it?

Time of Wine is a friendly introductory book that offers tips on these realistic problems that wine beginners may face. The author advises that if you want to evaluate wine like a sommelier, start by describing the color you see, then the aroma you smell, followed by the taste and the aftertaste you feel with your tongue, moving from the eyes downward. Since not only taste but also sight and smell play a very significant role in actual wine tasting, practicing frequently will enable you to make evaluations that sound impressive like an expert.

Unlike most domestic wine books, which are mostly sommelier certification guides, this book gives a unique impression. The author is also not originally a sommelier. He is a former salaryman who served in Samsung C&T Corporation's trading division, Samsung Human Resources Development Center, and as the Chief Education Officer at Dong-Ahwon Group. Originally a wine enthusiast, after retiring from the company, he went to France for further studies and majored in Wine Management at the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The charm of this book, which delves into the concerns of wine consumers, is closely related to his career.

It is said that even wines stored for a long time in the refrigerator at home have different ideal drinking temperatures depending on the type. Red wines, such as Bordeaux reds and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are known as good wines, should be enjoyed at a temperature of about 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, which is higher than the drinking temperature of white wines, to fully appreciate their flavor. White wines are best served around 10 degrees Celsius, and sparkling wines like Champagne should be consumed between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius.

Another appeal of this book is that it allows readers to enjoy various humanities-related contents intertwined with wine. In Europe, there is a traditional etiquette of clinking glasses loudly before drinking, called 'Clinking.' In the Middle Ages, it was customary to clink glasses so that a little of one's wine would spill into the other person's glass, which originated as a way to confirm that the wine was not poisoned during a time when poisoning was rampant.

The story about the differences between European and American wines is also interesting. Unlike European wines, which adhere to traditional production methods and emphasize natural flavors by not even digging irrigation canals and relying solely on rainwater, wines from North America and Latin America often adopt new production methods. The worsening grape harvests in European vineyards due to intensified global warming have forced the use of irrigation, which is affecting the quality of European wines.

The reason why wine bottles, unlike other alcoholic beverages, are standardized at 750 ml also dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, glass bottles were handmade by artisans who blew molten glass with their mouths, and the size of a bottle that could be made with one breath was approximately 750 ml, which became the standard size today.

Time of Wine thus tells beginners how to enjoy wine well while sharing hidden stories. It is recommended not only for wine enthusiasts who are interested in wine but also for readers who love the humanities.

Time of Wine | Kim Wook-sung | Banknamu | 444 pages | 35,000 KRW