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Wine snobs are something else
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2023
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I have a very serious problem listening to alcohol. Usually it's whispering "do some dumb shit, you drunk".
No, it isn't
Yes, there are some people who do "wine tasting" just to get shitfaced. But if you go to any ACTUAL wine tasting (whether it is in the back of a Total Wine or at a fancy vineyard), basically everyone is expected to spit out the wine. Depending on the "methodology" you may swallow a small amount, but it is really like one sip per glass/wine.
And the person who does just chug each glass? This isn't Parks and Recs where everyone bows to the almighty prankster. They get their asses thrown out.
Now, whether people can tell the difference between six different syrahs whether they spit or swallow is a very different topic entirely. But if the goal is to get drunk, "wine tasting" is a horrible way to do it.
As for the why? Alcohol tends to deaden tastebuds. Wine and beer (and sake and the like) tend to be a low enough ABV with a high enough "flavor" level that ti tends to complement a meal. But the more you drink, the less nuance you can taste. Its (arguably) a big part of why the Japanese drink sake from small cups and hoity toity rich people tend to have staff refilling wine glasses to a fairly low level. The idea is you sip throughout the meal to complement the flavors without losing the ability to taste them.
It is also why you should IMMEDIATELY side eye anyone who encourages hard liquor as an accompaniment for a meal and raise an eyebrow if they are cooking with it for any delicate meals. So whiskey plus a slow cooked pork shoulder is one thing (and usually involves using a torch to burn off the alcohol at the start) whereas whiskey and a steak is a whole different one.
Lots of great dishes use alcohol, especially desserts. My favorite is soaking raisins in a mixture of bourbon and Grand Mariner, and adding them to a rice pudding as soon as it is done cooking. The burst of strong alcohol when you bite into a raisin perfectly complements the sweet and creamy pudding. Plus flambès, marinades, etc.
A "flambe" generally involves igniting the liquor. Which burns away the vast majority of it. I referenced that with slow cooking a pork shoulder as that is a pretty common method since it is a short cut to a "smokey" flavor and gives an opportunity for the good (if a bit harsh) flavors of a whiskey to mingle with everything else in the pot.
And in the case of pudding/ice cream/whatever toppings: The point is the taste of the booze. Not the taste of the rest of the dish. Hence "delicate meals". Also, you'll notice that your "favorite" example is a dessert. As in, the thing you eat after the rest of the meal is done. Rum soaked biscuits as an appetizer is more the kind of thing that a mediocre restaurant will do to make you not complain about the mediocre five course meal and so forth.
As for marinades: Really depends on the kind of meat and the kind of cooking. Something that has time for the alcohol to cook off, sure. Although I personally think that means you aren't confident in the rest of your dish since the actual "flavor" components of most liquors are still pretty strong on their own. But for some chicken breasts people are going to throw on the grill? Might as well serve it with cigars.
I would disagree that the point of a good rice pudding is the taste of the booze. A good rice or bread pudding should have a delicate custard quality to it with subtle vanilla, cinnamon, and possibly bergamot notes. Pairing that with a subtle alcohol flavor is tricky. You can't just pour some in without overwhelming all the flavor. This isn't some ice cream ala mode you drench in sauce either. By soaking the raisins in a mix of liquors you introduce the occasional burst of flavor without it seeping into the rest of the dish and taking over.
I'm sure many, maybe most, applications of liquor over power the dishes, but there are subtle uses as well.
Just so you know, your mouth absorbs alcohol too, it doesn't just happen when you swallow it.
No one is "expected" to spit out their wine at 99.9% of wine tastings.