The Wine taster

wine tasting is an art and like tea tasters there are trained professionals who are paid highly for their sensitive faculties and detection capabilities .
Our tongue unfortunately is quite mundane when  compared to our nose ,it limits itself to the primary tastes of sweet ,bitterness ,salt and sourness ,so if one were to just gulp down wine without smelling it one would  be doing a disservice to its makers ,the fragrance of young wine is called its aroma and a wine taster can make out if the said wine is fruity ,woodsy ,earthy, floral or herbal .
The olfactory bulb in his nose is highly attuned to the infinite fragrant possibilities of different wines and he classifies wine according to his detection ,
well I knew so much on wine tasting ,
so when I alighted into the Business class only Lufthansa flight to Munich in Dubai Terminal one
 I was looking forwards to exploiting  this knowledge to good use .
It was some years back and I was on my way to Stockholm to attend the European society of oncology meet in Sweden and the friendly sponsor had arranged business class via Munich .

http://hariwrite.blogspot.com/2008/10/sweden.html

The Lounge in Dubai terminal one had a wide choice of the rarest for my sensibilities  but I refrained from indulging then .
The flight was a small one exquisite in its elegance the stewards and hostesses shone in their Teutonic brilliance their blonde burnished hairs shining and glowing in coiffured neatness .
I settled back into the deep plush cushions delighting in the luxurious ambience ,I was determined that I would be the part of a seasoned business class traveller in international flights and adorned the look of a slightly bored traveller ,smiling tiredly at the wide crimson lipped smile of a beauty contestant like model airhostess .
oh another flight when I will be home tucking into my sheets after all this routine which was my fate  was my attitude or at least what I tried to project
I don't know what she thought because I dare not ask the question .
The plane was half filled and the pilot in his mellifluous voice welcomed us aboard and the wheels started rolling ,
we took off gracefully like a bird .
Dubai lay below me in its Manhattan splendour
 I could never stop getting amazed at the man who could turn  a desert  into this magical kingdom .

As we rose above the fluffy clouds and we clicked open our seat belts the lovely hostess was near me bent with a tray of warm towels .
 this was jannat indeed !
sir what wine would you prefer  , I heard her singing
well
my time had come all my reading would be put to full use I am going to impress this sweet thing
yes I would
 beware the Indian Casanova is on board .
suddenly I realised I was grinning at her like a weasel and quickly bought my wayward mouth to a close .
doesn't it have a  time for its game !
well what else
 said I again settling back to the baritone voice of a seasoned but bored traveller
the sparkling one Champagne of course
Oh yes sir of course good choice
ahhhaan
she uncorked the wine and slowly dribbled it into the goblet and handed it over to me like the finished Mona Lisa would have been given by Michelangelo to his lover
I grabbed it and slowly brought it to my nose
no good wine drinker would gulp before smelling .
I knew that so I dipped my dose delicately into the top of the goblet inhaling its fragrance
 hmmm ahhhh nn not bad .......80s...... fruity with a woody tinged aroma , can feel flying butterflies fluttering about
her eyes rounded
she fell for it !
 she looked at me with pride the pride of having a passenger with taste !
so I thought ( actually she would have thought one more idiot trying to show off )
slowly swishing the liquid I inhaled again and my facial expressions conjured pleasure
then slowly I tasted a small bit and swished it into my tongue the part where millions of fragrant molecules hit the retro bulbar olfactory nerves was depicted by apt expressions .
sadly my audience had left
my besotted had been called to duty by the boorish Russian behind me seems  he wanted one more towel for what
 wiping his .....
wasted expressions were uncalled for

slowly my face turned into a grimace as the bitterness of the champagne hit me
in truth I was never one for alcoholic drinks
to tell the truth I preferred soft drinks with a lime flavour more than anything else and was always reminded of Ayurveda  kasha yams when I was forced to have a peg for  company ( whose ? )
I knew I had to finish this before she returned and I managed to do that with the help of the roasted cashew nuts
she was back and with an affectionate look in her eyes
oh sir and what would your choice be for the next
( baby don't you ask me such questions )
oh  well wine is fine but without my Havana which I am sure is not allowed here ha ha
 I said
I think I would prefer a a sprite
a what sir
well a sprite u know sprite
oh a sprite you want just a sprite
her face hung of disappointment
what a let down
she thrust a sprite into my hands and left me with an injured look
so much for my aerial  wine tasting feats
though I did manage to hold a goblet of wine in the banquet we had in Stockholm later  with the Abba junior group

CHUMMA !!!!