WEBVTT

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Picture this.

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I'm at a party,

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and someone walks up to me, asking,

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"What do you do for a living?"

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I tell them I work in the wine industry.

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Nine out of ten responses are:

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(Sighs)

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"I have no idea about wine."

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It's the oddest reaction

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because I don't say,
"I have no idea about medicine"

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when someone tells me
that they're a doctor.

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(Laughter)

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But wine has this
intimidating effect on people.

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It intimidated me too.

NOTE Paragraph

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Then I studied it.

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And what a surprise:

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studying it is not as fun as drinking it.

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(Laughter)

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Everything started in California,

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where I studied for
my wine specialist certification.

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The material was so dry
and rational and technical

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that it almost killed my joy for wine.

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And that is why I'm here today:

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I want to show you guys
a new way of wine communication.

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Back in the days,

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my learning therapist discovered
that I had issues remembering things.

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And she taught me how to memorize
French formulas, maps

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with colors and shapes and forms.

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Hence that's still how I study today.

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I summarize everything
and then illustrate it on my iPad.

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For instance,

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like these illustrations right here.

NOTE Paragraph

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But it wasn't only the material
I struggled with;

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it was also how wine connoisseurs
and professionals

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talked about wine in front of me.

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It's like,

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"No, I do not get that gooseberry
in that Sauvignon Blanc"

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(Laughter)

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and "Nope, I'm not detecting any hints
of that dry tomato leaf in the Merlot."

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(Laughter)

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And I'm pretty sure
you've also been in situations

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where wine professionals are all about,

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you know, their special rarities
they have in their cellars,

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or they talk about vintages,

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or they say things like,

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"Well, obviously, the Chassagne-Montrachet
Marquis de Laguiche Premier Cru,

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Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru,

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and Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts
Premier Cru was amazing."

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(Laughter)

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(Applause)

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(Cheers)

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It was all vintage 1985 so, like, okay.

NOTE Paragraph

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So the wine industry
can seem extremely exclusive,

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expensive, refined,

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and almost a little elite.

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So that's my mission:
it's to simplify wine communication.

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Wine is culture.

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It's a cultural asset
for over thousands of years.

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It has been the second-oldest beverage

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aside from water.

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It's also just Mother Nature's heritage.

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It grows in dirt -

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no offense to the word "terroir" -

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(Laughter)

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like any other vegetable or fruit.

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And then the aim of winemaking

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is to actually produce
fermented grape juice

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that tastes good and reflects
a certain parcel of the earth.

NOTE Paragraph

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By now, you've probably also noticed

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that I don't only want
to simplify wine in communication,

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but I want to create
a light-hearted wine world.

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Wouldn't it be just so much more fun
if we would go into a restaurant

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feeling like, "Uh, tonight,
I kind of want a red wine

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that has like a sweetness level
of a Heinz ketchup,"

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(Laughter)

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rather than thinking,

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"Ugh, did I like
that semi-dry or off-dry wine?"

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[THE 7 WINE SWEETNESS LEVELS]

NOTE Paragraph

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So I thought about it.

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What are these situations that inhibit us?

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What are these inhibitions around wine?

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And I came to the conclusion
that there's two situations:

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First situation is in a restaurant
picking out a wine.

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Second situation is you're in a shop
picking out a wine.

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So in a restaurant, most restaurants
cannot afford a sommelier.

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So you're either stuck
with a wine list of 50 pages

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with words you've never
seen in your life,

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not to mention pronounced them before,

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and then - or you trust
the recommendation of a waiter.

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And then it begins.

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I cannot tell you how often I have heard
in any group someone say,

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"Okay, guys, do you feel
like a fruity or dry wine?"

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Those are not opposites.

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It's the -

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(Laughter)

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It's the biggest misunderstanding
in wine knowledge.

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Those are not opposites;
these are opposites.

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You have the sweetness levels

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on this axis.

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Sweet, dry -

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you can't taste any residual sugar.

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And then you have this axis,

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where in white wines, it's minerally -

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that's the aroma -

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and then fruity,

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or it's earthy for red wine and fruity.

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And if you keep this in mind,

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this will help you tell your waiter
what you're kind of looking for.

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It's like, "Okay.

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White, fruity, dry. Thank you."

NOTE Paragraph

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Then, second situation -

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picking out a wine in a shop.

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So you're standing there,
you have the wine shelf in front of you,

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there's 200 wines just like -

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(Groans)

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(Laughter)

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You have your budget of 15 francs,

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(Laughter)

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your eyes wander to the middle part

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because you know "those are
my average prices right there,"

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and you're like, "Okay,

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love that horse."

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(Laughter)

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(Applause)

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[WINE STRUCTURE]

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82% of people pick out
their wines like that.

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It's efficient,

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but the chance of actually getting
what you want is pretty small.

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(Laughter)

NOTE Paragraph

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What if we would approach the wine shelf

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with the same efficiency,
with the same budget,

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but actually come out with the wine
that matches your taste buds.

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Forget everything about aromas.

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Wine structures.

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They're like equalizers;
they go up and down.

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Every one has its structure:
sugar, acidity, alcohol, tannins.

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Tannins - red wine.

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So, drying-out sensation.

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You feel like a crisp, light white wine?

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You're probably enjoying acidity.

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So go for a Sauvignon Blanc, a Verdejo.

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[RED WINE STRUCTURE]

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Then you feel like
a bold, powerful red wine.

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You probably appreciate tannins,
a little bit more alcohol.

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Those pillars go up.

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So you're looking for Malbec,
Cabernet Sauvignon, or something.

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Just have these in mind.

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When picking out wine,

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don't forget who
your drinking companions are.

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[Bottoms Up]

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(Laughter)

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What's the occasion?
What are you buying this wine for?

NOTE Paragraph

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I am going to give you a few tips

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so you can blindly choose
a wine from the shelf.

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So,

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Aperol.

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We all love Aperol.

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Go for a Sancerre.

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It's a Sauvignon Blanc from France.

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It's crisp, it's light,

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and it will waken everyone up
after a long workday.

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Then your boss's birthday.

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(Groans)

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(Laughter)

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Parents-in-law are inviting you over -

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oh God, okay.

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Any other scary situation.

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Do not bring a Burgundy or Bordeaux,

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because they will ask you questions.

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You probably won't be able to answer them

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(Laughter)

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and embarrass yourself.

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So bring a Brunello di Montalcino.

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It's 100% Sangiovese;
it's a top-notch wine.

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A celebration:

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bring Cava.

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Cava is a sparkling Spanish wine
that tastes just like Champagne

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but costs half the price.

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(Laughter)

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Date night:

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bring a Ripasso or Amarone.

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The higher level of -

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(Laughter)

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yay!

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(Laughter)

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The higher level of alcohol
will lower your inhibitions.

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(Laughter)

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Then family dinner:

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bring a Tempranillo.

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Everyone loves Tempranillo;
it's a crowd-pleaser.

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And at least no discussions
will occur in that area.

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And then a party.

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To a party, you bring a wine
where the party is located at.

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You bring a wine where you're from,
where the host is from.

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It's always a nice gesture,

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and it's a good icebreaker
for when you don't know the people.

NOTE Paragraph

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And so on that note,

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next time you're at a party

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and you meet someone
from the wine industry,

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don't tell them that you have
no idea about wine

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but ask them what they think
about the aroma of gooseberry.

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(Laughter)

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Thank you.

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(Applause)