Ask any master sommelier and he or she will tell you. You have to taste a lot of wine to fully appreciate and understand it. Tasting a variety of wines is also helpful to distinguish your own personal palette, as well. Are you a red or white drinker? Dry or sweet? Full-bodied or light? Everyone has a preference, even those who drink lots of wine for a living (or pleasure!). But is that palette the result of hundreds of individual tastings over time? Or can science predict what kind of wine you will most enjoy?
If you ask the new start-up, Vinome, the latter is true. This company claims to be able to tailor your wine choice to your DNA! In fact, if you sign up, you are asked to send a saliva sample that can be analyzed to determine your wine profile. Wines are then sent, based on that taste profile they created by analyzing your own genetic make-up.
I am insanely curious about this whole process but at the same time, I feel like it might detract from the real enjoyment of wine. I mean, even though I gravitate toward full-bodied reds, I do like a sweet rose once in a while. If all I did was drink wine based on my DNA, I might never try a Riesling again! So what IS the best way to drink wine? Through trial and error, making your way through the wine regions of the world, exploring all different types? Or having someone scientifically make selections for you that you are guaranteed to enjoy?
I know where I stand. You tell me.