There are countless types of tastings – the current portfolio of a producer, the selection of a distributor, wines from a certain grape variety, coming from various regions, tastings of sparkling or fortified wines… But two types of tasting represent more than familiarity with one wine or another, being rather gates to the in-depth learning of wine.
“Horizontal” is the tasting of a wine of a certain variety, from the same year of harvest, from one or (usually) several producers. . For example, a Feteasca Neagra 2020 tasting in Dealu Mare will show us how each producer acted in part to the conditions of that year, what decisions he made in the way he treated the vineyard and the grapes, etc.. A horizontal tasting helps to fix that moment in memory, to understand subtleties such as exposures of slopes (which dictate the number of hours of sunshine), altitude, soil types, but also the influence of a smaller or larger harvest, according to the intention of the winemaker.
“Vertical” is a “prestigious” tasting, which comprises versions from different years of the same wine. For companies full of history, a vertical can be demonstrative, with the best wines of each decade, for example, or with the last five to ten editions of wine, to allow customers to assess the ageing capacity of the wine, observing how previous editions have evolved. Moreover, a vertical tasting offers precious clues about how the weather conditions of a year affect the qualities of that harvest – for example, a warm and dry year, compared to a wetter and cooler one.
But the main information that the participant gains in a vertical tasting is related to the evolution of the wine over time – an attribute that will decide, in the end, whether a wine is “to be drunk”, “to be kept in ageing” or “to be hoarded”. And, because vertical tastings are still quite rare – the Romanian wine industry is still young! – you can organize your own vertical at home. Take a look at the Outlet.winesofromania.com, where a classic collection of Prince Matei is waiting for you, at a special price!
