A Master of Wine Considers Coffee
A wine lover doesn’t have to look very hard before the parallels between fine wine and fine coffee become apparent. First, both wine and coffee begin their lives within the fruit of a plant — each one a specific species and variety, selected for its distinctive aromas and exquisite flavors. Coffee Arabica is coffee’s answer to wine’s Vitis vinifera, the species of grape responsible for the world’s finest wines. Next, we can look more closely at the coffee variety, origin and processing, all of which contribute to the final coffee in a way that is familiar to any wine lover.
Some people will always see wine as just wine. And the same is true of coffee. The connoisseur, however, learns to appreciate different qualities and flavors in pursuit of an ethereal experience. When I taste coffee, I do not swirl it, because the heat and steam provide the volatility necessary to release the flavors, but I am tasting it with the same intent as I do wine. Nosing my cup of illy reveals light, delicate and fruity aromatics, as well as heavier, roasted ones. Like great wine, great coffee holds a rich complexity of flavor waiting to be discovered.
Like great wine, great coffee holds a rich complexity of flavor waiting to be discovered.
In the case of illy, this complexity is partly the result of blending different Arabica beans. It’s an idea practiced in Champagne, source of one of the finest wines on the planet, where several grape varieties drawn from many vineyards are blended together. In addition to balance and complexity of flavor, blending also brings consistency. Mother Nature provides, but she is also the biggest challenge to consistency. As in Champagne, the art of the blender is to craft consistent excellence from whatever nature delivers.
If there is one notable distinction between coffee and wine, it’s that coffee is completed only at the moment of consumption, by brewing. With wine, I can be a connoisseur, but I do not make the wine. With coffee, I am able to be both connoisseur and craftsman. Brewing your own coffee adds a layer of ownership that goes beyond wine. Coffee really excites me right now. Similar to wine, I find it more than just a beverage. It is a pleasure that offers beauty and escape for those who take the time to appreciate it.
— Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan
Jennifer’s Tasting Notes
Much like wine connoisseurs, baristas and coffee graders have their own language for expressing the flavors and qualities they identify in fine coffee. Here, Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti puts her observations of three coffees into words any wine lover can appreciate.
