One of the cool things about wine tastings is observing the differences in people’s palates. Not only will different people like different wines, but they will also find different things in the wine. Sometimes hearing these observations can help you pinpoint that thing that you can’t quite identify in the nose, and sometimes they can just make you scratch your head and mutter, “Ooookaaayy.”

Here in Eastern Washington we have a group that gets together a couple of times a month to do a blind tasting. The event is called Brown Bag Wine Night (#bbwn on Twitter.) These are a great opportunity to hear some quirky tasting comments. You also hear some really funny comments being made about the wines, or the tastings in general. Here are a few that I remember from the last couple of BBWNs.

“The nose smells like dog farts.”

which prompted a response of,

“I only wish my dog’s farts smelled like Pinot Noir.”

Then there was this one on the #bbwn Twitter feed:

“Wow, this Carmenere really makes my chest and nose feel so much better. #Vicks”

and:

“This is my grandmas avon perfume!”

Sometimes the comments are just about the tasting in general, such as this one that occurred deep into a tasting that contained over 20 wines:

“I am totally tongue deaf right now.”

Most people who have been tasting wine for a while have heard some really crazy tasting notes. I have heard wine noses compared to playdough, grave dirt, and even semen. I haven’t spent enough time sniffing grave dirt to pick it up on the nose of a wine, but I think it’s fun when people come up with really unique and offbeat descriptors for wines.

I’m going to start trying to pay more attention to some of the great “overheard” moments at our #BBWN tastings and start posting them on the blog. What are some offbeat tasting notes that you have come up with or overheard during tastings?