About this episode

In this episode, Natalie MacLean chats with Sarah Heller about the impact of formal wine tasting language on wine writing and the importance of spitting in wine tasting.

Why is spitting essential if you want to taste wine seriously? What made Hong Kong's wine boom in 2010 feel both extravagant and generous? Does formal wine tasting language strip the emotion out of wine writing? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Sarah Heller. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks . Highlights How did Sarah's wine career almost end before it began? Why did her accident in southern France strengthen her commitment to the wine industry? What was it like to represent a restaurant alone at age 20 at the world's largest wine trade fair? How did an early lesson about spitting wine become a memorable introduction to professional wine culture? What's the difference between wine marketing and wine education? What made Hong Kong's wine scene during the 2010s feel both extravagant and unusually generous? How did Burgundy tastings in Hong Kong highlight the intersection of rarity, money, and shared passion? How did Sarah's fine art training at Yale shape the way she thinks about wine? What inspired her to move beyond traditional tasting notes to creating visual tasting notes? Why does Sarah believe…

People in this episode

Host: Natalie MacLean

Guest: Sarah Heller

Topics covered

• wine tasting
• wine writing
• wine education
• wine marketing
• Hong Kong wine scene
• visual tasting notes
• professional wine culture

Keywords

• wine tasting
• wine writing
• spitting
• Hong Kong wine boom
• visual tasting notes
• Burgundy tastings
• wine descriptors

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale

Products: Australian Shiraz, Barolo

Places: Hong Kong, southern France

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