Toothpaste and Wine Tasting - A Minor Rant

Howdy Folks. Here’s a short rant based on my experience with people who brush their teeth just before wine tasting. Caveats: I’m an online wine retailer, and this is my second post.

I poured wine at a big tasting event the other week – 150 people, scores of different bottles, and my table was the only pinot noir at the event. I was looking forward to impressing some folks with the wines.

Before long, up comes a fellow who proclaimed his love for Oregon Pinot Noir. “It’s the best,” he declared, “It’s about all I drink anymore.” In short, my people.

He tasted through five different wines, and each one met the same reaction: “Thin and sour.” At the end of the flight, he expressed disappointment that the wines were not up to his expectation. “Normally, I love Oregon pinot noir,” he told me.

I knew what was wrong. He had brushed his teeth directly before the wine event. I inquired, and he affirmed, gesturing to the large crowd around him. He didn’t want to offend anyone with dirty teeth or bad breath, so he polluted his palate with toothpaste. (On top of that, his companion crunched down on and swallowed a breath mint just as I offered the first wine.)

Through clenched teeth and a fake smile, I instructed him to go eat some food, swish some chardonnay around on his palate a few times, and come back. He complied. The wines were awesome, and he learned a lesson: Do NOT brush your teeth before a wine tasting. Do not chew gum. Do not use breath mints. Do not spray minty stuff in there, avoid the mouthwash, take a risk on the vampires and do NOT chew raw garlic before a wine tasting. If you do any of those things, the wine will taste like crap and you will be wasting your time – and mine.

And just because I’m on a rant, do NOT hose yourself down with Ax Body Spray, wads of perfume, or anything else that makes you smell stronger than the wine. Wine flavor depends on wine aroma, and I don’t want to smell you instead of the wine.

Yes, yes, if someone wants an intimate interlude with your filthy wine-hole, it may be a problem. So get a room, brush your teeth, and proceed. But wait until you’re finished tasting the wine.

Well ranted, sir.

I hate when I’m at a tasting room and someone smells like Bath and Body Works.

I’ve seen wine shops and tasting events that remind folks not to dose up with perfume and other products before coming. Perhaps they should include a statement about not using toothpaste or breath mints for those of limited intelligence.

Robert
The perfume thing is something that has been well discussed in wine circles for a long time, yet there will always be plenty of ordinary people who don’t realise the impact of what they’re wearing. FWIW aside from wine tastings I’ve always enjoyed subtle fragrance, the sort where you barely notice it, but there seem plenty of people that splash more assertive fragrances all over.

Toothpaste by contrast doesn’t get much mention, but should. As well as the affect on what we taste, I recall reading that brushing / using mouthwash just before tasting wine is bad for the teeth, as it removes plaque, which would otherwise protect against the acidity of what we usually taste first - dry whites or fizz. On a related matter, there was a pharmacist in Valle d’Aosta (Italy) who developed a toothpaste specifically for people who did a lot of winetasting. I never did get to his Farmacia to try it.

regards
Ian

I saw Marc Hochar (Chateau Musar) call someone out for wearing cologne at a sit down vertical tasting of his wines he was doing. Hilarious.

Rant on! Everything you say is true. But there is so little awareness out there. And some people have more accepting palates than others, for sure, but again, rant on!

welcome aboard!

A friend of mine hosts a holiday wine food and music party annually where he selects the wines in the wine tasting alcove with great care and requests the guests take one pour of each. It works very well. It is the only time I ever receive an invitation to a private home where the invite states no perfume please. This past December one lady had on the highest volume of scent, in this case Grade A motor oil strength patchouli oil, I have ever smelled. If you were anywhere in that room, no matter what was in your glass, if you stuck your nose all the way into the glass, all you could smell was patchouli. I thought it ironic and humorous given the admonition on the invite. And it was all OK, we guests worked around the obstacle by walking our glasses to another room. But in another venue she would have singlehandedly destroyed the entire tasting for everyone.

I can’t claim any knowledge of the removal of plaque, I kind of doubt it a little, because my wife (dental hygienist) won’t hesitate to brush her teeth before (well before) or after wine tasting. But one thing to note: most of the benefit of brushing your teeth can be obtained without using toothpaste at all. Toothpaste’s main function (IMO) is to make your breath smell better, at least temporarily. You can clean your teeth nicely without the paste, it that’s what someone is trying to accomplish.

Yuck mouth is always better for beer or wine tasting.

Damnit, I’m headed to an art gallery showing. Can’t have yuk mouth. Good thing is, the wine will likely suck so the toothpaste may make it better. Kissy kissy.

A wine enthusiastic buddy often gargles with Listerine and lathers in cologne before going out for wines/ dinner. HIs wife loads up on perfume and when they walk in to our home or restaurant, one can see the vapour trail around the 2 of them. I keep a distance until its absolutely necessary to get a hug in and then Im covered with the stuff. I usually keep one hand free from contamination so I use that hand to drink and hold the stemware and if at home, change shirts. I`ve been tempted to start off with a tee shirt and then change. Both have been alerted to the compromising effects as well as the unspoken word about not doing such when others are involved to no avail. Different strokes…

Yup…eggsactly right, Robert.

When I teach my basic wine appreciation class, we first go over some
of the housekeeping rules. I always ask people who had just brushed their
teeth to hold up their hand. Inevitably, nearly everyone does. I then give them
a severe scolding not to ever do that again…the the alkalinity of the toothpaste
severely changes the pH of their mouth chemistry and all the wines will taste
thin & acidic. I then pass around several cans of Coors Lite, have them take a pour
and swish it around in their mouth. It’s the highest calling ever for Coors Lite.
Tom

God I hate that. I mean, you are selling hugely expensive art. At least serve something other than plonk. What’s even more infuriating is that they usually have some half decent beer.

Agreed. In New Orleans they have an annual art stroll down Magazine St and the stores pour wine. It’s always complete plonk.

Everyone gets all dressed up to walk around and view fancy art and drink crap wine. The nice thing is with the relaxed liquor laws down here we just bring our own.

That IS actually the best use I’ve ever heard for that swill. I guess everything & everyone has a calling.

As noted, this has been discussed before on this forum, but totally agree. Had it happen the other night–very nice restaurant, somm recommends a great bottle of wine, and the server shows up reeking of cologne. I mean, honestly–restaurant management needs to call this out when staff walks in for work smelling like a 1970s whore house. Come on.

Ppl come into a tasting room chewing gum, with a cup of Starbucks, or occasionally smelling like cigarettes. Or, for all you know, they just had a burger with onions, spicy Thai, etc. Personally, when I go wine tasting I start with a token Chardonnay at the first stop to rinse out the toothpaste. lol

I was so wrong, they had maggies of Chateau Peyrassol Rose. Killer stuff. Good thing I went to the gallery with stank mouth!