Wine, Tea, Coffee Articles

JOURNALING YOUR WINE, TEA AND COFFEE EXPERIENCES 

Have your ever had trouble remembering where you found a great beverage, what pairings were recommended or what you served at your last party? One source of assistance is to journal your wine, tea and coffee experiences. This journal can be as simple as a loose leaf notebook or as complicated as a scrapbook. What is important is the information you want to record. You can either purchase a pre-made journal or make your own, customized to your needs.

First, you will want to consider the size of the journal. A small size (5 x 7-inch or smaller) is easier to transport in your purse, jacket or backpack, allowing you to record the impressions immediately. Too many pages or too large a size and the journals become heavy and unwieldy. If you choose not to take your journal with you, be sure to record your impressions as soon as possible in the journal or take notes at the event and transfer them to a more permanent storage system. Yes, your journal does not need to be on paper. You can set up a system on your PDA or computer.

Next, you will need to decide what information you want to record. Some people just record the name of the beverage and give it a rating that means something to them (1 through 10, frown or smiley face, stars, etc.) while others like to write thorough notes with impressions and descriptions of not only the beverage but the cuisine and decor. Labels, photos of the establishment, centerpieces, companions and menu can be added as items of interest. If scrapbooking your experiences you can also add such other ephemera as napkins, doilies and postcards.

And you will need to decide how to organize the journal to suit your wants and needs. For instance, if focusing on tea, the beverage, the notebook can be divided into sections labeled black, green, white, tisane, etc. If focusing on tea, the experience, the notes can be divided into sections designated by destination such as states or regions, by the type of tea service or by the season. You may want to include other notes in your journal such as a glossary of tasting terms, wish lists, travel directions and reservation confirmations.