For this tasting, we wanted to try something a little different, so we decided to hold a "blind" tasting with three red wines. We decided on a Garnacha, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Zinfandel. The wines we chose were Borsao Tres Picos (Garnacha), B Side (Caberrnet Sauvignon) and Klinker Brick (Zinfandel).
We also had another surprise in store for our guests! Utilizing a basic red wine combined with several different fruits, vegetables, and spices, we created "standards" to train our guest's noses to pick out different aromas often found in wine.
The standards we used were: vanilla, pepper, red pepper, cherry, raspberry/blackberry, anise, asparagus and cloves. We numbered each "standard" glass, and the participants took turns smelling and trying to guess the aroma of each. It is not as easy as it sounds, as our guests learned! The most correct answers were 6/8 and the prize went to Elizabeth C.!
Next, we embarked on our tasting. Three wine bottles, wrapped in black paper and labeled A, B and C were poured. The participants were taught to properly assess the color of the wine and write down their thoughts. Next, we demonstrated swirling and encouraged everyone to swirl, then smell, the wine to elicit the aromas. We had many great answers from the crowd, with regard to the aromas of each wine. As we know, it is not always easy to identify those aromas!
Finally, (the fun part) everyone was allowed to taste their wines. Each guest had pairings including Stilton, Manchego, Parrano and aged Cheddar cheeses, as well as bread and crackers. It was interesting to see the participant's reactions to how time and food changed the wines. Certainly, this phenomenon is well known, but it really takes experiencing it for yourself to realize how true it is!!
At the end of the evening, we had a question and answer session and a lot of laughs. This class was very enjoyable and, we think, quite informative for our guests! We cannot wait for our next wine tasting in the Fall. Stay tuned for details!
Cheers!
Mary Jo
