Be A Self-Made Wine Expert: How To Run Your Own Tasting
As I continue to grow and evolve as a husband, father, and general human being, more and more tasks and experiences fill up my schedule. I always have something that needs to be cleaned or cleaned up. A spirits class lands on the calendar. The kids have a Cub Scout meeting. My wife and I might even like to go out to dinner and not listen to an excruciatingly-detailed account of why the red brick was chosen over the blue brick in the building of a Lego structure.
And with the quest for occasional peace and quiet comes the infrequent visits with longtime friends. It's OK...they are going through the same thing. So are you. You have places to be, family to visit (or perhaps, family to avoid), and work to do. Hell, some people may have moved to D.C., Chicago, or Florida...perhaps even out of the country, which can make it even tougher to stay in touch.
Luckily, I know that I can count on two days per year that I can virtually guarantee I will get to see my friends from college: our fantasy football draft (nerding it up for 20 years!) and the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs. Fear not, non-football fans...this is not a football post. Just stay with me here. The first event is just for the handful of us fools that keep torturing ourselves and one another with a ridiculous game every August. The second, however, is a larger affair in January with north of thirty people in attendance; one couple is gracious enough to put on this shindig at their residence every year.
This past weekend, not only did I receive my usual invite to the party, but we also discussed running a wine tasting before the games started. It's a great idea for those who want to hang for a party centered on football without having to care about the games. Easy enough...I am officially a seasoned professional with this subject matter! I learned that the group participating preferred white wines over reds and had an open mind to explore a wide range of styles. Beautiful...we tackled "White Wines of the World," where we tasted six wines from six different countries. All wines were unoaked and five of six wines were made with just one grape variety. These were also in a very fair, casual price range of $10-$17. Our hosts set out various cheeses, meats, and spreads with crackers and just like that, we were off and running with me bloviating about topics like Chenin Blanc, Verdejo, and Saint-Veran.
The setup from Saturday's tasting. Wines from L-R: Elvio Tintero Arneis, Cousino-Macul Chile Sauvignon Gris, Honoro Vera Rueda Verdejo, Finca El Origen Cafayate Torrontes, Les Trois Pecheurs Saint-Veran, Fairview South Africa Granite White Blend. Big thanks to the party hosts for having me run this for them!
Sounds simple, right? By the way, it is. You can do this, too. Sure, my friends have access to me to plan it and leverage my knowledge and experience. But truthfully with a few guidelines, a little research, and an open mind, you can make a great event of your own. Here are eight that will help make your tasting a success:
- Open your mind
- Plan your theme
- Source your wine
- Food for all
- Pour an ounce
- Light to full
- White to red
- Sweet for last
Open your mind: I can't stress this enough. The reason you are doing a tasting is because you want to learn more. A tasting will not only help you identify something new to like, but you also learn what you don't like (equally important). If there is a wine you don't like, chances are someone else in your party will like it. Remember that everyone has different tastes and preferences of style: some like oaky flavor, others prefer fruity flavor. Some like bold wines, others go for delicate. Some like acidity, others like sweetness or strong tannins. If you are just bringing what you know you like, then you are not tasting...you are drinking (also an enjoyable activity, by the way).
Plan your theme: Our tasting featured white wines of the world. You can do six reds, roses, or even sparkling wines in a similar theme to get a broad brush of styles. Another way to go is to explore one region (Loire Valley, Oregon, Chile, Sonoma, Tuscany, and so on). Maybe you want to do a single grape variety from around the world. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are easy to do a "worldwide" tasting since these grapes express themselves so differently as you go to different parts of the world. You can get as broad or as focused as you want; it's your show!
Source your wine: Get to know a retailer. Tell them what you are doing. Ask questions. If you can get to a specialty shop, where the employees are likely to know about specific wines, they will be able to guide you in your purchases and even suggest viable alternatives. Larger stores will have a giant selection, but if you have researched ahead of time you won't be overwhelmed by the choices. There is also a wealth of information on the Internet to arm you with what you are looking for...such as this web site!
Food for all: Even if you are tasting and spitting (typically preferred if you don't want to get loopy too soon), you need munchies on hand to counter the alcohol. It's even better if you ate a good hearty meal before your tasting. An assortment of cheeses, crackers, cured meats, bean dips and spreads are great options. Olives and grapes are tricky with many wines as they don't particularly mix well; olives work better with dry Sherry and grapes with sweeter wines (but that's another topic altogether).
Pour an ounce: Or two. No more than that. If someone ends up really liking something, go back for more at the end. Remember, there is a good chance you have several wines to taste through!
Light to full: Dry Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio tend to feel lightest in your mouth. Chardonnay, Soave, and white Rhone Valley French varieties tend to be the fullest. Going in reverse makes those delicate whites taste too thin and aggressively acidic. So taste the lightest-bodied wines first and work progressively fuller.
White to red: Red wine tends to be more intense than white wines, so taste the white wines first. Tannic red wines (Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah) should come after lighter, fruity reds (Barbera, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais). If you need a bridge from white to red, go for a rose wine from Provence or a rose of Pinot Noir from California or Oregon. These types of wines have the flavors of a red wine with the freshness of an unoaked white wine.
Sweet for last: Very sweet Rieslings, Ice Wine, Port, and sweet Madeira (for example) should always be served last. These wines have the richest mouthfeel and the residual sugar content is such that if you go back to a tannic red wine afterwards, an unpleasant astringency will overtake your palate.
Most of all, have fun with this! You have countless wines to choose from and get to know. Spend some time looking up some wines; Google searches will give you many credible results from retailers, restaurants, and wine magazines and blogs. The more you do these themed tastings, the sharper and more confident you will be with your wine purchases.
Of course if all else fails...give me a call. I'll be right over.