Shot In The Dark

It's been awhile since I've been able to taste with other 'wine-knows' that really know what they're doing and really have a passion for it. That drought ended last night! I had the pleasure of being part of the tasting group hosted by Julie Dalton CWE, Directora de Vinos & Sommelier, of Ranazul Tapas and Wine Bistro in Fulton, MD.

We were poured 2 flights blind, 3 whites and 3 reds. Then following the tasting methods of the Court of Master Sommeliers, each person when through their grid on their own while one brave soul provided their comments out loud. Not to toot my own horn but, I didn't do too bad when it came to sight, nose, and palate. Brightness, meniscus and viscocity determinations were new to me so I will need a little work on those. Now the pre- and final conclusions...I only picked 1 1/2 correctly. This is where I need the practice. Determining climates, new world or old world and why... Julie was amazing in getting us to give her the answers by walking through ever step, some tell-tale flavor or aroma characteristics that will help us to distinguish and determine varietals, countries and regions.

The 6 wines we tasted were: Spanish Albarino, Pouilly-Fume (Sauvignon Blanc), Condrieu (I thought Viognier for this one but there is no chance I was 'guessing' region, honestly I really did think it was Viognier!), Beaujolais Villages (Gamay), Chinon (Cabernet Franc), Grand Cru Echezeaux (Pinot Noir).

The Grand Cru Echezeaux blew us away! I drank every drop of that one. I so can't wait to meet with the group again. Maybe I'll even give my comments aloud...

See No Vino

The best way to learn about wine is by tasting it. The best way to truly assess wine for its true flavor is by tasting it blind. For the African American Interest Group with Accenture, I hosted a blind wine tasting of 6 wines from African American winemakers. Chardonnay - Sugarleaf Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon & Riesling - Vision Cellars, Zinfandel - Brown Estate, Barolo - Carafe WineMakers, Sauvignon Blanc - Fair Valley. Each guest got a card with 3 white wine descriptions and 3 red wine descriptions. They were to walk around and taste each wine, which were designated by colored ribbons on the neck of the bottle, and match the wines they tasted to the wine description. Sound easy enough? Let's see how well you do!

Whites
1. Concentrated apricots give way to crisp refreshing peaches and nectarine flavors which mingle in your mouth. The honeysuckle and lavender merge on the finish as you sit back and enjoy each mouthwatering sip
2. A nose of citrus and apple leading to a fruit forward rich palate of oak, spice, and toasted vanilla lingering through a crisp round finish
3. Pale straw color with a greenish tinge. Fresh lime and mineral aromas with a zesty mouthfeel. Hints of capsicum on the nose with pear fruit flavors and good acidity


Reds
1. Dense crimson color with a clue scarlet rim leads to a fragrant nose of exotic Asian apple mouthful of soft, silky texture that gives way to ripe, forward fruit balanced with layers of complexity. Cascading flavors of blackberries, black cherries, cappuccino, and tobacco lead to herbaceous earthiness with undertones of big game, fresh sage, and rosemary
2. Full flavored, medium bodied with hints of warm black fruits, plums and toasted oak
3. Aromas of blackberry and deep ripe plum. In the mouth its focus is on cherry and currant, while finishing with layers of wild cherry and Jamaican spice

Oh, you thought I was going to tell you what is what?! HAHA! You'll have to email me or leave a comment with your guesses first. Good luck!

Cheryl & Her Girls

It's so much fun to host wine tastings, and even more fun when you host one for friends. I hosted a wine tasting for one of my girlfriends, with the help of another wine professional in her circle of friends. We came up with the idea of doing a blind tasting in order for everyone to be more open-minded about what wines they were drinking. When the guests arrived we poured Marquis de Monistrol Cava (a pleasant and affordable alternative to Champagne) for casually sipping as we mingled and got to know the other guests.

For the blind tasting, we had 3 whites and 3 reds wrapped up like Christmas presents with red and gold tissue paper and bows around the necks. Figure that is a little nicer than a wino paper bag, LOL! Everyone was provided with a note sheet and an aroma/flavor sheet, so once we started tasting the wine, they would have a frame of reference for aromas and somewhere to write down their notes and guesses of the wines. Out of the 6 wines, one person got 2 correct and another got 1 correct. They both received prizes as a token of our appreciation for their participation. Funny thing was that several of the girls mentioned that Chenin Blanc was their favorite wine, but they couldn't pick that one out of the lineup! Can't fault them though, it was a South African Chenin Blanc (Kanu) which has different flavors then the French Vouvray I'm sure they're used to. And the white wine drinkers were very impressed with the California Zinfandel (Gnarled Vines). I always love blind tastings because people will taste the wine and assess it based on the flavors of the wine, not what they may or may not already know or think they know about it.

After we revealed the wines to everyone, the other half of our wine team spoke about wine & cheese pairings. She was great! She had a chart to match the wines and cheeses and also gave us some great tips on selecting cheese to pair with wine. But she had me anyway when she brought my fav, epoisses, for the cheese plate. We also got full glasses of wine and tasted them with the cheeses that were available to note the differences in the flavors when paired with different wines. Trial and error is always so much easier when at a wine tasting rather than at home when you've invested in several bottles and several cheeses that aren't good matches.

At the end, we took questions and invited everyone to enjoy full glasses of the wines they loved. Everyone seemed to truly enjoy the event and most even said they learned something new. I guess we did our job!