What Happens at a Wine Tasting
Before anything else, the host contacts me. We talk about the details, what wines we might try, where we’ll meet, and possible dates. Then the host contacts up to 8 of her friends and finds a date that works for everyone. Often this is the hardest part!
After the date is set, we start to think about the wines. When we have our menu, I begin to research the wines and what cheeses would be good pairings. At a recent tasting, our host decided she’d like a white wine and two reds from the West Coast. After some discussion, I focussed on a Bacchus from Blue Grouse, a Pinot Noir from See Ya Later Ranch and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Black Sage in the Okanagan. BC wines are coming along so well; I believe we need to celebrate the success of our vintners and wineries here.
Along with the local wines, I wanted to showcase local cheeses and found two from Haltwhistle Cheese in Duncan on Vancouver Island. A Tomme de Vallée, which is an aged goat cheese and a Nailsea, a mild creamy Gouda. Finally, I usually take a chevre as I find it pairs really well with light, white wines.
On wine tasting day, I gathered all my materials: the wine posters from Wine Folly, my WF corkscrew, the wines and cheeses, the wine glasses, the prepared tasting sheets for notes, the drop stops, my notes, the cheese platter, pens and articles on taste buds that I thought my group might enjoy. Put as much as I could in my wheely case and prayed for the rain to stop.
I also decided to wear one of my humorous wine t-shirts. This one proclaimed “I tried running but kept spilling my wine!”
I arrived about an hour before the party starts to set up the dining table, put the red wines in the fridge, put up the posters and arrange the cheeses as artfully as possible on the slate cheese tray. Rosemary sprigs added something to the display!
When people arrived, we mingled for a few minutes and then take our seats. It can be quiet at the beginning as people don’t often know what to expect. As quickly as possible, I got through the preliminaries: who I am, my wine education and what they expect from the session. People really started to relax once the first wine is tasted. We talked, asked questions, sniffed, looked at the colour of the wine and finally tasted. I usually suggest that they “slurp” – bringing in oxygen and letting the wine float down their throats. Then we tried the wine with the cheese to find out our favourite pairing.
We tasted all the wines and the cheeses as the atmosphere lightened. Laughter erupting constantly. Relaxing and focusing on this gift of the gods and the grape.