The blind leading the blind
May 31 '00
I think one of the most fun types of tastings is a blind tasting. This is an event where people try each wine without having any idea what they're tasting. It can be a rather stuffy, structured event where people try to determine what varietal and region they're currently tasting or it can be a lot of fun where people just find out what they like without looking at the labels and predetermining their opinions.
My favorite type of blind tasting is a very informal one where all types of varietals are available. One can hold a blind tasting of a varietal (chardonnay, zinfandel, etc...) or category (dry whites, fruity reds, blush wines), but I prefer a more free form tastings so I'll describe how to run one of those.
Come up with a list of people who enjoy wine or might enjoy wine. Ask each of them to come to the party with a bottle of wine they enjoy a lot. I like giving people the freedom to pick either red or white wine, but some people may want to restrict it to one or the other. Ask the people to bring their bottle in a plain paper sack.
Go out to a store which sells wine bags (a wine store is a good choice) and pick up two different colors or designs of wine bags if possible. You'll use one style for reds and one for whites. If you can only get one type of bag, mark some of the bags with big W's and some with big R's. Also put numbers on the bags so they're ready to be used. Also pick up some rubber bands to cinch the bags around the top of the bottles.
Make up tasting sheets for people to keep their notes. If you have a chance to find out what type (red, white, rose, dessert) of wine each guest will be bringing, do so. That way you can make the sheets have the appropriate number of lines for each type of wine. Even if you do this be sure to keep about three blank spots for each section in case people change their minds or bring something else. Have plenty of pens and pencils on hand for filling out the tasting sheets. I've also found that mounting the tasting sheets on light, stiff cardboard helps so that people don't have to hunt for good writing surfaces as they're tasting.
As guests arrive have one person stationed at the door who's job is to take the wine as people come in. That person should remove the plastic or metal cork shield from the top of the bottle and transfer the wine to the numbered bags. Be sure to remove the entire shield because it can give away a wine's producer if left on. As time permits remove the cork from each bottle and put it on the appropriate table(s) for people to try. If you feel the need to recork any of the wines during the tasting, have some extra blank corks around for that purpose. Also save the corks you remove from the bottle so you can stop up the wine that isn't consumed.
Since the wines at an open blind tasting can run across the board one of the most important aspects is the food. You'll need plenty of palate cleansers such as bread, crackers and cheeses so people can clean out their mouths between wines. Its also important to have a variety of finger foods so people can determine what a wine is like with food.
One should purchase three reds and three whites as "primer" wines so the first people to arrive have something to taste when they get there. I suggest setting up the white ones on one table and the reds on another table. The white table should be the one reached first as people should try the whites first. Putting the lighter snacks and appetizers near the white table and the more full bodied snacks near the reds is a good idea too.
Also put out a couple of glasses with non-wine colored water (blue or green) showing about how much each person should take to taste. You don't want to run out of the wines being tasted, so be a little stingy with your sample tasting amount. Be sure to provide containers for your guests to pour out excess wine and to spit their tastings into if they desire.
If you have people who don't have much experience tasting wines you might want to suggest they try the white wines first and then the red wines. Also give them tips on swirling the wine before smelling it and looking at it's color before tasting it. Let them know this is supposed to be a fun experience and not to worry if they don't really understand what they're doing. You just want them to be able to try some new things and enjoy themselves.
When everyone is done tasting the wines, its time to reveal their identities and find out what everyone's favorites are. You'll often find that a few people are surprised they enjoyed something they didn't expect to. Others will be pleased because they knew what a certain wine was while tasting it blindly.
You can add to the experience by having folks rate each wine on a scale you choose. After they're done tasting collect their scores and figure out which wines where the most popular. If you've got a laptop you might be able to do it at the tasting, but the people at our tastings were pleased to get the results later on.
Tony
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
asp3
|
|
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 1 member
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.