Welcome to the continuation
of our new wine tasting series. We’re
going to explore the wonderful world of
wine – glass by glass. This series
will assist you in setting up your own
wine tastings. Whether you are a novice
or a seasoned wine aficionado, it’s
not enough to read about this stuff. To
truly appreciate and learn, you have to
get in there in taste. Hey, it’s
hard work, but somebody has to do it!
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Chardonnay
Syrah/Shiraz
and Old World vs. New World
Using Sauvignon Blanc to figure out oak
What better grape for this
Italian celebration issue than Sangiovese?
As a featured player in many of Italy’s
most famous red wines – Chianti,
Brunello di Montalcino, and Toscana (the
so-called "Super
Tuscans") – Sangiovese is
known for having both body and smoothness.
Typically displaying raspberry and cherry
fruit accented with warm spice, leather,
and licorice notes, Sangiovese is a classic
taste in the red wine spectrum.
It also is a wonderful blending
grape, used for adding a velvety supple
body to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot,
most notably in the Super Tuscans. And
Sangiovese is a great food wine –
pairing well with just about anything,
from pizza to fish to meats.
To get a feel for Sangiovese’s
versatility, try tasting the three best
known Italian versions, with maybe a California
version thrown in for fun.
: the non-Riserva bottles
will be fruity, featuring strawberry and
raspberry, with a nice touch of warm spice.
The Riserva bottles will be more complex,
fuller bodied, and often offer more spice
plus a touch of earth or tar. Look for
bottles from:
Antinori
Tenuto Borgo Scopeto
Fontodi
: A step-up in body
from even the Riserva Chianti wines, these
are generally more concentrated and richer,
with even more of the spicy fruit you
found in Chianti. Look for:
Antinori
Altesino
:
(Tuscan Cabernet/Sangiovese/Merlot/etc.
blends, known as "Super Tuscans"):
The blend of Cabernet brings plum and
blackberry fruit mixing with the spice
and brightness of the Sangiovese.
San Fabiano Calcinaia
Marchesi de’Frescolbaldi
Tenuta del Terriccio
Isole e Olena
:
These Sangiovese wines are often closest
to the Chianti Classico – bright
and fruity with some spice, but not huge.
Try:
Luna
Ca’ del Solo
Gallo of Sonoma
Deerfield Ranch
Cheers!
We've found that our guests really enjoy
the opportunity to "grade" the
wines. You can make it
as casual or controlled as you like. We
tend to put out a pile of our
tasting notes sheets and then encourage
our guests to take notes. Somewhere toward
the end of the evening -- or once everyone
has had time to taste the various wines
-- we like to have a little group discussion
of the favorites. It really is a lot of
fun to hear everyone's opinions of the
wines, and there are always some interesting
surprises.
The most important thing
is to have fun with your tasting party.
Branch out to wines that are new to you.
Don't worry about the results -- everyone
will have a great time participating in
the tasting. And be sure to let
us know which wines were the hit at
your party!
For details on our past
tasting party ideas - click
here.
