Off The Vine Media

Wine tasting parties are as varied as hosts throwing them.  However, they seem to have some common themes.  The first is the most obvious and that is tasting wine.  The second which is equally important is enjoying the experience with friends and family.  If these two elements exist you are bound to have a great time.  Below you will find my latest experience at a wine tasting party.  If you have never been make it your mission to be a part of one in the new year as you won’t be disappointed !

This past week I had the pleasure of being a part of a wine tasting party that my good friends threw.  The concept was ingenious yet fun for the wine lover to the casual wine drinker. The ultimate goal was to see if we could decipher which wine was more expensive. Every couple that came to the party had to bring two bottles of wine of the same varietal.  One of the bottles had to be $10 or below and the other had to be $20 and above.  The hosts of the party had brown bags that went over each bottle as the guests brought the wine in, and one of the bottles was labeled with “A” and the other with “B”.  When it came time to start the host opened the first pair and every guest had a glass labeled “A” and one labeled “B” .  We than proceeded to try the wine and mingle with guests while enjoying tasty appetizers.  When we were done tasting we voted by using our glasses.  We placed each glass on one of two sides of a table that had been split in half.  One half representing the less expensive wine and one representing the more expensive wine.  The host did the reveal and each of us got a point if we guessed correctly.  The twist was that the people who brought the wine couldn’t vote.  However, they could earn a point if more than half the group guessed wrong on the wines they brought. Finally whoever had the most points at the end of the evening won a prize.

Through out the evening we all had our own strategies and some of us changed our strategies through out the evening.  However, a few things were clear as the evening came to a close.  The experience of wine is to be shared with great family and friends, It is to be enjoyed with great food and It is to be shared with great conversations.  One thing was made clear at the end of the event, just because a wine is more or less expensive doesn’t mean it can’t be amazing!  Keep tasting you will never know what you stumble upon.

 

After returning from Walla Walla Washington recently from a relaxing wine vacation I am compelled to share about some of the amazing wineries I had the pleasure to visit and enjoy.

Walla Walla is split into four areas.  There is the westside, southside, downtown, and the eastside.  Each of these areas is unique and showcases Walla Walla in a different way.  The westside of town has some of the oldest wineries in it along with some bigger name wineries.  The southside has some of the most beautiful vineyards and views of the blue mountains.  The downtown district has a wide variety of tasting rooms from many wineries along with different restaurants and shops to visit.  The eastside of town has a few wineries with surrounding vineyards but also a unique area by the airport where many old military buildings have been turned into wineries.  Also, in this area is a wine incubator where  there are five buildings that house new wineries and allows them five years in the building to get up and running before they have to leave and allow a new winery to enter.  Each of these areas houses many amazing wineries.  Below are some of the ones we had the pleasure of visiting and enjoying.

To the West of town we enjoyed a number of wineries but two that stood out to me was Reininger and L’Ecole No 41.  The first winery of the trip we visited was Reininger and it was a great one to start with as the tasting room staff was incredibly kind and knowledgeable.  The winery also has a great line up of moderately priced wines along with a higher end line up.  There line up on wine variatels was great and we are looking forward to popping open the 08 Reininger Syrah.  The second winery of note is L’Ecole No 41.  This winery is housed in a renovated school house from 1915.  This is the third oldest winery in Walla Walla and they are consistent on producing great wines.

To the South is where you will find some of the most scenic views of the blue mountains and the surrounding vineyards.  Three wineries that stood out in this region were Saviah Cellars, Morrison Lane, and Gifford Hirlinger.  Each of these presented a different feel and breadth of Walla Walla valley wines.  At Saviah Cellars they had a great selection of wines at many price points.  We are looking forward to enjoying there 09 Big Sky Cuvee.  At Morrison Lane you get to see a winery using many unique grape varietals that you don’t see everyday from a Cinsault to a Counoise.  The view of the blue mountains from the wineries front doors are stellar.  The third winery to check out is Gifford Hirlinger.  This winery has a simple and modern feel with very approachable wine.  This place sits on the boarder of Washington and Oregon.

Next we head to the east where many of the wineries are located in in the airport district with a few dotted outside that area.  Two places to check out here include A’Maurice Cellars and Dunham Cellars.  At A’Maurice Cellars you will travel to the edge of the vineyard.  The tasting room staff is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about wine.  All the wines on there list are fantastic but I am excited to try there 09 Malbec.  The other winery to check out is located in the airport district.  This is Dunham Cellars.  Here you will enjoy a large tasting area to experience your wine and just relax with friends.  Through out the year Dunham hosts a number of winemaker dinners as well. Also, enjoy some of the artwork on the bottles as this comes from one of the owners.

Finally is the downtown district.  We didn’t have the opportunity to fully experience the downtown tasting rooms.  However, if you are looking for a place to leisurely walk from tasting to tasting this is the place to do just that.  Not to mention the great food and beautiful downtown.  Some suggestions we were given by other wineries to check out down town include Cadaretta and Fort Walla Walla cellars  ( if you have tried either of these or others in the downtown area let us know).

As you can see there are many places to try and enjoy.  This is only a small cross section of the wineries you will find.  Walla Walla does a great job of delivering a relaxing wine experience and great wine.  So hop in your car or grab a flight to Walla Walla wine country you won’t be disappointed by the wineries you discover and experience.

 

Step on up!  Don’t be shy, wine tasting is fun, exciting, and one of the best ways to learn what you do and don’t like.  The rules are easy, the opportunities many.  Wine tastings come in all shapes and sizes.  You can find them at your local wine or liquor store, at your local watering hole, in a friends home, or other exciting or exotic locales.  So lets get started.

1. Decide what you are looking for in a wine tasting.  Do you want to try one particular varietal from different regions, different vintages from one winery,  One region, or a melting pot of many wines.

2. Look for a location in your area that is having the particular tasting you are looking for.  check your local restaurants, wine shops, bars, or one of the many websites out there.  One of my favorites is  http://www.localwineevents.com/

3. Check on the price of the tasting.  This can vary so make sure you pay attention to what the cost is and what is included.  Some variations I have seen are the free tasting and the tasting that has a entrance fee which includes a souvenir glass along with a specified amount of tastings.  I am sure there are many more options so be sure you know before going.

4. Pick some amazing people to go with.  (you can go by yourself but it always is more fun with others)

5.  Once arraving make sure to wander around to see what is available and what you may be interested in.  Also, don’t be affraid to ask questions of who is pouring your wine.  Half the fun is learning what is in your glass.

6.  Enjoy!!

 

Tips:

-If there something you don’t enjoy or care for there is almost always a place to pour out what is in your glass.

-Ask for water to rinse out your glass

– If need be rest your palate between tasting wines it is not a race you want to make sure you enjoy what is in your glass.

-Take notes

Over the many tastings I have been to it never ceases to amaze me how many amazing wines are out there.  So make sure to try new things, ask questions, and have fun you are drinking wine after all !