Wine tastings 101.....

Last night I was in the great city of Green Bay (a.k.a Titletown...for those Packer fans), and participated in a wine tasting event.  This event wasn't exactly a "tasting", more like an "all you can drink, and try to walk out of the joint".  I mean this thing was a free for all.  I felt like I was bartending at a college sorority formal.  The majority of the people came with a spouse, or should I say....the women dragged their men out for the night.  I haven't seen this many WASTED people at a wine event in awhile.  So it got me thinking, do people really understand the function of a "tasting"?? 

Tastings are awesome, but you have to approach them in the correct manner. 

1. Do your research, and invest in the right events.  If the price tag is $50, it's usually pretty legit.  Anything hovering around $20, will guarantee you're getting low end grocery store wines.
2. If you're going to a Spanish tasting, do some research on the wine regions of Spain.  You'll won't be so lost when you're at the event.  This takes 30 minutes, and can be fun.
3. Once at the event, look over the booklet.  See if anything jumps out at you.  Mark those items, and try them first.  You're pallet becomes shot after awhile.  
4. When you approach a table, ask "what are you presenting tonight?"  Let the supplier rep walk you through the wines.  Word to the wise, you DON'T have to try everything on the table.  Also, if you're trying more than a few wines....SPIT.  Everyone tells me, "I don't want to waste the wine!".  Here's my rebuttal:  you're at a tasting...do you have taste buds in the back of your throat??  No, so try the wine, and SPIT, and dump the rest out.
5. Make a quick note of what you like, and thank the rep for their time.
6. After you've made your rounds, take a few minutes and look at your notes.  If you need to revisit a wine, revisit it.  If you like it (and this is important, as the light bulb always goes off when I tell people this), take out your camera phone, and TAKE A PICTURE OF THE LABEL.  
7. By taking a picture of the label, you'll have it with you at all times.  Next time you go to the wine store, you can show the manager a picture.  How many times have you tried to rattle off something you've tried, "Um, it was red, I think from California...or maybe Italy.  The label was pretty, and had flowers.  OH, and I really liked the name. It was funny, and I remembered I laughed!"  Okay...this does NOT work.  Take a picture..you're life will be easier.  If you go to the right wine shop, anything can be ordered.  You may have to buy 6 bottles, but it's worth it.

That's the basic outline for a tasting.  They can be fun, informative, and you actually can learn a lot.  Last night, I had the drunks shoving their glass in my face saying "Surprise me. Pour whatever.  What's sweet?? What's the most expensive? I don't care, I'm here to get drunk with my wife".  If you're looking to get wasted off wine, I suggest you go to the store, and buy a 5L box of Franzia for $12.  It will save you money, and public embarrassment!

Corks vs. Screwcaps...

Everytime I do a wine tasting/event, I'm asked about my preference for enclosures. Is it cork, or screwcap? My answer: screwcap for 99% of wine. That 1% would be for Bordeaux/Burgundy, or anything that can be aged for a long period of time. Below are a couple "pros & cons" about each enclosure:

Cork

Pro:

• there's something about opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew. You know what I mean, it's tradition. It's like driving a car with a stick shift. Some people just prefer a manual operation of their vehicle.
• cork is porous. Over time, small (and I mean small) amounts of air pass through the cork, and hit the wine. By slightly oxygenating the wine, it takes on a different aging process in the bottle.

Con:

• cork is porous, and acts like a sponge sometimes. If a wine is stored too warm, the cork expands and allows oxygen in contact with the wine. Once that cork cools down, it captures the oxygen, and creates a seal. Your wine could be shot at that point.
• cork is made out of bark of oak trees growing wild in the western Mediterranean. Molds on the cork interact with bleaching components (to sterilize) and form a compound called TCA. This creates a musty, moldy odor known as being "corked". It is estimated that 3-5% of all wine in cork have TCA. 1 out of every 20 bottles.

Screwcap

Pro:

• every time you open a bottle of wine, the juice inside will be good. No questions asked. This is particularly good for white wine, because white wine HATES oxygen.
• if I were to spend $50 on a bottle, I'd want to make sure the juice was going to be good. The worst thing is to buy a nice bottle, age it for a few years, and find out once you open it, that the bottle is "off". Money down the drain.

Con:

• there's no romance in opening a screwcap. It's like anything else..rum, whiskey, beer.
• we don't know how wines that technically benefit from cork (like Bordeaux/Burgundy) will age with screwcap. It's still a relatively newer concept, so we'll have to wait. Some Burgundy producers have bottle vintages in cork AND screwcap, just to compare the 2 wines in the future.

In summary, here is my buying recommendation:
- White wines: Always screwcap, over cork. You want the majority of whites to be crisp, clean, and refreshing.

- Red wines: anything meant to be drank young (3-5 years)...screwcap. Anything high end ($75-$100/btl) from France, Italy, Spain, or California...cork.  The jury is still out on how these wines will age.

Italy's most popular spirit....

I’ve got to promote a product I sell, because: 1) it has little or no awareness in the midwest, 2) it’s pretty damn good (I drank the Kool-Aid, and I liked it!).  My company just started importing a spirit brand from Italy last year.  It’s like Campari, but not as bitter and herbal.  If you chill it, and serve it over ice, it’ll taste like Sunkist Orange soda (what kid didn’t love that sugary drink growing up?).  It’s name: Aperol.  Aperol is the #1 selling spirit in Italy!  The #1 brand in the US is probably Bacardi, Smirnoff, or Absolut.  As we know, those brands carry some big weight!  Aperol was developed in 1919 by the Barbieri brothers who lived in the northeastern part of Italy.  They concocted a drink using special herbs and citrus flavors to enjoy as an aperitivo.  Through the course of the last 100 years, this brand has become increasingly popular through that part of Italy.  In fact, when you travel to the Veneto, Aperol cocktails are EVERYWHERE.

Okay, how does this translate to us in the United States?  Here is what I did, and I suggest you try the same:  play with the brand.  What I mean is, go to the store and buy a bottle.  On a Friday or Saturday night, play “mixologist” and try to incorporate this into your favorite cocktail.  It, surprisingly, works and puts a refreshing twist on the drink. 

I have a friend, who recently became a huge bourbon fan…Maker’s Mark specifically.  Here’s what I did bourbon & Aperol. 

Aperol Old Fashioned

• 2 parts bourbon
• 1 part Aperol
• 1 orange slice
• 2 marischino cherries
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• A splash of ginger ale/Fresca

Shake this in a cocktail shaker, and serve over ice.  Aperol acts as the bitter component, and makes this a strong, yet refreshing drink.   

Who doesn’t like sparkling wine?  Prosecco is the hottest sparkling wine category right now.  Next time you head to the grocery store pick up a bottle, and try this out:

Aperol Spritz (Italy’s most famous drink)

• 2 parts Aperol
• 3 parts Prosecco
• 1 orange slice

Serve in a red wine glass, and over ice.  Try it out, and tell me what you think.  This is also a staple in my household. 

Go to your local liquor store, pick up a bottle, and have some fun!  This spirit will not disappoint!