Tasting for Napa

Yesterday I went to a "meeting" at work where we got to taste a lot of wines by Trinchero Family Estates (where I'll be staying in June) and hear about the upcoming summer Napa Valley trip. There were 15 wines to taste and a big packet of information on each wine. To some it may seem overwhelming, but I couldn't wait to dig in. We did a blind tasting and each discussed what we thought of each and what we thought it was. It was very informative and fun. I will say it is so much easier to have a list of the wines with slight descriptions in front of you while also using the process of elimination, but it's the best way to start.

If you're ever at a restaurant and aren't sure which wine to get, ask to taste a few things. As long as it's served by the glass most bartenders are more than happy to let you taste because we want you to like what you're drinking. Even better is to have them give you the tastes and not tell you which is which so you have nothing like price or brand name standing in you're way, because you're going to find that the more expensive or even more familiar name isn't what you're going to like the best. Also, it's ok to taste a wine that might not be the one you'd pick because of price. You don't pay for the taste and who knows, maybe you'll want to splurge this time or even next time, or you may even find that the house brand is more tasty to you. It doesn't hurt to taste.

Another tip for tasting wines is try to go from dry to sweet and from white to red. You don't want to end up over-powering the next wine you're going to taste. And always keep water with you to rinse your mouth and also your glass if you're reusing it.

Last thing, if you're in a situation, like I was, where there are 15 wines in front of you DO NOT attempt to finish off every pour. You're going to end up intoxicated for sure, and you're going to miss out on the educational experience because you're tongue and brain won't be up to par. It is NOT impolite to dump your remaining pour into the spit bucket (or into the grass if you didn't have one, like me), in fact it's expected, and doing the opposite would probably be frowned upon by the pourer or, in my case, my boss and the guy sending me on my trip and paying for my test in the fall...

Be safe, and enjoy!

Patio Wine

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, I've gotten caught up in work and the nice weather, but speaking of nice weather....

What kind of wines do you like when it's nice outside and you're sitting on your patio/deck or even having a picnic?

I prefer white wines when it's warm outside. I really enjoy the crispness and acidity of a nice sauvignon blanc. It, to me, is very refreshing. If you're grilling, maybe try a pinot grigio. They have a lighter flavor profile that is compatible with most foods. It won't over power any zesty bbq sauce, instead it will leave you with a quenched satisfaction. Zinfandel is another wine that pairs well with bbq if you are still interested in having a red.

A note to remember... If you're like me, you LOVE spicy food. If you are having a spicy bbq sauce or just anything spicy in general, STAY AWAY from wines that are already higher in alcohol. I recommend staying at 13.5 or lower. Spicy food will make a wine taste like it is about 1% higher in alcohol than it is. It may not sound like much, but if you taste two wines next to each other that have a 1% or more difference in alcohol content, you'll be able to identify the "hotness" the higher alcohol wine leaves in your throat. Therefore, drinking a California Cabernet from a warmer region that has an alcohol content of 14% may taste brilliant with a grilled steak, but clear of spicy bbq because the wine may then taste "too hot" to handle.