The Crescent Residents Wine Tasting Evening

For sometime I have discussed the need for a Crescent wine tasting club. I am pleased to announce that this Wednesday (27th June 2007) we will see this become a reality. Although not a expert by any means, I have a passion for wine and maintain a good collection in the UK. I have always said that wine should be bought to share, although sometimes it is nice to be selfish with a good bottle!

Firstly the aim of the wine tasting is not to push people into buying wine or feeling committed at the end of the evening. All the wine is purchased by the tasters and the aim is to determine what types of wines and regions you favor. I have attended too many tastings where I have felt committed to buy bottles at the end of the evening. Our event will be different. This is how it works. For each tasting we all contribute say $15-20. For every event, each member of the tasting group will be assigned a grape or region for wine and be asked to take the money collected and buy several bottles of the same variety. The aim of the buyer is to select bottles of differing price ($8-$35) and from various countries.

The tasting will be a 'blind' tasting. This means that the bottles are covered up and no description provided. The bottles will be numbered from 1 through 8, for example. We will all taste the wines and rate them personally. During the tasting we are looking to develop our palettes by trying to detect aromas, colors and tastes. At the end of the tasting each taster lists what their favourite wine is and why. The host will the uncover the bottles and describe each wine and its region. The fun occurs when the price of the wine is disclosed. Everyone tends to buy expensive wine, as there is a perception that this is better. The aim of the tasting is to allow you to find a wine you like based on experience rather than price and a pretty label. It is a wonderful way of trying varieties that you would never normally select, and to easily understand the difference, to aid with your future buying experience.

An old friend told me that the best wine is the cheapest you like. This event is also a great chance to meet new people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. As we develop the club we will look to record tastings online so that you can remember what you tasted and why you liked it. Too often I find a wine I love then forget what it was. This should act as a permanent record for the future, wherever we may find ourselves. The difference with this approach to wine tasting is that it is fun, with no commitment to purchase other than contributing a small amount for buying the tasting wines. I plan to hold the first tasting this Wednesday.

Everything is complimentary and the aim is to understand what level of interest we have. Following on, we can decide how often this occurs, whether we cook food for afterwards or, in the long term, consider going to some vineyard for private tastings. The possiblities are endless! Let me know whether you can attend or just turn up. We look to start at 8:00pm and I am planning to hold this event in the wine room downstairs at the Crescent. It should last for around 1 and half hours. Donavon will be pleased that I have managed to master the world of blog - not bad for a Brit!
See you then, James