As a favour to the very busy and sadly, temporarily teetotal GFB, I attended my very first wine tasting event. I wasn’t sure what to expect – I even took a lunchtime visit on ‘Attending a Wine Tasting Event for Dummies ’ webpage for help – but I was rather excited. It was held at the beautiful Malmaison hotel, by Danielle Mercer. Danielle set up Nomad as a way to make wine tasting fun, relaxed and informal. An intimate group of us sat around a small table, as we were talked through the basics of actually tasting wine (very different to my usual guzzling technique let me tell you!)
It was great to learn the key points to appreciating wine properly: the look, the swirl, the sniff and, my favourite bit, the slurp. We took an around the world trip to 8 different destinations to see what each place had to offer. The important thing to note is that Danielle doesn’t actually sell wine; she simply chooses wines that are available in supermarkets and encourages people to try something new.
In conjunction with the alcohol, Danielle had invited along Robin from the Cheshire Cheese Company, who helped match their interesting flavoured cheeses and meats to the selected bottles. I was dubious as a self-confessed hater of cheese, but I put my reservations aside and embraced the evening wholeheartedly.
So, onto the wines. We started with four whites, the first being a zesty Prosecco from the heart of the Prosecco region of Italy. It was summery and light, with hints of crisp pink lady apples. The bubbles (or mousse as I discovered this was called) danced on my tongue as a smile crept up on my face. Oh yes, this was going to be a fun evening. We tried the ‘Champagne with Strawberries and Cream’ cheese which was so sweet that I could only manage a small bite.
Next we had my usual tipple: Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. I have tried many of the varieties that this wondrous region has to offer, including the Villa Maria brand that Danielle had brought along. Knowing I was in for a treat, I poured a generous measure in my glass and savoured the mouth-watering acidity, the sourness of the gooseberries. When asked what we could taste, the gentleman next to me said, “it tastes like heartbreak.” Yes, this really wasn’t your typical wine tasting!
We followed this with a German Reisling from Mosel. Classed as an off-dry wine, this was sweet, with a syrupy feeling, reminding me of being curled up in a blanket as the winter draws in. Reislings have fallen out of fashion (though I hear they are making a comeback) but I think this was a lovely, inviting example of a good wine from the old world. We nibbled on some ‘Jamaican Jerk’ cheese which was a personal favourite.
The last of the whites was a golden, un-oaked French Chardonnay. A buttery smell wafted up from the glass, the taste of Werther’s Original sweets flooded my mouth. This was more full-bodied than I would usually drink but a stunning wine all the same.
After a brief break, and several pieces of chorizo later, we started on the reds. I am partial to the occasional glass of red, but it’s safe to say my knowledge of what I actually like is a little thin. First up was a Chilean Pinot Noir. Light in colour (“it looks like Ribena” – 3 guesses who that came from!) with a slightly smoky nose, the taste of red berries and I must say, it was rather yummy. I snaffled more chorizo as we carried on.
We then sampled a young Tempranillo, sweet smelling with a flavour that was reminiscent of port. This Matsu ‘El Picaro’ (meaning ‘the rascal’) was one of a series of three Tempranillos, each aged for differing lengths of time. The bottle was striking, featuring a rather handsome young man’s face, which is easily recognisable from any supermarket shelf.
A rather unusual blend from Australia was up next. The Penfolds Koonunga Hill was an amalgamation of Shiraz and Cabernet grapes. It was much heavier than the previous two, and had notes of rich cocoa and berries. So far, this was my favourite as I scribbled rather illegibly on my tasting notes.
Finally, a Zinfandel from California. The name ‘Zinfandel’ unfortunately has connotations of the rosé variety, of being 18 at university with the bottle taped to my hand (a game aptly titled ‘Amy Wine-hands’). I was pleasantly surprised by this much more sophisticated tipple, with spicy flavours and what I can only describe as a ‘smacky’ finish.
Due to the small group, and the ability to pour our own generous measures, I was feeling, as my Dad would say, a little squiffy. We all stayed on to finish the wine and eat yet more meat and cheese (I actually snaffled a few truckles of cheese to try at home – perhaps I am a cheese convert?) and I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed my first venture into the world of wine tasting. Let’s hope there are more alcoholic favours to come!