Sounds wonderful, right?Well, that was the name of the Wine Tasting Event that I went to tonight. A wine tasting event for bloggers who blog about food and wine. How did I get an invite? That is a great question ... I'm just super excited that I did!
If you have not checked out STLwinegirl yet ... please do! She is on Twitter at @STLwinegirl, and you can check out her web site as well: http://www.STLwinegirl.com/. Her bio says that she is ... Creating a personal experience with food & wine that is approachable & accessible! In Home Tastings, public & private events, education, consultation, writing ... and I could not have said it better myself!
Back to the event! I thought that I knew a fair amount about wine, but I quickly found out that I really did not know much about wine at all! I had so much fun at the event tonight, I'd love to share a little of what I learned ... so here goes!
Do you know why many people start out a meal or event with a sparkling wine? This is because a sparkling wine cleanses the palate. Also, please don't call a sparkling wine from California "Champagne" ... because it is only "Champagne" if it is from the Champagne region of France!
Do you know why a sparkling wine is served in a fluted glass? The fluted glass is designed to control the release of the bubbles, but if you really want to "twirl" and "smell" your wine ... please drink it in a regular wine glass. It would take a very long time for all of the bubbles to dissipate, so you really don't "need" the fluted glass! Oh, and do you know how many bubbles are in a bottle of sparkling wine? Three to thirty MILLION. Wow.
Sauvignon BlancA Sauvignon Blanc typically has hints of citrus, tropical, herbal, or grassy flavors. Do you know why your mouth waters when you take a sip of a Sauvignon Blanc? That is a result of the acidity of the wine! Good to know, right?!
Chardonnay
A Charonnay is a darker, yellow wine. It often has a buttery, oak, or "woody" taste, but not always. If it is not aged in cedar, then it will probably have more fruity flavors such as pear, apple, or pineapple. If the bottle describes it is "vanilla" or "toasty," it will probably have that "buttery" or "oak" flavoring.
Cabernet Sauvignon
A Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, dark looking red. It is often a dry wine, but when it is in your mouth it is sweet and fruity. The Cabernet Sauvignon gets it's deep red color from the skin of the grape. Did you know that the inside of both green and red grapes are both actually that clear/yellow/green color? The color of the wine comes from the skin, not from the fruit inside!
Do you know the 30/30 Rule of Temperature? When serving a white wine, pull it OUT of the fridge 30 minute before serving it. When serving a red wine, but it IN the fridge 30 minutes before serving it. I had no idea!
And finally, proper home storage. Do not store your wine in the kitchen ... it is the warmest room in the house, and the room that has the most temperature fluctuation. Store it out of direct sunlight, and in a room that where there is no movement (do not store it in the laundry room!) ... and if possible store it on it's side. So basically, the closet is good!Okay ... I learned so much more tonight, but I don't want to give away all of her trade secrets. You really need to attend one of her events to get the full STLwinegirl experience!
Oh, and I'd like to give a shout to some of the bloggers I met tonight. I don't have all of their web sites yet ... but here are some of them!
Iron Stef: http://www.chairmanstef.blogspot.com/
City in a Jar: http://cityinajar.com/
STL Soup to Nuts: http://cityinajar.com/
Eat It St. Louis: http://eatitstl.com/
Hannah Violin: http://hannahviolin.wordpress.com/
Michelle A. Marcus: http://michelleamarcus.blogspot.com/
A Small Town Girl's Guide: http://www.smalltowngirlsguide.com/
How Mom Rolls: http://www.thisishowmomrolls.wordpress.com/
Every Little Thing: http://www.everylittlethingblog.com/
Rhubarb & Honey: http://rhubarbandhoney.com/
Inebriated Epicurean: http://www.inebriatedepicurean.com/
Eat Local: http://www.eatlocal52.com/
Katie's Feast: http://www.katiesfeast.com/
Tony Loves Food: http://www.tonylovesfood.com/
And one more ... where the event was hosted: Nebula CoWorking http://www.nebulastl.com/
Cheers!
Wow...you blogged so fast...and I'm impressed at all that you learned in one night! :) I'll have to send everyone here...
ReplyDeleteI love wine, but I never heard about the 30/30 rule (probably because I mostly just drink white wine). GTK.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! The evening made quite an impression on me! I can't wait to attend another STLwinegirl event!
ReplyDeleteBeing born and living in a wine region, the best things at the moment are the various wine festivals which run from late may to october.
ReplyDelete