wine tasting

The night began with everyone introducing themselves. "Raise your hand if you've ever toured a winery," I asked? All but two people's hands went up in the affirmative.

Then, I went around the room asking whether the attendees prefered reds or whites or dry wines versus sweeter wines. The consensus was white and "not-so-dry." Keep in mind, this was a room of 5 men and 5 women. So far, in my wine consulting travels, I see that men usually prefer reds and dry wines over whites, so I braced myself for an interesting tasting experience and, indeed it was!

We began by tasting a Sauvignon Blanc from the pay d'Oc region of France. In the glass, it looked so light and airy that it was going to evaporate into the heavens. Vinted by the winery Domaine Galetis, this wine, which offers hints of silvery colors and apple scents, was well-received by all Cheers, everyone! Pair this wine with scallops and you are in food-wine paradise.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday, my first wine tasting event. It was sponsored by my college French Club and the poster said it would offer an evening of French wines and cheeses.

So, I asked my roommate Todd to go with me and check this out. He was curious like me and we both agreed we knew very little about wine. He felt even more out of place since he wasn't even taking French, but was taking Spanish at the time.

Having been raised on a farm in a dry county in South Georgia, the idea of a wine tasting seemed pretty classy and even upscale to me at the time. Heck, my parents didn't even allow alcohol in the house growing up. So, attending the wine tasting was a way to branch out on my own and "get away" with something at the same time.