Photo by Amanda DePerro
Whether you’re expanding your palate and knowledge base or getting together with close friends and family, wine tasting events have something for novices and refined palates alike.
“Wine is like art, what you see is what get,” Meghan Hardgrove, general manager and sommelier of Wine on High, says. “It is all memory and sensory from the taste buds and different people are going to take away different tastes.”
Holiday Fun at Home
Make it interesting. Have each guest bring two bottles of the same wine, with one in a Christmas sock. Have everyone taste each wine and vote for their favorite. End the evening with a wine pull raffle, which is basically a blind draw where every raffle ticket buyer wins a bottle of wine.
Flights of Fancy
Whether you run sweet or dry, sitting or standing wine flights are a great way to explore new tastes and expand your palate. Restaurants like Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant at Easton have designated wine bars perfect for tastings and casual gatherings.
Pro tip: “Most people are busy talking and take a sip and move on,” Hardgrove says. “It is most important to take a second sip whether you like the wine or not. Just like a movie, you may not notice the nuances until the second time viewing.”
Perfect Pairings
Let the sommelier choose the wine! Whether it’s an educational series at the Refectory or a Rosé Soirée at Spagio, good food and wine go hand in hand.
“I just want people to open their eyes to tastings and have fun with it,” Hardgrove says.
Rocco Falleti is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com.
