The Wine Next Door

It’s never been easier to host a tasting highlighting wines raised in your own locale. Whether your area specializes in Rhône reds (AZ), crisp Rieslings (NY), heritage Zins (Paso Robles) or red varietals (Lamorinda, CA), there’s bound to be something interesting, or new to get to know.Dream it.

The Bold & the Blind

Blind tastings invoke a hint of intrigue and have more than a little in common with – ooh la la – disguise-charged events like masquerade balls. To stoke a little intrigue among your crew, create a tasting that centers around brown-bagged wines and asks each guest to guess the wine’s grape variety (or blend), vintage year, price, and region of origin. Offering prizes adds an exciting competitive edge to the evening and affords an opportunity to further highlight the “blind” theme (e.g. you might give away a Blind Tasting Journal to the evening’s winner). (Does not work as well over Zoom!)Sell it.

Cheese & Chocolate

Wine + cheese + chocolate = a recipe for sipping success! The only hard part about hosting a Cheese & Chocolate wine tasting is narrowing down the options for your cheeses and chocolates. We recommend offering a range of both rich and light choices, as well as a few with a surprising kick, like a mango cheese or a spicy chocolate. For a global “Wine and Cheese” party, choose wines and cheeses from one country and make a night of it!

California vs Paris….

Host your own “Judgement of Paris” blind wine tasting party by pairing up California wines with French wines for your own round two of the famous event - will California beat France, again? (Added treat…watch “Bottleshock” the movie based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris").

Wine, Women and Song

Although women comprise a minority of winemakers, their numbers are steadily rising. In California alone, almost 20% of winemakers are women who are making stellar wines! Within the traditionally male-dominated landscape of wine professionals — from sommeliers to winemakers — you'll find lady vintners who are actively turning this outdated norm on its head. Explore some of the delicious wines these women are bringing to the marketplace and you will be singing their praises!

Off the Beaten Path in California

We are all very familiar with the beauty and deliciousness that comes from a visit to Sonoma or Napa Valley, but have you explored all of the varied wine regions of California? In this tasting we venture lesser visited areas including Clarksburg, Livermore, Paso Robles, Mendocino, or Lodi, among other California wine regions producing excellent wines! Taste the refreshing Chenin Blancs grown in Clarksburg, enjoy the Zinfandels of Paso, or the Crisp Chardonnay’s and fruity Cabernet’s of Livermore.

Special Bottle Sunday (or Friday, or Saturday….)

Inspired by the national phenomenon that grew out of longtime, Wall Street Journal wine column Open That Special Bottle Night, “Special Bottle Sunday” is just what it sounds like: an evening to invite over your friends to share special wines you’ve all been saving. The theme makes for a wonderful tasting that focuses on great friends and great wine – and reminds you that you don’t have to have a reason to enjoy the better things in life.

“ABC” Whites

Spend enough time in serious wine circles and sooner or later you’ll hear the long-running ABC gripe – meaning, I’ll drink Anything but Chardonnay. Far be it from this Chard lover to condone these sorts of gripes, though the missive does provide fantastic fuel for a tasting that prompts your guests to come up with innovative whites to share with your crew. Whether it be Sancerre, Viognier, Vermentino or Verdicchio, you’re all sure to find out there’s lots to love outside the Chard realm.

Location, Location, Location

Some locations have an undeniable edge over others – and this couldn’t be truer when it comes to wine. A location-based tasting calls for you to highlight wines from a particular region – say, Sonoma – in an effort to better understand its strong points, soulful Zinfandels or crisp Chards fairly begging for food. Just be careful: this tasting has been known to cause field trips. Or maybe in this virtual time of not travelling, we bring a travel and wine experience to you. Taste the fruity, fresh and crisp wines of the Loire Valley, the bold, and age worthy wines of Piedmont, Italy, or discover some wine treasures of the Douro Valley in Portugal.

Summer Sipping, Whites, Pinks and Reds

BBQs, beach, boating, hiking, vacationing and just plain old relaxing….what wines will you sip as you enjoy the Summer weather and activities? In this tasting we learn about the refreshing whites, dry crisp rosés, and light reds that pair perfectly with warm days and summer foods! Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gavi, Provence Rose, Grenache, Carignane, Cab Franc and Pinot Noir are just some of the wines that can enhance your Summer dining and fun!

Customized Tastings

The beautiful thing about wine, is that there are so many wonderful choices to fit everyone’s individual tastes! We can customize a wine event that reflects your personal tastes and style. Give us a call and let us help you unleash your wine event creative juices!

Que Syrah, Shiraz

Whether it’s Syrah or something else (you might also try Perfect Pinots, Killer Cabs or Strictly Sangiovese), a varietal tasting exposes you and your friends to a selection of wines made from the same grape – and leaves you all with a better understanding of its perks and pairings when it’s done. For best results, be sure to try wines made from this grape in different regions, and it’s also a good idea to serve a few finger foods known to partner well with the variety. Cheers!Grow it.

Varietals 101

One of the most popular tastings is easily the Varietal 101 tasting, which highlights characteristics of the classic grape varieties. Including (among others) Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, classic grape varieties are a great foundation for budding wine tasters, and as such make a smart first tasting selection for more serious tasting groups.

A Rosé by Any Other Name…

Warm weather and sunshine are all about the pink wine. So beautiful and extremely popular with plenty of delicious offerings to explore. There’s nothing better than sipping on a refreshing Rosé in the summer. The beautiful pink colors of the wine will add elegance to this party.

Summer, And the Living is Easy with Light Reds

Light reds are the perfect way to enjoy a summer evening. Taste wines including those from the US Northwest where Pinot Noir is king, French Burgundy (aka Pinot Noir), Carignane, Gamay, Nebbiolo and GSMs (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre blends) for a lovely tasting comparison of easy drinking, lighter reds.

Vertical Variations

There’s no better way to get to know the characteristics of a particular wine than to taste it in vertical form. A vertical is just a sampling of the same wine across multiple vintages – say, the 2001, the 2002, the 2003 and so on, up until the current release. This can be a lot of fun when famous or iconic wines are involved and can teach your crew not only about the wine but about vintage variation as well.

New World, Old World

Travel to Burgundy, Oregon, and California to explore the beauty of Pinot Noir. Learn the history of this beautiful, and sometimes temperamental grape, and sample its varied wine styles. This grape makes it easy to taste the differences that result in growing Pinot Noir in different places. Pinot Noir is an ideal grape for making regional comparisons because of its delicate nature. Low-tannin and thin-skin, it takes on the qualities of a region (or a winemaker’s signature) more easily than bold grapes like Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon.