Free Blind Wine Tasting at Sam's

Don't know anything about this other than what it says here (from Sam's Website), but it sounds interesting. I've sent an email and left a voicemail to reserve a spot, but I haven't actually heard from anyone at Sam's. If anyone wants to meet up, let me know.

Cheers,

Aaron

---------------------------

Blind Tasting Challenge
Complimentary
Wednesday, January 26th - 6:30pm to 8pm- Chicago Store
To reserve your space call 312.664.4394 or email [email protected]

Saturday, January 28th - 1pm to 4pm - Downers Grove Store
To reserve your space call 630.705.9463 or email [email protected]

Labels and ratings mean a lot when it comes to a wine - or do they? Are you as wine savvy when you don

Continuing this conversation with myself, the wine tasting was quite an enjoyable event. I believe they are going to try to do something similar more regularly.

Four tables were set up throughout the store, two whites and two red at each. They kicked off the evening with a sparkling French wine, and then everyone was free to move about the tables at will, guessing varietal, country, region, and, as "bonus fields", price and vintage. Apparently there is some sort of prize to the winner. There were maybe 50-60 people in attendance.

The wines were quite distinctive and interesting. I didn't guess most of the varietals, but even among those I couldn't guess, the taste was familiar--it was more a comforting sense of a smell I couldn't place, than a desperate feeling of utter ignorance. Some wines, I was surprised at how obvious the identification was to me; others they threw in to purposely mislead you, like a chianti with an intense barnyard nose, or, as my wife so delicately put it, shit juice. I had no clue.

In any case, it was a very fun way to test my (lack of) wine knowledge, enjoy some free wines, and the company of others in search of a free, fun, wine night, including some other LTHers. Highly recommended.

Cheers,

Aaron

Funny, I just (finally!) saw Sideways tonight. It made me realize how far from being able to pull this kind of thing off I am, but then again how much I love wine and would love to eventually know so much about it... Sounds like a good time but I bet I'd have been embarrassed.

sti3 wrote:Sounds like a good time but I bet I'd have been embarrassed.

I don't think so...surely some people there were good at the ID part of the game, but most were just people who liked wine and were looking for a pleasant way to pass time. The whole thing was quite casual and how much ignorance (or knowledge) you displayed was completely up to you.