Value of Wine Tasting
Let’s take a look at the act of buying wine to determine the value of going to wine tastings.
Why should you bother going out to wine tastings, especially during the week? There are so many valid reasons to not go. They almost all occur right after work, when most people need to get home to the family, make dinner, let the dog out, go work out, etc. Or you might just be “peopled out” and could not imagine talking to, or interacting with, anyone else.
These reasons and more may prevent the occasional wine drinker to the avid wine enthusiast from going out to a wine tasting, and at no point should you feel bad about it!
But if you in the market for some wine let me give a few reasons to consider the value getting out to a wine tasting every now and then, perhaps one or two reasons that you haven’t considered.
"It's just so easy to grab a bottle of wine while I am already at the grocery store." That is the single biggest comment that I hear. It is also the best way to get BAD wine!
The first value to consider is the ability to buy a wine that you got to taste! If you are buying a wine at a tasting, after tasting it, that probably means that you liked it. You can then rest assured of the value on the dollar amount that you spent for that wine, I.e. you didn’t just waste money, and most importantly, you didn’t waste your time on a wine that you won’t like once you get home. Why buy a wine that you might be anxious about, concerned whether or not it will be good? The answer is don't!
Second is the Dollar amount. In addition to you getting to taste the wine before you buy it, all of the paid wine tastings offer discounts on that wine, anywhere from 10% up to $5 off a bottle. The free tastings all offer a loyalty discount, such as Aragon’s “buy eight bottles and get $20 off the ninth.” Therefore the actual dollar value of the wine is better than, let’s say, the grocery store. That may surprise you!
So if you are going to buy wine then going to wine tasting, even for just a short amount of time, will yield you with a better and cheaper wine than you may have otherwise obtained. Oh, and you have, overall, saved some time. I call that a 3win; a win win win!
Two of this week’s Crowd Favorites; Izadi Rioja Reserva 2018 and Mettler Albariño 2021, saved me time, money, and any anxiety. So even if your weekly schedule is often against you getting out to the local wine tastings, maybe considering the actual valve of buying wine at a tasting. Perhaps that will persuade you to reconsider.
So Gourmet 7 June Tasting
A great comparison of a few Spanish Wines at Sun Sets on Main.
Wine tastings that allow you to compare different levels of a single grape/style are extremely fun and educational. You can compare such things as “sourced” grapes vs “estate” grapes, find out if you liked that extra aging, and then determine if it is all worth the price.This past week So Gourmet featured a line of Tempranillo wines from the Spanish region of Rioja, all from the same producer. With the exception of a semi-sweet wine (which was very unique) the others compared the different quality of grapes and the benefits of aging those grapes.Age doesn’t help every wine, so aging wine doesn’t guarantee it being better, and there are several types of aging; in the barrel and in the bottle are the main two.In this case, the Wine of Note, had both forms of aging. Finca Penamayor Gran Reserva from 2005, at only $40, is a deal! I know that’s a little more than most people like to spend on a bottle, but if you peruse down the Spanish wine isle at your favorite wine shop and look at Grand Reserve Rioja wines that are 15+ years old you are going to see some much higher prices.This wine had all of the things that you look for in a good Rioja; that deep red fruit flavor that is equaled with soft leathery tobacco and round tannins. Drink or have with dinner, this is a do-both wine.So be sure to check out our calendar and Instagram for wine tasting previews. If you see tastings that can focus on a great comparison then you should make every effort to go. As the Spanish say; "Bali Bali!"