V Paul’s September Vino Magnifico

I have gone to several wine tastings in the Pensacola area but I had never gone to the one tasting that everyone has recommended to me: V Paul's second Tuesday tasting. With my usual reviews I tend to go into the wine itself some more but this is my complete reaction to my first V Paul's tasting. I went into this tasting with some idea of what it would be like. I understood that this was a sit down tasting and the same crowd tends to meet every month. I began the tasting by walking into the restaurant and was greeted warmly by the host. I noticed that this was a more mature crowd than what I was used to seeing at other tastings. Everyone was stylishly dressed and many had perched at the bar for a drink. I decided to follow the lead of many of the patrons and order myself an Aperol Spritz on this hot day.I had attended this tasting alone, which admittedly made me feel slightly nervous. It is much easier to attend events when you can experience it with a familiar person. I must have been the only person at the tasting who was not meeting someone or attended the tasting by themselves. I decided anyway to embrace the new environment and new crowd of people. I ran into someone I had met at a local tasting who had invited me to the V Paul's tasting. I made no promises since the month prior I had failed to secure my reservation. It was this month of September that I was lucky enough to secure a reservation for myself through V Paul's website. It was so delightful meeting up with this person who then subsequently introduced me to Paul himself. He is the ultimate host, kind and inviting, and found me a seat among many reserved tables. I had joined a table of several ladies who make this their monthly meeting. Immediately I was embraced as a newcomer and welcomed into the mix as we began tasting the wine. I could not have gotten luckier to have been sitting among such kind and fun women!I typically do not attend many sit-down tastings but this was unique. With complementary pesto pasta served along with the wine to order right off the menu during the tasting. I ordered the bruschetta to accompany the wine, which included the following:Charles de fere Rose, Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling, Whole Cluster Pinot Noir, Catina Valle Tritana Montepluciano d'Abruzzo, and the Oberon Merlot.These were a selection of industry standards along with a couple au courant standouts. Typically I do not favor pinot noirs even though I can tolerate them, but the Whole Cluster Pinot Noir was my favorite of the tasting. It had deep cherry and slight oaky taste that is usually more subdued in some pinot noirs I have tried in the past. It was perfectly medium-bodied and I thought that it was pleasant. It was a wine that I would revisit again. The other wines did not seem as remarkable although the other patrons did seem to enjoy them. Compared to other wine tastings, these wines offered were not entirely as unique or standout.Overall, the atmosphere was very inviting. The host, Paul, was very welcoming and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves to the fullest. I would say that I enjoyed the company during the tasting proportionally more than the wine itself and would recommend this experience for wine novices and experts alike. I especially enjoyed the educational component of the tasting when each wine was explained. For $15 I would say that this tasting was a good value. You not only get a sample of the restaurant's food, but the sample sizes of each wine was approximately the size of a standard serving of wine. This is the tasting for you if you enjoy the social aspect of wine and wine tastings! I will definitely be returning for another enjoyable experience at V Paul's.-Anna