Observations from the Predators Wine Tasting
by Ed Young
Frugal MacDoogal's Monthly Guest Wine Letter April, 2006
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On Wednesday night, March 29, Frugal MacDoogal and the Nashville Predators Foundation co-sponsored one of the year’s biggest and best wine tastings at the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Over 350 people attended this event, and more than 140 wines were served, ranging in price from $8.99 to $89.99. It was Frugal’s biggest tasting of the year, and one of the largest such events in Nashville. This gala evening got me to thinking about wine tastings in general. Here are some observations for your future reference if you weren’t there.
- Many tastings benefit charities in Middle Tennessee, so when you buy a ticket for one, you are helping a good cause. The Predators Foundation is a great example. The proceeds from the March 29 tasting will provide partial scholarships for college-bound high school seniors; outings for cancer victims at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital; assistance for victims of domestic violence; and support for the “Stick to Reading=Succeeding Program”; Second Harvest Food Bank; Salvation Army Toys for Tots; and several other programs for children and families.
- You get to meet interesting people from the wine business. The Predators tasting featured dozens of booths staffed by representatives of the wineries and local distributors. Even the wine guys from Frugal MacDoogal were there to meet, discuss wine, and take photos. No one is better qualified to answer questions or discuss your wine preferences than these people. They expect questions, and they enjoy talking to people who love wine.
- If you attend a tasting, you should buy your ticket in advance and plan your evening. You will receive a list of vintners and the wines that are scheduled to be served. You should review this carefully, and decide how you are going to spend your time. There is no way that anyone can taste 140 wines in a couple of hours! You can set your priorities by vintner, by type of wine, by price, or you can concentrate on wines you have never tasted before.
- At a very large tasting, you are given a glass. Do not lose or break this glass, as it is the only free one you will receive. At the GEC, a Riedel flute ($8 value) was given to all participants—to be taken home afterwards as a souvenir of the occasion. What you drink wine out of does make a difference. If you haven’t experienced what a good glass made by Riedel or Spieglau can add to your wine-tasting enjoyment, you’ve missed something.
- Conventional wine wisdom dictates that you start with the lightest wine first and work up to the heaviest. That means tasting the Pinot Grigio and Viognier first, and saving the big red Zinfandels and blends to the end. However, large tastings may make this impractical. The fact is that the very expensive wines, like Caymus Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, will be in greatest demand and shortest supply. If you don’t get there early, you may be out of luck.
- When you ask for a taste, the selected wine will be poured into your glass. Sometimes the pour is more generous than you expected. If you received two swallows when one would have been sufficient, do not hesitate to pour the excess into the buckets provided. After all, you must pace yourself. The object is not to drink a lot of wine, but to discover new and wonderful wines, and to broaden your wine experience. If your first three or four samples are too generous, and you have two dozen more on your list to try, you aren’t going to make it!
- Be sure to make time for the food. This is very important! Food helps you to absorb the alcohol from the wine, and gives you a better idea of the taste of certain wines that are enhanced by food. You might even take some crackers or pita slices around with you to clear your palate between wines. You will see pitchers of water on each table also. While they are primarily there to rinse your glass of the previous wine you tasted, don’t hesitate to take a sip to help clear your palate.
- By all means, take tasting notes. You will be given a list of all the wines and prices, and ordering information. Make a note of the wines you like, and those you don’t like. Often, a discount price that is more generous than normal will be offered for wines ordered at the tasting. Be sure to take advantage of this, as such discounts can get you a price on an expensive wine that you aren’t likely to see again. Save those tasting notes, as they will come in handy in future months when you are faced with choices you might not otherwise remember.
- Get the most out of this experience by talking to your fellow tasters. You might get steered to something you wouldn’t have tried on your own, and you can test your palate against those of others.
- Finally, come prepared to get home safely. If you are stopped by the police on the way home, it will ruin your evening no matter how good the wines were and how much you learned. Bring a designated driver with you, or be very careful about pacing yourself so you don’t become impaired.
- If you follow the advice in this newsletter, you will help make Middle Tennessee a better place, and you will become a more knowledgeable wine connoisseur. There is no better opportunity to accelerate your wine drinking experience than a wine tasting. Where else could you taste Elivette, Moschofilero, and Giona? If you missed this one, we hope to see you at the next tasting!
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