This week for all you wine buffs, I have a guest post from Nicole Nowlen. Nicole is a full-time businesswoman and DIY enthusiast. Living in old London town, but with a burning desire to go everywhere and see everything! You can check her full bio at: http://nicolenowlen.com/
There are those events in life that are enhanced by the presence of friends and family, and undoubtedly wine-tasting parties are one of them. There is something about the shared critiquing of one of the world’s most sophisticated beverages, and the insights into each person’s palettes and tastes that brings a closeness one might not expect. It doesn’t hurt that as the night goes on everyone is cheerful and relaxed under the influences of these beverages. The choice of location for these events is as important as the choice of wines, and can bring a poignancy to the proceedings they might otherwise lack.
An outdoor setting, ideally a garden, is a great place to savor the best of spring wines, from a flavorful rose wine to the rich yellow-gold of certain white wines. The wonderful aromatics of these wines will serve to accent the fresh crispness of the air and the hint of flowers in bloom. There are few better ways to celebrate this time of the year than with an outdoor wine tasting, sampling the best of mother nature’s bounty during this season of promise.
Sometimes the best place to take in the flavours of a region is out among the terrain that brings it’s characteristics to the wine itself. During the more favourable seasons of the year, you might take your wine tasting outdoors, and share new tastes and experiences in a national forest or park. The beauty of the outdoors can complement the colours of the wine, and provide an intimacy that only the glimmering tongues of flame licking away the dark can provide. There are varieties of wine that are known for their smoky countenance and earthy flavours, such as the reasonably priced Malbec, that would perfectly compliment such a setting.
During the moodier times of year, you might take your wine-tasting indoors into a conservatory. Conservatories are wonderful venues for such a gathering, the glass walled rooms bringing the beauty of the outdoors to the event, while keeping the coziness of the indoors. The air in these rooms tend to be quite fresh and lovely, as conservatories are popularly used to grow plants indoors, containing all the scents and essences of rich soil and fragrant flowers to the proceedings. With the right selection of wines, this can serve as an excellent accent to the flavours they bring, and can go on long into the night.
Wherever you hold your wine-tasting, the choice of vintage is important, so be sure to consult with those of your acquaintance who are well versed in the nature of wine. Even contacting a winery can help you get you some excellent guidance in what to bring to the table, and what the perfect pairings are.
Happy wine-tasting!
