1/15/08 Wine Tasting Group

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Some you may actually be taking my idea of having a fun resolution for 2008 seriously by resolving to learn more about wine. In an effort to learn more about wine and not break the bank doing it, I suggest that you start a wine tasting group of your own. Getting together to enjoy a glass of wine with friends and commenting on the wine is a pleasant way to experience wine. But for those of you who would like to learn a bit more, I recommend organizing a group of friends and acquaintances to taste wine a bit more seriously. Get together the first time and establish a few ground rules. I recommend that each person commit to understanding wine vocabulary and practice it together for a few sessions. For example everyone should know that when they are referring to the texture or the thickness of the wine they are to use the term body. They should know the difference between sweet and fruity  things like that. Determine if you have access to the proper glassware everyone should have the same size and style of glass to taste their wines. I think it's fun to have one person host and another one or two to do some research on whatever wine or wine related topic you plan to discuss. You can deal with the wine in several ways  one group that I belonged to asked each member to contribute a fixed amount of money for each tasting and the person or persons doing the research also purchased the wines. Another group each member brought a wine that related to the topic. Agree on a format, bring lots of books and magazines for reference; and have fun with it! And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.