Standing around the granite counter top, nothing but laughter fills the room. The aroma of fermented grapes is high, wafting through every nook and cranny. Glasses clink and wine sloshes around the tall stemmed rims. Stories are told. Everyone knew each other before, but this night makes them closer than ever. The night where wine bottles are emptied and old friends experience the best camaraderie the night has to offer. This night is wine night.
Every fourth Saturday of the month, my friends and I get together and dabble with our own wine tasting. We all bring a different brand and attempt to keep it classy experiencing life’s finer liquids. The only problem is after half a dozen bottles; it never turns out as classy as we’d like. But that is the fun of it. We can all be ourselves around each other, even if we are a little bit tipsy.
For over a year, our group of friends has gotten together and tried over a hundred different wines; we like to stimulate the economy one bottle at a time. It started out that we would pick a particular type of wine, for instance: pink moscato, and then whoever could make it that night would all bring a different brand of that specific type of wine. Gallo, Sutter Home, Tosti, Stella Rosa, and Astoria all made the cut that night. We open one bottle at a time and all try some. As the wine flows across our tongues, we decide if it is something we would buy again. We give our opinions as we go along, usually along the lines of, “ooo, this is sweet,” or “I liked this one better than that first one we tried, that was pure crap.” Because as much as we would like to be fancy, we’re from Wisconsin, not Napa Valley, we don’t know the lingo.
This night tends to bond us all in a way that we know we will always see each other at least once during the month, even as our lives get so hectic, what with work and watching Netflix and all.
We use it as an excuse to plan other events like Mary Kay parties and birthdays, knowing full well our entire circle of friends will be there.
There is no need to even mark it on the calendar anymore, because it is engraved into our heads at this point just as our work schedule would be. And let me tell you, this is nothing like work. Yes, we have rules, but they apply as 1. everyone must bring a bottle to contribute and 2. no repeat wines. So, these rules are pretty loose and have been broken a number of times, but we don’t mind. Really we are just in it for sampling new wine in hopes that it could be our new favorite...and of course, friends.
Keys to wine tastings that are good to follow, but aren’t mandatory consist of having a dumping glass or pail for all of those that don’t like their wine, having plenty of water for in between bottles (warm is preferred) and some oyster crackers to cleanse the palate, plenty of hors d’oeuvres to snack on (cheese and bread pair well with most wines), note cards on hand to rate wines or take down any tasting comments, a wine opener, and well, enough wine glasses is pretty important. Plus the wine, don’t forget the wine for a wine tasting party. Be sure to read the back of the label and see how it is best served. The wineries usually tell you there if their bottle needs to be chilled or not before tasting. If it is best cold, try to put it in the fridge for a couple of hours before the party.
Once the sampling starts, be sure to order the wines from dry to sweet, light bodied before full bodied, and younger years before older ones to get the full effect. A guide to follow will look like this: dry sparkling wines or champagnes (brut, prosecco), white light bodied (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc), white full bodied (chardonnay), blush wines (rose, white zinfandel), reds in order (pinot noir, merlot, cabernet), and finally sweet dessert wines (ice wines, moscato, spumante). If you have a chocolate or creamier one, that can be placed at the end as well.
That is of course the proper way to host a wine tasting, our group on the other hand, grabs the closest bottle first...convenience is kind of a must for us. We usually do dry room temperature reds before the cold whites. Do whatever feels natural to you and your friends. Trust me when I say, you get into a groove after a while.
The poetry of wine night helps solidify the feeling most of my friends and I have. It is an older way of partying without taking the “good time” out of the night. It is our way of growing up from the college house party scene, while still finding the balance of having fun and getting together. We don’t need to meet at nine in the morning for coffee and tea. We don’t need to only settle for lunch dates. We can simply have a few glasses over tales of the untold. As we share accounts of the weeks before that we may not have sent texts about, we once again become those friends who are there for each other through it all.
Start your own wine club with your inner circle. You never know what experiences will bring you closer as individuals. While stuck in that hard age of growing up without wanting to, we’ve come to compromise with our society guidelines. We put down our phones, lift up our glasses, and have a good time doing so. After all, life is a lot easier with a glass of wine in your hand.
Recommended Wines
x Risata Moscato D’Asti
x Cavit Pinot Grigio
x Kendall Jackson Chardonnay
x Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon
x Nobel Vines Merlot
x Decoy Pinot Noir
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