The Wine Voyage

Table of Contents - What Is a Blind Wine Tasting? - Step 1 — Choose Your Format - Step 2 — Select Your Wines - Step 3 — Set Up Your Tasting Station - Step 4 — Create Your Scorecard - Step 5 — Run the Tasting - Step 6 — Lead the Discussion - Hosting for Groups vs. Hosting for Teams - Common Mistakes to Avoid - Further Reading Knowing how to host a blind wine tasting is one of the most useful things you can learn if you love wine, love hosting, or love watching people discover they have stronger opinions about Chardonnay than they thought. I've hosted hundreds of blind tastings — for corporate groups, birthday parties, anniversary dinners, and team-building events. Every single time, someone who walked in saying "I don't really know wine" walks out having made four confident guesses and won a round. That's the magic of a well-run blind tasting: it proves that taste is democratic. Here's exactly how to host a blind wine tasting, whether you...

Table of Contents - What Is a Blind Wine Tasting? - Step 1 — Choose Your Format - Step 2 — Select Your Wines - Step 3 — Set Up Your Tasting Station - Step 4 — Create Your Scorecard - Step 5 — Run the Tasting - Step 6 — Lead the Discussion - Hosting for Groups vs. Hosting for Teams - Common Mistakes to Avoid - Further Reading Knowing how to host a blind wine tasting is one of the most useful things you can learn if you love wine, love hosting, or love watching people discover they have stronger opinions about Chardonnay than they thought. I've hosted hundreds of blind tastings — for corporate groups, birthday parties, anniversary dinners, and team-building events. Every single time, someone who walked in saying "I don't really know wine" walks out having made four confident guesses and won a round. That's the magic of a well-run blind tasting: it proves that taste is democratic. Here's exactly how to host a blind wine tasting, whether you...

Table of Contents - What Makes Australian Wine Unique - A Brief History of Australian Wine - Major Australian Wine Regions - Australian Wine Grape Varieties - Australian Wine Regions at a Glance - Understanding Australian Wine Labels - Food Pairing with Australian Wine - Top Australian Wine Producers to Know - Australian Wine for Corporate Tastings - Further Reading What Makes Australian Wine Unique Australian wine punches above its weight in almost every category. The country is home to some of the world's oldest vines, produces wine at every price point and quality level, and has built a reputation for bold, fruit-forward styles that are immediately appealing to new wine drinkers. At the same time, its top producers craft wines that compete with the world's finest. I've found that Australian wine is one of the most useful categories for introducing new wine drinkers to quality — the flavors are generous and accessible, the labels are usually in English (helpful), and you ...

Table of Contents - What Makes Australian Wine Unique - A Brief History of Australian Wine - Major Australian Wine Regions - Australian Wine Grape Varieties - Australian Wine Regions at a Glance - Understanding Australian Wine Labels - Food Pairing with Australian Wine - Top Australian Wine Producers to Know - Australian Wine for Corporate Tastings - Further Reading What Makes Australian Wine Unique Australian wine punches above its weight in almost every category. The country is home to some of the world's oldest vines, produces wine at every price point and quality level, and has built a reputation for bold, fruit-forward styles that are immediately appealing to new wine drinkers. At the same time, its top producers craft wines that compete with the world's finest. I've found that Australian wine is one of the most useful categories for introducing new wine drinkers to quality — the flavors are generous and accessible, the labels are usually in English (helpful), and you ...

Table of Contents - Why Greek Wine Deserves Your Attention - A Brief History of Greek Wine - Key Greek Wine Regions - Essential Greek Wine Grape Varieties - Greek Wine vs. Other Mediterranean Wines - How to Read a Greek Wine Label - Food Pairing with Greek Wine - Greek Wine for Corporate Wine Tastings - Top Producers to Know - Getting Started: Bottles to Try - Further Reading Why Greek Wine Deserves Your Attention Greek wine has been making and breaking empires for over 4,000 years. And yet, for most of recent wine history, Greece has been an afterthought on the world stage — a place known for retsina and not much else. That's changing fast. I've been recommending Greek wine to clients at corporate tastings for years now, and the reaction is almost always the same: genuine surprise followed by immediate curiosity. These wines taste like nothing else on Earth. The grape varieties are unique, the terroir is dramatic, and the value is exceptional compared to similarly positioned F...

Table of Contents - Why Greek Wine Deserves Your Attention - A Brief History of Greek Wine - Key Greek Wine Regions - Essential Greek Wine Grape Varieties - Greek Wine vs. Other Mediterranean Wines - How to Read a Greek Wine Label - Food Pairing with Greek Wine - Greek Wine for Corporate Wine Tastings - Top Producers to Know - Getting Started: Bottles to Try - Further Reading Why Greek Wine Deserves Your Attention Greek wine has been making and breaking empires for over 4,000 years. And yet, for most of recent wine history, Greece has been an afterthought on the world stage — a place known for retsina and not much else. That's changing fast. I've been recommending Greek wine to clients at corporate tastings for years now, and the reaction is almost always the same: genuine surprise followed by immediate curiosity. These wines taste like nothing else on Earth. The grape varieties are unique, the terroir is dramatic, and the value is exceptional compared to similarly positioned F...