There is still one place where it is acceptable to drink fermented liquid poured from a bottle in a paper sack. Once a source of utter disdain, the spittoon is front-and-center and using it is not just condoned, but encouraged.

The only way a wine tasting group consisting of six to eight finely-tuned palates could be more fun is if it were six to eight good friends whose palates, though not initially well-trained are eager to taste, discuss and learn about wine.

This writer has been a part of many groups of tasters. From the sublime — a night at the Chattahoochee River Club where seven of us tasted over $10,000 worth of vintage Bordeaux generously offered from the cellar of a local collector — to the ridiculous — an evening where the top vote-getting cabernet was a $9 bottle!

Both of these nights provided what is essential for a great wine tasting event. Even though the tasters were different and the libations starkly contrasted in value, meaningful discussion of the merits of the grapes being swirled gave us pause at the end of a busy day and sent us home looking forward to the next time we’d meet.

The most important ingredient to the success of your tasting group is leadership. Once a leader is selected or, even better, rises from the ranks and commits to selecting a date, choosing wines and providing some structure to the events, you’ll be on your way.
This piece should provide you with the motivation and knowledge to start a fledgling tasting group. Only an investment in time will turn your group into a place where lifelong friends and memories will be made.

Let’s get started: First choose a place to meet. The table needs to be in a well- lit room, and it should be large enough to allow each taster to sit at a place setting with a glass of water and exactly as many correctly chosen wine glasses as there are bottles on the tasting menu for the night.

Generally red wines should be served in larger glasses than the ones used for white wine service. Your group should plan to have access to a large number of glasses for the different types of wine you’ll encounter as you develop. The look of a classy table containing 60 to 80 glasses sets the tone for the night and swirling a used glass with water and reloading it with a new wine just won’t do.

The most interesting tastings should provide a study of a particular grape varietal and can be horizontal or vertical. For example, you could choose the cabernet sauvignon as your first varietal. A vertical tasting will sample several…

Now that we’ve reeled you in, catch the rest of this and many other intriguing local stories and columns in the current issue of Columbus and the Valley Magazine. Click here to find a retail outlet near you, or subscribe online so you’ll never miss a word.

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