Blind Tasting

Contrary to what one might think, we don't actually taste the wines blind...that is, we don't cover our eyes! What we do cover is the bottle and the key is to not cheat. It really takes all of the fun out of the tasting. So, if you're wondering what we did on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we blind tasted five Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. And no one cheated...All of the wines were beautiful expressions of Napa Valley terroir and any one of these would make a great companion to a hearty winter meal.
2005 Showket Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Spence Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Viader
2006 Alpha Omega Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1886

Napa Valley is the place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, but what is often overlooked is the amazing Merlot that is also grown from this region. Generally used as a blending varietal, a well crafted Merlot can absolutely hold its own against the more prominent Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a lot like siblings...typically, one gets all of the attention up front, but often, there's another personality in the family that given just half a chance, can show strong character as well.

Blind tasting with friends is a great experience. It brings everyone together around the table for spirited debate and personal opinions. The wonderful thing about wine is that everyone is correct! But, it's also fun to see where your palate falls in a group ranking. Think about hosting a Napa Valley Merlot blind tasting this month. Here's how to do it:

Select between 4 - 6 Merlots. The 2006 vintage is widely available.Check with your local wine retailer. We recommend The Bounty Hunter or St. Helena Wine Center to source great wines. Some of our favorite Merlots are:

1. Barnett
2. Carter
3. Duckhorn
4. Ehlers Estate
5. Paloma
6. Shafer
1. Set a well lit table with a white piece of paper at each place setting.
2. Use a separate wine glass for each wine at the place setting
3. Have a trustworthy accomplice pour each wine, to the same level, in each glass. No peeking!
4. Create your own form, or download this one: Blind Tasting Sheet 
5. Create your own form, or download this one: Blind Tasting Score Card

Take 10 - 15 minutes for everyone to evaluate each wine at his/her own pace. Try not to discuss the wines during this time...it's very tempting, but it will quickly derail the evaluation process. At the end of the "quiet time", ask everyone to rank the wines. The group ranking is different than the score that you have given to each wine. Based on your scores from the Blind Tasting Sheet, try and rank the wines from first to last.

Now you get to chat! We usually start with the group's last ranking wine and move to the top. Everyone should contribute to the discussion. It's always amazing how many adjectives a group can have to describe a wine...and, this part of the discussion has plenty of moments where you realize, yes, I did smell the clove, or wow, I did taste the dark chocolate. It's also humorous because the conversation can move quickly from one person's sweet spice to another person's dark berry fruit. Remember, no one is wrong! Enjoy the process and let the adjectives flow.

The Holidays are a time for gathering, group interaction and shared passion. If you have minors in your tribe, do the same experience with sodas. Kids are incredible at picking out the 7-Up versus the Sprite. So, temp your family or friends this year with a blind tasting. It just might become a holiday tradition....