4* Wine Tasting Benefit?

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

...I've been to Napa and I can tell red from white. I always decant my wine---into a glass. 

 

I've not been to Napa yet am able to discern red from white (and use big, fancee words, lol).

I, too, prefer my wine be decanted -- into a glass, but would probably push the person next to me out of their chair to get a view of someone enjoying it straight from the decanter! Followed by the entire cheese sample🤭

Where's my invite?! I can't find my invitation to the wine tasting?!

Edited July 9, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[XBGuy]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

(1) I usually find your information helpful, but I dislike white chocolate (an abomination, that leaves out the best part of chocolate), so now I don't know what to have with Beaujolais.

 

(2) I've been fortunate to have been spared the snobbiest of wine snobs at most tastings, but at one, a couple went on and on about the various "notes" they could taste and others were so impressed that they would say "oh yes!" or nod their heads in agreement to every observation. I wanted to say "I can taste notes of peanut butter!" just to see if anyone would agree. 

 

I've been to Napa and I can tell red from white. I always decant my wine---into a glass. 

 

 

I am, pretty much, a wine snob.  I loved your post.  I just shake my head at the number of wine mythologies that are out there.  When a restaurant server server suggests that I let the wine that I ordered "breathe" for a while in the bottle, I tell him that the wine can breathe just fine in my glass.

 

I have a Beaujolais suggestion for you.  It will go nicely with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner.  I avoid the Beaujolais Nouveau that pops up in stores every November.  That may be part of my wine snobbery.  Some people like it, but I just don't get it.

[XBGuy]

Oops.

Edited July 9, 2023 by XBGuy
Double post.

[taxmantoo]

1 hour ago, Haljo1935 said:

I've not been to Napa yet am able to discern red from white (and use big, fancee words, lol)

Identifying red from white is the easy part if you can read ... it is usually written on the bottle  🤣

[Big Dawg CC]

We've been to a good number of these.  For the most part, a "successful" wine tasting depends on a Sommelier who not only knows his or her "stuff," but can also communicate it to us in an effective manner - 40% educational, 80% fun and -20% sales pitch!  Some fail miserably where others shine.  We've found some good wines during the tastings, which can be helpful in choosing onboard wine selections, especially if you already have an HIA promotion or may be considering purchasing a beverage package.   

[Haljo1935]

5 minutes ago, taxmantoo said:

Identifying red from white is the easy part if you can read ... it is usually written on the bottle  🤣

Yes, but that requires reading. I can identify red from white (dark from light) cuz I showed up the day we learned colors, lol.

[POA1]

15 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

I have a Beaujolais suggestion for you.  It will go nicely with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner.  I avoid the Beaujolais Nouveau that pops up in stores every November.  That may be part of my wine snobbery.  Some people like it, but I just don't get it.

Great pairing, and one we've done. However, my lovely bride is really into Pinot Noir so it's usually a single vineyard Ken Wright for us.

 

I'm with you on the Beaujolais Nouveau. It's a great marketing ploy that snares people every year. It's not awful. It just doesn't rate the level of excitement.

[DTtravelers]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I wanted to say "I can taste notes of peanut butter!" just to see if anyone would agree.

We always just say "and a hint of kiwi"  They never know what to say after that.

 

Also, it has been three buck Chuck up here in WA for many years...  so jealous.

[POA1]

1 minute ago, DTtravelers said:

We always just say "and a hint of kiwi"  They never know what to say after that.

 

 

 

Throw in some of these actual descriptive notes just to mess with people: Lanolin, Cigar Box, Pencil Shavings, and Limpid.

 

Some bad wine description winners from The Underground Wine Letter.  2019-2020, 2018, 2017-2016, 2016-2015..

[FlaMariner]

51 minutes ago, DTtravelers said:

We always just say "and a hint of kiwi" 

 

I am going to so do this....hilarious.....fun.

 

I'm just all about going for free as a 4* Mariner and drinking free wine.....but I'm thinking Her Majesty and I are going to swirl our glasses and make these comments...."hint of kiwi" etc and have a blast.

 

We've always been package #1 (the lowest priced Sommelier package) so this will fit us fine!

[FlorenceItaly]

2 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

I am going to so do this....hilarious.....fun.

 

I'm just all about going for free as a 4* Mariner and drinking free wine.....but I'm thinking Her Majesty and I are going to swirl our glasses and make these comments...."hint of kiwi" etc and have a blast.

 

We've always been package #1 (the lowest priced Sommelier package) so this will fit us fine!

Me too!  I am finally four star on our next cruise.  Last cruise, we purchased the lowest priced Sommelier package too.  It was just fine for us.

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

Great pairing, and one we've done. However, my lovely bride is really into Pinot Noir so it's usually a single vineyard Ken Wright for us.

 

 

Interestingly, the Gamay grape variety that is used in Beaujolais is closely related to Pinot Noir..  Taste profiles of the two wines are practically identical.

 

However, there is no downside to going along with wife's preferences.  😉

 

In our household, I am a red -wine guy, and Mrs. XBGuy is a Chardonnay every day person.  We usually have two bottles open at our dinner table.

[crystalspin]

19 hours ago, Riversedge said:

Still, we usually go because there’s not much else to do!  Nice way to meet a few people at your table.  

This^^^.

Also, I have a very NON-discerning sense of taste. My husband used to tease me by getting frozen yogurt from a machine that was out of sight (at the all-you-can-eat soup-and-salad place), and ask me what was the flavor? I sometimes could tell if it was fruit or not-fruit...

 

So I will continue to try to taste what the sommelier tells me is there!  

[Florida_gal_50]

44 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

This^^^.

Also, I have a very NON-discerning sense of taste. My husband used to tease me by getting frozen yogurt from a machine that was out of sight (at the all-you-can-eat soup-and-salad place), and ask me what was the flavor? I sometimes could tell if it was fruit or not-fruit...

 

So I will continue to try to taste what the sommelier tells me is there!  

I'm pretty much the same.  Now that said last year I did go on a tour of Sonoma.  We visited 2 wineries iirc.  One was decidedly better than the other.  If I did them 2 days apart I'm not sure that I could tell.

[kazu]

I wasn’t going to go but I ended up with friends - old and new on the Koningsdam.  We had a great time.  The sommelier was humorous & put on a pretty good show.  The munchies that went with the wine were nice and plate had enough.

 

My group knew I couldn’t drink red wine so I shared mine with them leaving just a tablespoon for a mini test (anything else if I am wrong is deadly) and then they returned the favour with some white.

I probably wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t have someone to sit with - I’m glad I did - it was one of the better ones.

[Live4cruises]

It's been a while since we've been to one of the tastings, but I'm about ready to try again. 

The last one, the Wine Snob and the Sommelier were going back and forth over whether the notes were red or black currant. My comment to DH - I smell baloney!

Happy tasting, and many laughs!!

[DTtravelers]

Then again, it is good to know that kiwi actually is a legitimate tasting note.  Just in case you get seriously challenged.  However, I could not find either peanut butter or baloney!  Have fun!!  🙂

 

[*Miss G*]

I feel as if “hint of kiwi” is going to be code for “I’m on CC”!

[POA1]

4 hours ago, Live4cruises said:

The last one, the Wine Snob and the Sommelier were going back and forth over whether the notes were red or black currant.

Oh boy, I hope we have a currant affairs discussion in December!

[colbe]

6 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

Throw in some of these actual descriptive notes just to mess with people: Lanolin, Cigar Box, Pencil Shavings, and Limpid.

 

Some bad wine description winners from The Underground Wine Letter.  2019-2020, 2018, 2017-2016, 2016-2015..

Don't forget New Mown Grass, and Tomcat Pee.

[colbe]

Oh Yum!

 

"New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is famous for its signature “cat pee on a gooseberry bush” flavour – a mixture of cat urine, tropical fruit and green aromas. It is believed to derive in part from thiols, organic compounds containing sulphur. Levels of thiols can be affected by the temperature of fermentation.6/05/2015"

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, colbe said:

Oh Yum!

 

"New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is famous for its signature “cat pee on a gooseberry bush” flavour – a mixture of cat urine, tropical fruit and green aromas. It is believed to derive in part from thiols, organic compounds containing sulphur. Levels of thiols can be affected by the temperature of fermentation.6/05/2015"

Way to sell it - I'm going for sure now!!

The "hint of kiwi" delivered w/a Southern twang, will be me!!

[Dismomx5]

7 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

I am going to so do this....hilarious.....fun.

 

I'm just all about going for free as a 4* Mariner and drinking free wine.....but I'm thinking Her Majesty and I are going to swirl our glasses and make these comments...."hint of kiwi" etc and have a blast.

 

We've always been package #1 (the lowest priced Sommelier package) so this will fit us fine!

 

7 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Me too!  I am finally four star on our next cruise.  Last cruise, we purchased the lowest priced Sommelier package too.  It was just fine for us.

We are newly minted ⭐⭐⭐⭐ mariners and we'll be on the Zaandam in August. Hubby doesn't drink wine unless it is as sweet as pop (soda). I like mine sweet too, and we drink homemade brew from the UBrew wine store. We tend to drink  the lowly muscato of the lowest Sommelier package when we are on a cruise. We did do a chocolate/wine tasting on Disney which I really enjoyed. But I think this will be one to watch, listen, and try to remember "kiwi".  Now to plan what I will wear to such a high-faluting event.

[Haljo1935]

DH does not enjoy these types of events - likes wine, but not the tastings. I think these types of activities are better enjoyed with someone rather than alone, so I don't go. However, a couple years ago, I was blessed to spend my birthday doing a "wine tasting crawl" in South Africa w/my nephew. We had wine & chocolate, wine & cheese (of course), wine & bbq, wine & stained glass, wine & big cats (very cool), wine &... I had a fabulous time, tried some fabulous and some not so fabulous wines, saw some beautiful countryside,  and came away w/a very important nugget of knowledge: nephew has an affinity for dark, woodsy 🍷 🍷 similar to DH and very different than my preference. So now when looking to get something new for him, I just run it past my nephew - if he'll like it, there's a good chance DH will too!!

And since my next cruise is w/a friend who would enjoy the wine tasting rather than my husband,  I think I'll go.

Oh, I do promise to behave 🤭

[Sea42]

On the Nieuw Statendam we had a wine tasting at Nami Sushi. It was the first time I had seen that offered and it was quite interesting.