Tasting Blindly in July...

And the theme is...?

We had an engaged and enthusiastic group of students at the July Tasting Blind class at the Morro Bay Wine Seller on Wednesday. As always, there was a theme to the wines, which I always hope students will figure out while they're tasting. This group did not disappoint - and neither did the wines!

As always, we had fresh-baked bread from #JDBakes on the tables for palate cleansing and generally tastiness.

Tasting Blind! March edition...

The Goddess of Wine had her way with another intrepid group of tasters as she led them through the wild world of blind wine tasting. As always, students were provided with tasting grids and aroma wheels to help them with their discoveries.

I provided few clues for the class: None of the wines were from California. A student asked if there was any Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. Nope. I encouraged them to think outside of their comfort zone, to trust what they were smelling and tasting.

The wines - mostly from my own cellar - were all from different regions of Italy. Because I like Italian wines, and I had enough to share. And I enjoy torturing my classes with wines they probably have not encountered. That may sound evil, but my aim is to have the group focus on what they are actually smelling and tasting, and not worry about whether or not they're right or wrong. It's all about trusting your senses and building from there.