Thanks and Happy Holidays!

It's been a heckuva year for the Goddess of Wine and #FirstAcolyte (#JDBakes) John Dickey, and we couldn't have done it without your support! 

Thanks to all the thirsty students of wine, the good-natured and patient wine bar owners, the wine company reps who consistently find amazing wines no matter what we ask for, and, of course, all the wine makers who create liquid magic for us.

We're looking forward to more wine and food pairings, more geeky wine arcana, and more wine enjoyment!

Happy Holidays to all!
Happy New Year!
See you in 2020!

Date Change for "Bubbly by the Bay"!

Due to ongoing renovations at the Morro Bay Wine Seller - soon to be The Savory Palette - we've moved the date one week, to November 20th. 

Sorry about the inconvenience. Hope you can come!

Reservations are required due to limited seating, so get your tickets now! 

Click on the date in the calendar to the right >>>>

Must be 21 or older to attend. 

Cheers!

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.

Tournament of Roses - Drinking Pink!

Gosh, the Goddess of Wine just loves Rosé. Every year I anticipate the new releases from all over the world. I just can't wait to taste 'em! And last night, I got to share some of the tastiest with my intrepid group of wine lovers at the Morro Bay Wine Seller.

Rosé is a lot different from the sweet and insipid pink wines that were available when I first started drinking wine. Today's Rosé is crisp, dry, fruity, and delicious. Our selections were accompanied by fresh-baked goods from #JDBakes, who presented an Austrian-style "milk bread" and a French-style "biscuit rose de Reims" designed to be dipped in the wine. A #tasty evening, indeed!

Tasting Easter and Passover Wines...

The Goddess of Wine is so lucky! I was able to show two different groups of students delicious wines to enhance their Spring festivities. Thanks to Fossil Wine Bar in Atascadero and Morro Bay Wine Seller in Morro Bay for their partnership and willingness to bring in wines for me and my acolytes! Cheers!

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.

Tasting Spring Wines...

The Goddess of Wine and an enthusiastic group of tasters had some fun at the Morro Bay Wine Seller on March 13th. The idea was to introduce my students to wines with which they were probably not familiar, and that would be fun additions to a beautiful Spring season. So, what wines pair with lighter foods, afternoons on the patio, and tasty grilled foods?

  

NV Nino Franco ‘Rustico’ Prosecco Superiore, Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy – Prosecco is a sparkling white wine from north-eastern Italy, specifically the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine regions. It is also the informal name for the grape variety used to make these wines, which is known officially as Glera. Since July 2009, the name 'Prosecco' has been regulated and protected under DOC law, ensuring that wines labeled with the name come only from the specified areas of north-eastern Italy.

The Goddess of Wine started a new program at the Morro Bay Wine Seller! Going forward, the last Wednesday of the month will be #WineWednesday #TastingBlind!

For our first blind tasting session on January 30th, we had an enthusiastic group of tasters. As in prior blind tasting classes, I provided aroma and tasting guidelines and grids. And as always, discoveries were made, 'aha' moments occurred, and many laughs were had.

Recovering from the Holidays - Tasting Blind...

Setting up

The Goddess of Wine had a rambunctious crowd of tasters at the Morro Bay Wine Seller, all eager to test their sensory perceptions about wine. The initial 8 wines were bagged for security reasons, and #FirstAcolyte, JD, pre-poured all the wines before the class took their seats.

Everyone received tasting grids on which to write their notes, as well as aroma charts to help them with descriptors and vocabulary. The results were, as always, fun and interesting. Several individuals were delighted to discover their strengths; others realized they needed more practice.

Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles! Wining for the holidays...

The Goddess of Wine led an intrepid group of tasters through her annual exploration of sparkling wines for the holidays. We paired these sparklers with such gourmet treats as potato chips, popcorn, 'pigs in blankets' (cocktail franks in puff pastry), and homemade breads and cookies from #JDBakes.

All the wines showed exceptionally well, and as always, it was delightful to watch my students' enjoyment of the experience. In fact, after class was over, everybody stayed to revisit and purchase the wines! It was a win/win - or maybe a wine/wine - for all involved!

Tasting Wines for the Holidays...

It’s that time of year again. The “holidays”.

You throw a party, or you go to a party. For a huge meal. It could be a traditional roast turkey, accompanied by stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Or it could be roast goose or duck, or a Honeybaked ham. Or (shudder) a turducken. Or brisket or veal. So many choices, all depending on your cultural background and family traditions.

Regardless of what you, your friends and family choose to share, it’s going to be a big meal with a lot of different elements, so you’ll want to choose wines that will enhance and not conflict with the flavors found in your meal. You can play it safe and offer Chardonnay or Pinot Noir with your turkey, but how about trying something different to spice up your feast?

The Goddess of Wine tends to favor wines with good acidity to counter the fatty content of many of the tasty accompaniments to a hopefully moist and well-seasoned entrée, and its accompaniments. Here are my suggestions for the holidays. All of these wines retail for under $30. Oh, and full disclosure: portions of these notes are taken directly from the wineries' spec sheets, although my group of student tasters found them to be accurate.

Wining while "Tasting Blind!"

One of the things I love most about teaching about wine is the 'aha' moment that occurs when students suddenly realize something that had never occurred to them before. Several of those moments happened Wednesday night when I led an intent group of acolytes through a blind tasting.

I brought in 8 wines from all over the world, and provided the group with a tasting grid that included sample descriptors to help them find the appropriate words for what they were smelling and tasting.

I gave them a few hints to start:
All the wines were visibly red.
All the wines were between 2 and 5 years old.
And the most important clue of all: There were multiple instances of the same grape varietal.

Tasting Blind...with the Goddess of Wine!

We sure had some fun tasting those "little-known" wines from Spain and Portugal, but now we're going to put your palate to the test!

Have you always wanted to taste wine like the pros? Here's your chance!

Join the Goddess of Wine, Denise Lowe, for an evening of "blind" wine tasting to test your senses of sight, smell, and taste! We'll taste through several wines as you learn tips and tricks to WOW your friends!

Light munchies will be provided by #JDBakes.

Must be 21 years or more to attend.

Limited seating, so reservations are required. 
$35 per person

Wednesday, October 17th, 2018, at the Morro Bay Wine Seller
601 Embarcadero #5, Morro Bay, CA 93442

Click HERE to purchase your tickets!

Oh, and don't worry...we won't actually blindfold you!

Cheers!

Name That Wine! A Blind Tasting Experience!

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL, 

WE HAVE TO CANCEL THIS CLASS. 

STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE EVENTS!

Have you always wanted to taste wine like the pros? Here's your chance!


Join the Goddess of Wine, Denise Lowe, for an evening of "blind" wine tasting to test your senses of sight, smell, and taste! We'll taste through several wines as you learn tips and tricks to WOW your friends!

Light munchies will be provided by #JDBakes.




Must be 21 years or more to attend.

Don't wait to reserve your glass!  
$45/Public or $35/MBWS Member or Wine Trade

Wednesday, May 16th, 2018, at the Morro Bay Wine Seller
601 Embarcadero #5, Morro Bay, CA 93442
805-772-8388

Tasting Santa Barbara County Wines with the Goddess of Wine...

From the Sta Rita Hills in the west, to Happy Canyon in the east, and to the Santa Maria Valley in the north, the diversity of winemaking and grape varieties in Santa Barbara County is astonishing! 

Did you know that there are more than 70 varieties of grapes currently being grown and made into wine in Santa Barbara County? From the coolest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs to the warmest Cabernets and Syrahs, there is something for everyone!

Join Goddess of Wine, Denise Lowe, for tasty trip through Santa Barbara County!

As a special treat, the Goddess will be pulling bottles from her own cellar for this #tasty evening! 

Wednesday, April 18th, 7PM, at the Morro Bay Wine Seller, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 5, Morro Bay, California 93442 - Tel: (805) 772-8388

Click here to purchase your tickets! Must be 21 or older to attend. 
$45/per person / $35/MBWS Club Members (or wine trade)

Includes wines, snacks, handouts, and fun!

Denise Lowe, the Goddess of Wine, provides wine education in an informal, fun atmosphere. We’ll talk about regional history, how and where wines are made, and what foods to pair with them, all in a casual and interactive setting. The more questions you ask, the more we all learn! Basic tasting notes will be provided for you to take home, and best of all, there’s no test!

Happy New Year!

Can't believe another year has gone by! 

It's always a wild ride, and luckily there's wine!

Cheers to all! 

Join the #GoddessofWine and the #FirstAcolyte in 2018 

as we continue to learn about wine!

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Upcoming classes in 2018:

All Wednesdays at 7:00 PM

at the Morro Bay Wine Seller

1/17/2018 What's That Smell? Expand Your Palate!

2/21/2018 Sherry and Port

3/14/2018 Australia/New Zealand

4/18/2018 Santa Barbara County

5/16/2018 Oregon/Washington

🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Tasting Wine and Chocolate...

Wine & Chocolate

The Goddess of Wine™ often finds herself in conversations about pairing wine with food, and occasionally that food is chocolate. Ask most folks about pairing wine with chocolate and you'll most likely hear about dessert wines. Lovely wines like Sauternes or Port or Madeira. But, I rarely drink dessert wines, and when I do, I generally pair them with cheese, but that's a story for another day.

So, the Morro Bay Wine Seller, Ley Vaughn, and I put together a class to pair table wines - all available in the USA, and specifically at the MBWS, to pair with dark, bittersweet chocolate. All these chocolates are available at Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates in San Luis Obispo, and are sourced via Fair Trade cooperatives.

Our lively group of tasters found the following (after the jump):