GNO :: Wine Tasting

One of the recent gatherings of the SOC Sistas Book Club was recrafted as a wine tasting.  I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t every book club a wine tasting?” Well, yes. But this one came complete with 10 wines and a hostess. 🙂

The Line-up of Wines from the Night

What is wonderful about a wine tasting is that you are able to try wines and discover new favorites that you never would have before. I’m not going to describe every one, just a few that rose to the top of my list. But, here’s the list of the wines we sampled:

Whites
Boxhead Chardonnay
Falernia Pedro Ximenez
Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc

Reds
Boxhead Shiraz
Gatekeeper Shiraz
Engine Room Malbec
The Yard Dog Red
Formula Cabernet/Shiraz
Moonlighters Cabernet Petit Verdot Tannat
Verdict Cabernet
Banshee Mordecai

(Yes, we’re a club of more reds than whites.)

My favorite white was the Boxhead Chardonnay. This was a surprise to me because I typically love Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough (and that one was very good). The quote from one of the other girls about the Boxhead Chardonnay is that it would be a “great boat wine.” Do you need any other endorsement? (Both whites that I liked sell for ~$12 a bottle.)

There were two reds that I really loved from the tasting. The first was the South Australian Engine Room Malbec. Typically I’m not crazy about Malbecs, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It had a deep berry – maybe raspberry – flavor with some peppery overtones.

The second – and my favorite of the night – was the Verdict Cabernet Sauvignon – also from Australia. First of all, the label rocks. Yes, I do judge wines by the label. But what is inside has to be worthy, and this one is. Full, rich and fruity with just a hint of floral bouquet, this wine calls for a decanter and a choice cut of red meat. (Both of these reds are ~$20 per bottle).

When the night was over, I brought home what was left of The. Formula bottle – about a glass. I popped it in the fridge and poured it the next night. And, I experience the bad side of what happens at a wine tasting. In the course of tasting so many in a short period of time, I had totally missed & underestimated this wine. It was delicious. A full and pure red – it boasted of cherries and plums.

Again, a rocking label, The. Formula label reads: e. Parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon {select from the best vineyard} et (ii) B: Mix carefully w/ well ripened Shiraz (iii) after 20 months maturation C. Filter, bottle and drink. Since I didn’t “discover” how much I liked this one until the next night, now I’ll be on the lookout for it the next time I’m wine shopping.

A wine tasting was a wonderful change for our book club gathering, and it was nice to have someone come to us to host it. Ours was provided by Niko’s Wine Corner and Amber. Thanks, Amber, for a wonderful experience!

If you have any questions about the wines listed that I didn’t comment on, I’ll be glad to add my thoughts in the comments section – just let me know. Also, if you want to be included when I decant one of the reds, let me know that & I’ll try to accommodate. 😉

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