Christian: This month’s column is about education, fun with friends, and of course multiple bottles of wine. David and I are part of a wine-tasting group that has been meeting for seven years. I can’t imagine how many hundreds of corks we have pulled together, but over the years we have created a formula that is a blast. It is a formula that lets us learn more about wine and more about each other, while bringing an essence of excitement and even competition to the evening. This tasting group has created lifelong friends—three marriages can be credited to this tasting group. Our get-togethers range from five-course fancy dinners to wines-with-pizza or take-out Thai food. All in all it’s about sharing a food and wine experience with appreciative friends. Dave, what’s your first suggestion for an exciting evening of wine with friends?

David: Rule #1, pick a theme. It’s a good idea to let your guests know ahead of time what to expect.  For example, “Let’s do an informal evening of light white wines for a warm spring evening.”  Or, “It’s a pinot party. Bring your favorite pinot noir that costs under $25.” This way everyone knows in advance what to bring, and they know how much to spend.

C: You’re right.  Picking a theme also prevents a massive Shiraz showing up with a bunch of light elegant pinots. It’s really hard to taste, not to mention judge a favorite, when a massive wine is served next to a subtle wine.  You can learn the most by trying like wines together. For beginners, have a wine tasting in which you pre-assign wines.  For instance, if you’re hosting a white-wine evening, try a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier, gewurztraminer, and riesling together. This way you can learn the simple differences between these varietals. Or for the more advanced, do a Napa Valley cabernet 2001 vintage tasting. This type of specific wine tasting is very educational. It’s always fun to compare wineries and see their different styles.

D: Great idea! Even wines that are the same varietal, or from the same area, can be dramatically different. Try to start with what you believe is the lightest wine on the table, and end with the fullest, or most tannic. This way your taste buds won’t get destroyed after the first glass, and you’ll still be able to study the subtle nuances of all the wines.

C: Ok, we’ve got a theme.  We put the wines in order, but my big rule… you must taste the wine blind!

D: Blindfolded wine tasting . . . sounds like a disaster in the making. Just kidding, I know what you mean.  Before bringing the wine to an event, wrap the bottle in aluminum foil, practically up to the neck.  Or designate someone at the party to accept all the wines, place them in a drinking order, and wrap them to make them incognito. Don’t forget to remove the wrapper around the neck as well, as it often hints at what the wine is. Then label the wines 1 through 10 (depending on the number of bottles). Write the number on the foil with a Sharpie, so your guests can score them appropriately.

C: Make sure you wrap the bottles the same way so there is no chance of cheating. Let’s face it; there is a spirit of competition. It is human nature to want the wine you researched, bought, and brought to win. Most bottles will have the winery’s name printed on the cork, so be sure to pop the corks and exchange them before placing them on the table.

D: Blind tasting not only prevents people from boasting about their own wine, it stops them from getting pre-conceived notions about the wine’s reputation based on its pretty label. For instance, everyone is probably familiar with Opus One. When tasting the Opus without cloaking its identity, you already know that it’s expensive, well-known, and often wonderful. This may sway your taste buds to automatically love the wine, just because you should—at least according to the critics.

C: It’s a lot of fun to have each person rate the wines on the table, in order to get a party favorite.  After each person has had the opportunity to go through the line-up, have them write down their three favorites. Tally the scores, and you’ll be amazed at the results. It’s always fun to see that one person’s least favorite is often someone else’s wine of the night!

C: Once everyone has tasted the wines and scored them, it’s time for the unveiling. It’s always exciting to see how you did versus the critics. And remember that there is no right or wrong here. What you like is what you like. Stand up for your palate and your trusted taste buds.

D: Another fun idea is to throw a very inexpensive or super-value wine into the blind tasting lineup. You’ll be surprised how many times the “cheap” wine doesn’t come in last place, or may end up the winner! C: I hate it when you do that, Dave. You always have to throw that bottle of Woodbridge into the chardonnay tasting, but you have not fooled us yet! The best part about blind tasting is that after the unveiling you have half-full bottles that you get to revisit and enjoy with your opinions determined completely without bias. Plan a tasting

1) Pick a theme.
2) Wrap or disguise the wines. Number them with a marker.
3) Taste, share comments, and enjoy.
4) Vote and tabulate scores. Choose your wine of the night!
5) Unveil the wines.
6) Re-taste and taste again; have fun with friends.
7) Plan the theme for your next gathering.
8) Drink extra water before  slumber.