That One Time I...

… Attended A Wine Class

I had fun last night at Total Wine, perhaps too much fun. I didn’t wake up with a headache, but today my mind is a half step slower compared to the rest of my body. I normally drink one six ounce glass with dinner thrice a week, but last night I asked too much from my liver and other internal organs to keep up with my classmates. I sampled eight different varietals and downed an assortment of cheeses, grapes, crackers, and sliced meats in the process. Add a late dinner from Del Taco afterward and holy hell I’m glad I didn’t have a workout today. 

But I’d gladly do it all over again with a friend or a date.

See, Swirl, Sniff and Sip is the new Stop, Drop and Roll in case of fire at Le Crash Pad. I learned how to do all four elements properly and it made a difference in my wine tasting experience. I also learned by color hue which whites, roses and reds to avoid. I imagine that would be a super important skill with the inexpensive stuff found at grocery store shelves and Costco.

I already had a general idea of food pairings and serving temperatures, but last night’s class was like running a dulled blade through a sharpener. I only needed a few passes and it was like I suddenly remembered a lot of the things I forgot from my late twenties to early thirties.

I also noticed you really don’t need specific glasses to enjoy wine. I already have a pair of stemless red wine glasses in the cupboard that are designed to hold 14 ounces, and today I visited Crate & Barrel to partner them with stemless white wine glasses that only hold 10 ounces. Both types will get plenty of use in the coming weeks, as will the aerator I bought at Williams Sonoma last month.

I was pleasantly surprised with some of the wines I sampled, so of course I spent a good amount of money to bring half of them home. Pictured above are the following:

• District Series Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022 ($19.99, 93 per Wine Enthusiast)
• Kaleidiscope Red Wine Blend, 2022 ($14.99)
• Blue Canyon Pinot Noir, 2022 ($15.99)
• Muirwood Chardonnay, 2023 ($13.99)

I typically don’t do red wines since I only eat red meat one meal a week, but now that I’ve acquired two of them it made sense to also buy an uncured genoa salami. The pinot noir really doesn’t count since it pairs well with both red and white meats.

If you have a Total Wine in your neck of the woods, I highly recommend attending this class. It’ll be the most fun and educational $20 you’ll spend this year.