Host a Tasting on the Cheap

rebeca  Thursday, September 2, 2010

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Originally posted 1/27/10

I’m a strong advocate that parents need plenty of “me time”. But, that can sometimes be difficult when you’re on a tight budget. After instituting a spending diet for my own family, I’ve been even more diligent in looking for affordable ways to have fun. One idea I thought of was to host a wine or beer tasting, on the cheap.

How it Works

Invite 5-10 people for an informal get together at your house and instruct them to bring their favorite bottle of inexpensive wine or six pack of craft beer (less than $10), along with one pairing item (see suggestions below). While keeping the cost below $20 for each person, it’s a great way to broaden your horizons while exploring new drinks that are really affordable.

To help you plan a similar event, I’ve put together some suggestions. Read on for details.

Wine, Beer and Pairing Suggestions

Wine (Top Picks from The Wine Mom)

• Chateau Saint Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley – Good for someone wanting to try Riesling for the first time. It’s an every day Riesling with characters of juicy peach, apricot, ripe pear and sweet citrus, with subtle slate and mineral notes. Usually sells for about $10.
• Concha Y Toro Syrah Marqués de Casa Concha 2004 – Sells for around $7 and has had great reviews. Penfolds is a reliable brand and usually sells for around $10. This particular bottle has been noted to be ripe and pure, with lovely violet, blackberry and plum aromas and flavors that glide along sweet, imbedded tannins.
• Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d’Oro 2005. A great desert wine that’s affordable and tastes great. The Mondavi Riesling and Fume Blanc are also great. All are around $10.
• Trader Joe’s brand Charles Shaw (affectionately known as Two Buck Chuck), a few of them have even been award winning.
• Almond Creek Vineyards, almond sparkling wine.Available at Trader Joes for $7.
• Anything from Barefoot or Yellow Tail – They frequently run specials that price a bottle at around $6.

Beer (My personal faves)

• Left Hand Milk Stout – Roasted malt and coffee flavors in a classic cream stout.
• Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar – a nutty twist to a traditional Euro brown ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish.
• New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale – One of the cleanest tasting ambers I’ve ever had, Fat Tire has a sense of balance with toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness.
• Paulaner Salvator – Brewed in Germany, it is the first double bock to be brewed and is considered to be one of the best of its style. Often referred to as the “Cabernet of Beers” or liquid bread, it has hearty, rich flavors of malt, toffee, bread, and a bit of coffee.

Pairing Items

Hard and Soft Cheeses
Crackers
Fruit – apples, pears, strawberries, cherries and/or grapes
Chips and Dip/Salsa
Chocolate
Roasted nuts
Variety of Breads
Pizza
Savory Appetizers or Desserts
Snack Mix
Antipasto
Pasta
Sliders
Buffalo Wings
Saltines for cleansing the pallet

For more ideas on pairing, check out these resources:

Williams-Sonoma Pairing Wine with Cheese & Desserts
Cabot’s Wine and Cheese Guide
Cabot’s Beer and Cheese Guide
BeerTravelers.com

Tips

1. Encourage each guest to bring something different and use facebook events or an email discussion loop to coordinate who is brining what.
2. Ask each guest to jot down a few notes about the drink they are brining so that tasters have an idea of what to look for.
3. Provide small drinking cups for sampling, as well as paper and pens for guests to jot down their thoughts.
4. Make sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand and designate a driver if necessary.
5. Print off a tasting guide for each guest. (not everybody knows how to taste or what to look for.) Check out these links for beer or wine tasting guides.