Home Wine Tasting PArties

[richmke]

Here in Southeast Wisconsin, I have started to see a lot of "PRP Wine Tastings". I saw one recently. Pretty similar to the last home wine tasting party I attended 30 years ago. They are kind of like a tupperware party for wine.

Of the 8 wines I tasted, maybe one or two was ok. But, at $24/bottle, I'll stick to my kit wines at less than $8/bottle all-in.

One thing I have started to appreciate by making kit wines is aging. When I buy a bottle from the store, I will usually drink it within a few weeks. I don't think I am that much different from most wine purchasers. Wine sold at stores by the bottle should be ready to drink.

As I was tasting the PRP Wines, I was thinking: This wine is too young, and could use another year or two of aging to mellow out. I think they do a disservice to themselves when they sample young wines to people who will be drinking the wine soon.

 

[Bartman]

Most commercial wines are ready to drink when sold, or should be. The winery does themselves a disservice by bottling and releasing it too soon, IMO. The retailer, whether a store or a home-wine-tasting deal, should not be expected to figure out which bottles are ready to drink and which need more aging.

 

[wineforfun]

I would agree that most "cheaper" ($5 - $20) wines are ready to drink when put on the shelves.
However, we have a local store here in Omaha who sells mostly NAPA valley wines and wines from France and Italy, higher end ones that can't be bought at local stores. He has had a relationship with a lot of the wineries out there(small to medium size ones) who he deals with. The wines he has from them do benefit from some additional aging, though they are very drinkable now.

 

[Floandgary]

I'd like to believe that most of the reputable/larger/in-the-business wine producers whose goal is future sales, would be sure that their product is at least beyond the "young" stage before releasing it to consumers. As DJ stated, there are some which can benefit from further aging, but the majority of wines on the market are intended to be consumed sooner rather than later

 

[Elmer]

SWMBO is dragging me to one of these this weekend.
I am less than thrilled.
I can spend my time more wisely than tasting cheap wine I have no intention of buying!

 

[Bartman]

SWMBO is dragging me to one of these this weekend.
I am less than thrilled.
I can spend my time more wisely than tasting cheap wine I have no intention of buying!

Well, see you're wrong right there - the wine you will be tasting may not be good, but it certainly won't be "cheap"!

 

[JohnT]

I attended one of these home tastings. I came away feeling like it was a bit of a scam. Sure they are there and have wine for you to taste, but there was no question their real objective was to sell the wine they brought.

In tasting the wine, most of it was mediocre at best. I compared the prices they offered to the prices on the internet and there was a VAST difference. One wine, for example, had a usual retail price of $10.00, but was "offered" at the "Special event price" of $23.00.

In short, I do not think that I will go to another.

 

[Elmer]

I attended one of these home tastings. I came away feeling like it was a bit of a scam. Sure they are there and have wine for you to taste, but there was no question their real objective was to sell the wine they brought.

In tasting the wine, most of it was mediocre at best. I compared the prices they offered to the prices on the internet and there was a VAST difference. One wine, for example, had a usual retail price of $10.00, but was "offered" at the "Special event price" of $23.00.

In short, I do not think that I will go to another.

I am only going because this is a chance to mingle and talk to adults.
I dont have the money to buy $20 worth of wine, and I have a stockpile that makes that purchase unnecessary.
But at very least this will be an experience.

 

[richmke]

I could tell the guy was BS'ing when he started talking about how none of their wines have "added sulfites", and won't give you a headache. I didn't feel like explaining that not adding the sulfites limits the ability to age the wine.

I examined one of the bottles, and in large type, it said: "SULFITES". I heard that some people had headaches the next morning.

 

[Elmer]

Jut came back from wine party.
Have to say it was not at all what I expected. There was only a small sales pitch.
The guy had every couple bring 1 Chardonnay & 1 Pinot noir.
We the sat the the table and tried some and scored it based on the UC Davis 20 point scoring system.
The guy himself said he was a Sohm and going for his masters test.
He walked us through the first wine and then participated with use. The first run though allowed him to explain the scoring system and "what to look for" when drinking a wine.
during the break switching from white to red. He mentioned himself and his partner stock pile wine and sell it by the case for $20.
When he does a wine tasting his partner boxes the bottles and so forth so neither know what is in the box if you buy it.
I have to say this guy was on with his definitions and descriptions, from taste to tannin.
And best of all he was not snobbish. He made a good point that taste is personal and if you like it price doesn't matter.
At the end of each round he had everyone rattle off their top 3 and we revealed the wine (it was a blind taste) to see who brought it.
The winner wine xtra large wine glasses.

It was a fun night. No pretension or forced sales!

 

[Bartman]

Jut came back from wine party.
Have to say it was not at all what I expected. There was only a small sales pitch.
The guy had every couple bring 1 Chardonnay & 1 Pinot noir.
We the sat the the table and tried some and scored it based on the UC Davis 20 point scoring system.
...
It was a fun night. No pretension or forced sales!

Then, lucky for you, that was not the typical 'home-wine-tasting party' as I understand them. My sister was invited to one hosted by an attorney friend we both know - she was kind of embarrassed that this attorney apparently was struggling so much that she wanted/needed to use her friend/colleague/client list to make a few bucks hocking low-quality, high-priced wine.

 

[JohnT]

Great to hear Elmer. Glad it was a fun time but I would NEVER purchase a box of unknown wine..

 

[Elmer]

Great to hear Elmer. Glad it was a fun time but I would NEVER purchase a box of unknown wine..

My wife felt like gambling, she was up for adventure. And it was her money!
For $20 I got some decent wine. Temperillo, Chardennay, Blanc, something with red label, a shiraz, some more white wine.

I looked them up, they retail between $48 & $13.
I will just add it to the other 200 bottles I have aging in the cellar!