Wine Archives - Page 11 of 22 - WineCollective Blog

Summer Rosé

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Wil Knoll

Rosé has become a popular phenomenon in the wine world, and there is no better time to enjoy a glass than during the hot days of summer!

Now, we don’t care if you’re a big burly man with neck tattoos that thinks he’s too cool for pink wine. There are a million reasons to love Rosé beyond its beautiful range of colours. With bright and fresh acidity, along with various flavour characteristics, Rosé is a versatile wine that can be paired with anything from red meat to light cheeses. For red wine fans, it’s a great way to stick to some of your favourite grapes in a style that can be enjoyed well chilled on the patio.

Wine Folly’s “Different Shades of Rosé Wine”

Dry Rosé is made using both white and red grapes such as Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir, while sweeter styles are typically composed of Zinfandel, Muscat and Merlot. In order to make Rosé, the grapes are pressed during maceration, and left in contact with the skins for a specific amount of time. Unlike red wines, where the juice and skins ferment together before being separated, the grapes for Rosé sit with the skins from a few short hours to a full day. Allowing the wine to soak in its colour.

You can find several Rosés in the WineCollective store online, perfect for your upcoming summer barbeques. Apply the coupon code SUMMERROSE at checkout for $5 off a Rosé purchase and we can have your wines shipped to you within a week from ordering! Below, see our tasting notes for the current selection of Rosés.

Spy Valley 2013 Rosé (Marlborough, New Zealand)

Made from Pinot Noir, this wine is a beautiful blush pink! Aromas of fresh red cherries and plum fruits with hints of barrel from oak fermentation. Similar traits of fresh fruit on the palate with mouthwatering acidity that is not overdone.

Food Pairing: Weighty enough to enjoy with a BBQ steak or shish kabobs.

Cellier Saint Sidoine 2013 (Côtes de Provence, France)

Champagne pink in colour or “piglet!” Strawberries, raspberries, melons and peaches on the nose with faint mineral touch. The palate is reversed with light cherries and tart apples, dominated by minerality. Composed of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.

Food Pairing: Seafood salad with calamari, mussels and scallops drizzled in olive oil, limoncello liqueur and fresh herbs.

Wine by Joe 2011 Rosé (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA)

A blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Muscat and Syrah. Intense aromas of fresh cut strawberries and cream. This Rosé is smooth and fresh, trailing onto the palate with lively citrus notes.

Food Pairing: A spinach and strawberry summer salad with goat cheese, nuts and poppy seed dressing. Add chicken, pork or shrimp to top it off!

For questions about any of our Rosé features, comment or email thecellar@winecollective.ca. Also, don’t forget to share your own tasting notes, favourites and food pairings online at WineCollective.ca.

Pork and pairings for your Canada Day weekend

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Wil Knoll

Over the last twenty-seven days in Calgary, it has been Pork Month #yyc, where restaurants around the city present their best Alberta pork dishes to yyc bacon enthusiasts. Passion for Pork aims to celebrate the amazing quality of pork in both Alberta and B.C., raised under the strictest of conditions and animal care.

Hotel Arts’, Annual Pig & Pinot Festival on June 18^th, showed off the best recipes of 13 different restaurants, all of which competed for the Divine Swine Award. Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc wine pairings took part and in the end, Black Pig Bistro in the Bridgeland area took the prize with their roasted pork belly with edaname and green and white beans masterpiece.

On the Passion for Pork website, you can find cooking methods and amazing recipes for ground pork, ham, chops and more! In celebration of Pork Month and the upcoming Canada Day, sort-of long weekend, we have taken two of these delicious dishes and paired them with some recent WineCollective features.

Grilled Maple Pork with Peaches

Because eating maple infused food just sounds like the thing to do on Canada Day. This recipe would make a great pair with the 2012 Mac & Fitz Shift’s End Red. The maple, together with peaches will blend with the red berries, vanilla plum notes and low acidity. Balancing out the sweet with dried fennel, chilies and rosemary, the dish will go nicely with the soft tannins of this easy drinking Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend. This wine also shows well slightly chilled!

BBQ Pork Chops and Spiced Rhubarb Chutney

We’ve paired the dish with the 2012 Renacer Ponto Final Reserva. This Malbec is a balanced blend of red cherries and plum with spice, dried herbs and olives. Similar traits continue on the palate with red and black cherries rounded with wood and earth. This is a toned down Malbec that brings together spice and fruit, similar to the recipe! It is soft, silky with cottony tannins perfect for BBQ pork.

If you received these wines in your WineCollective package, celebrate Alberta pork and Canada’s birthday all at once this weekend! We would also love to hear about your own pairings on our Facebook and Twitter page!

p.s. Calgary members, we have some exciting news coming soon! Keep an eye out for details on a new pick up location from WineCollective!

CKE Wine & Whiskey!

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Wil Knoll

On May 24^th, WineCollective sponsored and took part in the CKE Wine & Whiskey event – a community mingle and fundraiser that our very own Douglas helps put together. This is our second year participating at the CKE event and with the help of our favourite wine importers, we were thrilled that it turned out to be a great success once again.

Apart from the wine tastings, the CKE event had live music, tango dancers and a DJ to keep the party going. Some delicious Calgary restaurants and CKE sponsors such as Original Joes, Big Catch, Vintage and Village Brewery also supplied food tastings.

David from Artisan Wines and R.J. from Fluid Imports

CKE Wine & Whiskey began as a tasting party, where guests got to test out 18 wines and six whiskeys. Here are some of the favourites from each rep that helped pour for the community members. You may recognize some of the wines from the more recent WineCollective packages!

South by Southwest Wine Imports – Smashberry Red

A fruit explosion in your mouth. Keep a lookout for this wine in future packages!

Artisan Wines – Mas Sorrer

A fortified wine made from a blend of Cab Sauv, Grenache and Merlot. This wine blew tasters away with its completely unique cherry and meaty characteristics. It is now available in the online store!

Michelle from International with a bottle of Arele Appassimento

International Cellars – Tolloy

A spectacular Pinot Grigio that holds some weight. This wine was featured in our May packages and seems to be a favourite among CKE members and our own.

Bonvida – Verus Pinot Gris

From Slovenia, this wine is also quite different with its fresh minerality. Completely delicious and a new WineCollective favourite. Find it in the store today.

Amanda Bartier pouring Illegal Curve for CKE community member

Plaid Cap Imports

Amanda, daughter of one of the Bartier Bros. was our special guest and helped to pour her dad’s wines! Among these was the Illegal Curve, a blend of Cab Franc, Syrah and Merlot. This wine won’t be featured anytime soon but it is now available in the WineCollective store!

Fluid Imports – Terri di San Venanzio Fortunato

This Prosecco was the only bubbly poured that night, obviously making it a huge hit! Perfect for any upcoming celebrations, you can also find this in our store.

Gold Medal Marketing

Springbank, Teeling and Longrow whiskeys were some of the delicious scotches that were also poured. We have previously featured Springbank Single Cask on Tannic and look forward to offering it again soon.

Original Joes’ chefs making some delicious pork tacos.

During the event, we made our online store available to all CKE community members so that they could purchase their favourites. Luckily we still have some supply of these great wines that were poured at the event, and they are available to you now. Check out the store, where you can find tastings notes and reviews for these wines and more!

The fundraiser is open to everyone and tickets sell for $100. We look forward to next year’s CKE Wine & Whiskey event, and hope that you will join us!

Highlights of the RMWFF

Posted on June 3, 2014June 3, 2014 by Wil Knoll

This past weekend, I visited Banff for the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival. As per usual, this event was sold out and attracted wine enthusiasts, importers and wineries from around the globe. I was fortunate in getting to try some amazing, unique wines, perfect for our WineCollective and Tannic wine clubs.

As a challenge, we tried to stick to different wines, either in winemaking style or grape variety. Some of my favourites included:

Chapoutier Bila Haut Blanc (Robert Parker, 92 points)

A blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris. The wine was aromatic and fresh, with pink grapefruit, honeysuckle and golden raspberry.

Rivino 2012 Estate Viognier

True aromatic and flavour characteristics of the grape, such as white peach and tangerine, but with more of a fresh and light mouth feel.

Adega de Borba Reserva

From the Alentejo region and with a unique cork label, this wine is a blend of Portuguese grape varietals for flavours of coffee, black fruits and spice.

One of our trusted wine representatives, Gold Medal Marketing had some amazing tastings for us, including Enkidu Wines from Sonoma, California. Winemaker for Enkidu, Phillip Staehle was there to pour his blends including the 2010 Humbaba. This wine is a blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah, with slight touches of Rousanne and Grenache Blanc. The wine is co-fermented meaning the grapes are all harvested and go through the winemaking process together, instead of being separated by variety and blended later. You may see Enkidu in upcoming Tannic sales.

Andy, from Gold Medal had some amazing Scotch Whiskeys to try, including the previous Tannic feature, Springbank Single Cask as well as some Telling Premium Irish Whiskey.

With North by Northwest Wine Importers and our friend Jeremy, we were able to try some delicious Fox Run Vineyards wines that will definitely be making their way into WineCollective packages. We also got to try some tasty and lively bubbly from the New York winery to finish off the evening!

If you didn’t get the chance to head to Banff, the Rocky Mountain festival will also be coming to Calgary on October 17 and 18, and to Edmonton on October 24 and 25.

Again, if you are outside of Alberta, we would love to hear about some of your local wine festivals and events! Leave us a comment or send an email with some details about previous and upcoming events so we can share with the rest of the WineCollective community!

Wine for Father’s Day!

Posted on May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 by Wil Knoll

Celebrate your dad this year by sending him a WineCollective gift package. Sure beer is great, and we bet that your old man enjoys one or two after a long day’s work. But, considering that he probably needs something stronger to take away the pain of baseballs to the crotch, or handing over his lovely daughter to her new favourite man, wine is definitely the way to go. Plus, you can’t share a bottle of beer!

This year, Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 15. Purchase a WineCollective gift subscription for your dad by May 31^,and he will receive his first shipment during the week of the 15^th. While we won’t be able to get the wine in time for Sunday dinner, the gift will continue on throughout the month with 2, 4, or 6 bottle packages to choose from.

We’d love to help you show your thanks and appreciation for pops. You can use the coupon code DADSLOVEWINE at checkout for $15 off your gift!

This coupon is usable until June 30 and also valid in the members-only WineCollective store. These orders will be shipped out at the same time as subscription packages, but you will have full control of the wines your dad will be receiving. With the store newly stocked, we have amazing selections to choose from that we think your dad will truly be fond of.

2011 Arele Appassimento

A classy wine from a family-run estate in Veneto, Italy. With a blend of plum jam and herb characteristics, this blend of Corvina, Merlot, Rondinella and Oseleta is well rounded and versatile in food pairings.

2012 Bartier Bros. Illegal Curve

The label features a hockey player as a tribute to Canada’s most loved sport, and quite possibly, your dad’s favourite sport as well. Composed of Cabernet France and Syrah it pairs deliciously with steak, which we think your dad also enjoys.

2010 Mas Sorrer

A fortified wine, meaning additional brandy was added for an extra kick and alcohol content. From Spain, this wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Syrah blend and it needs some big flavours to pair with the cherry, smoke and meat notes.

2012 The Field Marshall

A Mouvedre, Shiraz, Carignan and Cinsault blend from Western Cape, South Africa. The label tells the Boer & Brit story of the Anglo-Boer war fought 200 years ago. Today, the descendants of enemies make amazing wines together. The wine is earthy and rich with spice.

Take advantage of the coupon code and send your dad a gift he will love to enjoy, and possibly share! We promise you, he has enough ties.

Happy Father’s Day to all of the great dads out there.

Cheers!

Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival

Posted on May 29, 2014May 29, 2014 by Wil Knoll

Once again, the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival will be in Banff, Alberta this upcoming weekend from May 30 to 31. Each year, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel opens its ballroom for the #RMWFF, an event that attracts more wine and food lovers each and every year.

Tickets for the event are still available for the Friday night session, which I will also be attending, as well as Saturday afternoon for $29. If you have yet to visit this wine festival, I definitely recommend making a drive to the beautiful Rocky Mountains this weekend and experiencing the collection of fine food and wine.

The numerous wineries, breweries and restaurants are all sure to impress with their numerous tastings and samples. Keep an eye out for the following wineries and WineCollective favourites:

19 Crimes, Australia
Jacob’s Creek, Australia
CedarCrek, Canada
Mission Hill, Canada
Hester Creek, Canada
Chateau Trillol, France
Cameron Hughes, Italy and USA
J. Ramos Wines, Portugal
Saxenburg, South Africa
La Crema, USA

Considering this is also a food festival, there will also be amazing dishes to sample from some of Banff’s best restaurants. Balkan The Greek Restaurant will be serving chocolate baklava and The Bison Restaurant will have bison kabobs with kimchi. You will also find Elk & Oarsman, Nourish Bistro and numerous hotel restaurants with treats for everyone.

Watch for the event’s blog post next week and please let us know if you’re visiting Banff this weekend for the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival. It is always great getting to meet our WineCollective members over a glass of our favourite beverage!

See you in Banff!

p.s. While WineCollective is always bragging about our local events here in Calgary, we would still love to hear about the wine festivals and tastings going on around the country. Let us know when you’re visiting a wine event in your city and tell us all about it so we can share with the WC community!

Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Wil Knoll

WineCollective recently took part in a Multiple Sclerosis Fundraiser with the help of our friend, Amy Nadeau. Amy is one of 100,000 Canadians living with MS. While the disease is life changing, she has managed to put together fundraisers such as the one held earlier this month on May 10, as well as run the MS 10km run that took place this past Sunday, May 25 in Calgary.

The fundraiser was held at the Blind Monk Pub with over 90 guests supporting the cause. A total of $7,000 was raised for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

WineCollective donated an Evolution Mixed package, valued at $90, which sold in a silent auction for $105. It appeared to be one of the more popular donations at the event!

The MS fundraiser was also supported by various donations from breweries, wine representatives and yoga studios. VIP tickets to a Calgary Flames game were also up for bidding. In addition to the auction, Hot Super Hot, volunteered to entertain the guests with their Caribbean jams throughout the evening.

As always, we feel very thankful and overjoyed to be able to take part in fundraisers around the city. Some members of the WineCollective team have personal connections to those living with MS and understand the struggle and symptoms of the disease. We are always willing to assist in any way we can.

Thank you to Amy and those who attended the event in support of finding treatment for MS. Click here to donate today to the MS Society of Canada and keep an eye out for future fundraising events supported by WineCollective to find out how you can help and donate.

What is Vin Santo?

Posted on May 15, 2014May 15, 2014 by BlackSquare

Yesterday, we were delighted to have Giovanni Mazzoni visit the us from Castello di Meleto. We were treated to a great line-up of wines which included the first release of Vermentino, a 100% Sangiovese Rosato Chianti Classico, and we finished with their Vin Santo.

Vin Santo or ‘holy wine,’ is a dessert wine that is made in Italy. You can find Vin Santo produced in many styles, from very dry like a fino sherry, to as sweet as a late harvest wine. What distinguishes Vin Santo from other dessert wines is the vinification and ageing process. Rather than letting the grapes dry on the vine, they are harvested and left to dry on wooden racks in dry, ventilated rooms. The length of the drying process will determine the sweetness of the wine. Vin Santo may be left to dry for only a few weeks, while others allow the dessication process to concentrate the sugars for several months. The juice is then fermented in small casks that are sealed in concrete for a minimum of 3 years. Afterwards, the casks are cracked and Vin Santo is ready to be bottled.

Vin Santo can be found in most regions of Italy, and is produced under differing DOC regulations. In Tuscany, Vin Santo must have a minimum 16% alcohol and be comprised of Trebbiano and Malvasia (70%) with several other local varietals allowed for the remaining 30%. The Occhio di Pernice, or rosé style, must have at least 50% Sangiovese. The wines are aged a minimum of 3 years prior to release.

The 2007 Castello di Meleto Vin Santo del Chianti Classico is made of hand-harvested Trebbiano, Sangiovese and Malvasia. The grapes are left to dry for 3-4 months. Castello di Meleto ages the wine in 80-100L casks for 5 years above the wine cellar, much longer than the required minimum. The resulting wine is amber-caramel in colour, and you can tell by how it clings to the glass that it is rich and delicious! The nose is full of dried fruits, clover honey, roasted nuts, vanilla bean and nutmeg. As expected, the wine is lush and thick, coating your tongue in apricot and butterscotch. The finish lasts a lifetime and ends with a slightly elevated acidity. Giovanni suggests enjoying their Vin Santo with aged blue cheese.

WineCollective and Tannic members will be familiar with the Castello di Meleto wines. We have featured several of their previous vintages, including the 2004 Castello di Meleto Rainero and the 2005 Chianti Classico. We look forward to bringing you new wines from this great producer, stay tuned!

Blind Tasting Round 2

Posted on May 9, 2014October 3, 2016 by Wil Knoll

In preparation for my WSET exam, we had another blind tasting test at the WineCollective office. Pouring two red wines this time ‘round (my specialty), and with another week of education under my belt, I was much more confident!

Paying attention to colour, aromas and tastes can tell you everything you need to know about the wine. If you’re new to tasting, check out our Welcome to Wine blog series for information on varietals and their characteristics as well as regions from around the world.

Similar to last week’s blind tasting, read the notes below and make your own guess as to which varietal and region!

Wine #1

Eyes: Clear. Deep ruby red core with a slight trail. Thick legs coat the edge of the glass.

Nose: Clean. Ripe cherries and candied fruit. Hints of earthly mushroom with a strong aromas of balsamic vinegar.

Mouth: Dry. Medium acidity and tannins. Sweet red fruits, cheery and strawberry with more of the balsamic notes pulling through.

My guess: New world blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot or Pinot Noir!

Wine #2

Eyes: Clear. Intense medium purple with a faint trail. The legs coat the glass entirely but fade rather quickly.

Nose: Clean. Tobacco and smoke, possibly from oak. Blackberry and clove with more herbaceous notes.

Mouth: Dry. Medium acidity and tannins. Hint of oak spice with fruity raspberry and black cherry shining through on the palate.

My guess: With a ton of tobacco and smoke coming through, I assumed a South American Carmenere.

I am proud to say that this week, I was much closer in my guesses compared to last week’s white wine blind tasting test. Also, our Chief Wine Taster, Amber, didn’t want to trick me… as much.

The Answers!

Wine #1: Considering its fruit bomb qualities, and my guess it was coming a New World blend, I was close! The wine was a 2011 Peacock’s Tail. A Shiraz and Grenache Blend from Australia.

Wine #2: Again I was only half right. The smoke and herbal qualities did speak to South America’s style and the wine was the 2013 Apaltagua Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile.

Keep and eye out for both of these wines in upcoming WineCollective packages and be sure to take part in WineCollective’s online community and leave your own tasting comments and ratings! As well, each of our tasting cards sent with our monthly wines give space for you to make notes for your own records and we’d love for you to share them!

May 14th: Last Chance Sale on Tannic!

Posted on May 8, 2014May 8, 2014 by BlackSquare

Once in a while we like to have a blow-out sale on Tannic to clear out any remaining wines from previous sales. This is a chance for us to do some spring cleaning, and give you an opportunity to stock-up on wine with awesome deals!

Next week we will be having a “Last Chance Sale” on Tannic. All remaining wines that we have in stock will be offered at even further discounts. This is a great time to shop the Tannic store and find the perfect Father’s Day present, bottles for the summer BBQ season and fill your cellar. If you are not already a Tannic member, this is a great time to join! You will be able to view and purchase wines that have been curated.

We will be shipping out all orders the following week, May 2oth. There will be no new wines posted the 21st, instead all remaining wines from the sale will continue to be available. We will re-stock the store with new wines on May 28th.

Tannic members, look-out for the sale email next week!

Colene Clemens Pinot on Tannic

Posted on May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 by BlackSquare

We are excited to introduce you to Colene Clemens Vineyards from Willamette Valley. Brand new to Alberta and with no presence currently outside the province, Colene Clemens is being featured this week on Tannic.

Only 2,200 cases are produced annually, and a very small allocation has arrived in Canada. We have brought in three estate Pinot Noirs from Colene Clemens’ 2011 vintage that offer great value from Oregon. They are named Victoria, Margo and Adriane.

The Basics:

Colene Clemens is family owned and operated, dedicated 100% to estate produced Pinot Noir
Joe and Vicki Stark established Colene Clemens (named after Vicki’s grandmother) in 2008
Originally 23 acres (planted in 2006), the estate has grown to 41 acres
Clones planted: Dijon 115, 667, 777 and Pommard
The estate is located on the western edge of Chehalem Mountains AVA
Winemaker Steve Goff has worked previously as assistant winemaker at Beaux Freres
Not overshadowing the Pinot, but equally impressive is the views from the tasting room (we highly recommend you visit!)

There are less than 25 cases still remaining in the province. Tannic members, log in at 9 am on Wednesday May 7th to secure your Colene Clemens Pinot!

Blind tasting test

Posted on May 2, 2014May 2, 2014 by Wil Knoll

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been taking my WSET training through Fine Vintage Ltd., in order to further expand my vino knowledge, assist in selecting package features and add some credibility to my self-taught wine education. Amber, resident CWT (Chief Wine Taster), thought challenging my taste buds through a blind tasting test would be a great way to test my education and add a valuable learning experience.

Blind tastings can be an eye opener, as well as a nerve-wracking experience. As Amber set up the three covered bottles and glasses, I had pages and pages of information running through my head. Regions, colour, aromas and flavour characteristics can all be determining factors of a wine’s variety and origin. But when selecting from literally thousands of options, the possibilities seem endless.

Amber poured three wines from different bottles with completely covered labels. Together we tasted and made our way through writing tastings notes in the WSET course fashion, combined with our WineCollective flair.

Eyes: Clarity, intensity, colour

Nose: Condition, intensity, aromas

Mouth: Sweetness, acidity, tannin, body, flavour, length, quality

We searched for the above characteristics in three white wines in order to determine the grape variety, region and vintage.

Quiz yourself and read the tastings notes to make your own guesses before scrolling down to see the answers. You may be just as surprised as I was.

Wine #1

Eyes: Medium intensity, pale lemon, quick evaporating legs.

Nose: Clean, medium intensity. Mandarin citrus aromas with tree fruit and blossom.

Mouth: Medium to high acidity. Apply with strong lemon-lime finish and minerality.

I guessed: In considering the higher acidity and minerality, I assumed a cool climate Riesling.

Wine #2

Eyes: Clear, medium intensity, very pale lemon.

Nose: Clean, medium. Aromas of under ripe green melon, tropical kiwi with traces of cucumber and green onion.

Mouth: Medium sweet, body and acidity. The palate continues to show similar tropical and herbaceous notes similar to the nose.

I guessed: Sauvignon Blanc. A warm climate Sauv Blanc can take on tropical notes as well as the typical herbaceous, green notes the variety carries.

Wine #3

Eyes: A rich and intense medium gold colour.

Nose: Clean and pronounced. Bruised Macintosh apple, ash minerality.

Mouth: Rich body. The apple continues with a touch of oak. Very drying and tannic, as well as very low acidity.

I guessed: Chardonnay! The darker colour and oak characteristics speak true to common characteristics of the variety.

Unfortunately, I failed miserably.

Although I attempted to pick out strong features of different varieties in order to make an educated guess, Amber chose some interesting selections to show the difference and possibilities of each grape.

Wine #1: Joseph Mellot Pouilly Fume Le Troncsec 2012

Pouilly Fume is a Sauvignon Blanc from the region of Loire, France. This wine is known for its minerality and crisp freshness.

Wine #2: Apaltagua Gran Verano Chardonnay 2013

Again, no oak on the Chardonnay. Amber was out to trick me.

Wine #3: Ogier Heritages Blanc 2011

A blend of Viognier, Roussane, Grenache Blanc and Clairette. We both agreed this wine was a touch past its prime. The fuller body should have given away that it was a Viognier blend, but my excuse – “I’ve never even tasted Grenache Blanc!”

Although I was far off on all of my guesses, so was the rest of the WineCollective office. It was definitely a lesson to be learned among tasters on the different characteristics grapes can take on dependent on so many factors.

Your WineCollective package provides a great blind tasting opportunity! Invite friends over and pour the wines into numbered glasses. Make your own notes and compare them to your WineCollective cards to determine which wine is which! Or host a party and ask your friends to choose wines with typical varietal characteristics and see how well you’ve expanded your wine knowledge. Study up!