Wine (noun) an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.
Tast-ing (noun) a gathering at which people sample, compare, and evaluate different wines, or other drinks or food. Listed are my red wine picks from the PEILC at Founders’ Food Hall in Charlottetown or delivered to your local PEILC. Torres Celeste Crianza 2017 Product of Spain by Miguel Torres S.A. 750 ml $28.98 medium acidity, wood dominate, full bodied Sarmentero Barrica 18 Meses Product of Spain by Bodega Maria 750 ml $48.50 bold, acidic, tannic, dry Faustino Rioja Gran Reserva Product of Spain by Bodegas Faustino 750 ml $38.00 clean, bright, complex, elegant These three are oak barrel-aged red wines of the same grape varietal, Tempranillo, found in Spain’s top wine region, Rioja.
Vir-tu-al (adjective) carried out, accessed, or stored by means of a computer, especially over a network .
We are now a society that knows and understands the virtual world. That has become our reality. For some, the word “virtual” makes you cringe--meetings, workshops, conferences, ugh. Others have experienced the virtual world of travel and things they may not normally have been exposed to. Virtual wine tasting has become one such experience that can bring us together without actually bringing us together. And, for now, that’s what we need. There are several ways to set up a virtual wine tasting; you can be the host or find a professional. Invite your friends and family to join you online at an agreed-upon day and time. You can curate a list of wines to try yourself, ask your local PEILC for some help, or ask each guest to supply everyone with the name of their favourite. Once you have a list, each participant handles picking up their own bottles of wine. Now comes the fun part: the tasting. There are many ways to enjoy this. Research the wines yourself, ask the staff at the PEILC, or ask each person to lead the group through tasting the wine they specifically chose. The good thing about this is no one needs to be an expert; it’s a simple, fun way to spend time together with those you are missing.
Another popular way of tasting wine is at home parties, where guests come to your home to interact and experience the tasting as a group. With the guidance of a sommelier, you can try several new wines, learning about exciting new varietals and their regions! A sommelier walks you through a tasting with a more in-depth look at wines; they are highly informative. This approach is also popular when groups can gather, but for now, Lesley Quinn from Stellar Somm is taking the tastings virtual with a customized list, and new insight on how we can still have an interactive wine tasting virtually. Lastly, the traditional way of tasting wine is at a winery. Right now, on Prince Edward Island, the wineries are closed for the season while they concentrate on production for next year. When they reopen, all local wineries will offer tastings and tours. Grab a small group of your friends and head out for a tasting, or maybe even a picnic in the vineyard when it’s safe to do so! For now, virtual wine tastings can be a great way to have a safe and fun time, while learning about a new favourite wine from the comfort of your own home, with the people you enjoy spending time with.
Enjoy!
SPRING 2021 www.pei-living.ca
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