Open Everyone’s Eyes with a Blind Tasting of Viansa Reds

Do you want to throw a party that all of your friends will remember? Then put together a blind tasting.

Red wines are perfect candidates for the winter months, so we suggest the following seven wines from Viansa: Primitivo, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Merlot. By selecting wines made from different grape varieties, you’ll learn from just a single tasting what makes each of these varieties unique and identifiable.

The evening of the party, remove the foils completely because these can identify a particular wine.  Leave the labels on the bottles and simply slip the bottles into a brown paper sack. Use a rubberband around the neck of the bottle to secure the bag. Prominently number each one.

As you set the table, have glasses of wine along with bland crackers or slices of baguette on hand for countering palate fatigue. Also, have some decorative pitchers on the table so that friends can pour out wine they don’t wish to finish.  Complete the table by putting a small notepad and pen at each place.  You might also want to put together a cheat sheet on which you list the seven wines being tried but with the warning that the tasting order is not the same as the order on the sheet.

Taste through the wines starting with #1. No need to encourage discussion.  It will naturally occur.  When all the wines have been tried, have everyone write down what varietal they think each wine is, and also have them choose their favorite.

The moment of truth comes when you remove the wines from the bags.  It’s a guarantee that lively conversation will follow the unveiling.  Cabernet Sauvignon fans may find that they chose Primitivo as their favorite, or someone who swears they don’t care much for Pinot Noir may have selected that as their first choice. Be prepared at the end of the experience for your friends to ask that you make a blind tasting part of your next gathering.