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If you’ve been connecting with friends and family via video chat, consider this idea for your next get-together: a virtual wine tasting. Not only will this activity get conversations flowing, but it will also help everyone find new wines they love. Personalized wine club Winc winemaker Robert Daugherty has the perfect wine lineup for you below, and everyone in the group can conveniently have them delivered to their homes via the service.
But first, allow Daugherty to run you through setting up your virtual wine tasting:
1. “Decide on a lineup of wines ahead of time, so that you can taste along together. I’d recommend tasting no more than four wines at once. You can also set a theme for the tasting, whether it’s unique varieties you’ve never tried before, natural wines, or wines from a particular region or country. This will also help inform light bites and food pairings to go with each.”
2. “Assign a host. This person can help lead the discussion and have information on each of the wines readily available. An understanding of where the wine came from, the winemaker who crafted it and context surrounding the wine’s history and narrative makes the tasting more meaningful, informative and engaging.”
3. “Don’t take it too seriously! Have each person talk about what they are noticing and tasting. Flavors, color, viscosity, etc. Adding a trivia element or making it into a drinking game is always a great idea, too. Have fun with it!”
4. “Decide which one you personally like best. Then fill up your glass and enjoy.”
Daugherty suggests that you always start with sparkling wines and rosés first, followed by white wines and lighter reds next and full-bodied red wines last.
Check out the wines Daugherty recommends for your tasting below, some of which have a celebrity fan-base.
2019 Pacificana Chardonnay
The Pacificana chardonnay is dry and fruity with notes of apple, butterscotch, honeysuckle and lemon rind.
2019 Cherries & Rainbows Red Wine
How fun is the packaging of this wine? It’s dry with notes of dark fruits.
2017 Porter & Plot Cabernet Sauvignon
Enjoy notes of plum, red cherry and rosemary in this dry wine.
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