Wine in the City!

At the end of last week I sent out a call via twitter: "Where at My Wingwomen this Weekend??!" It was a plea for my girlfriends to join me in doing something impulsive, because I didn't have the rugrats.  I had my eye on two events - the first was Affairs of the Vine Grand Pinot Noir Tasting in San Francisco and the second was a group of wineries having an open house in Sonoma.

Even though I couldn't find anyone to go with me, I'm very proud to say that I stepped out of my comfort zone and attended the Grand Tasting solo.  I have never been to this event (or any like it!) before, so to say I was nervous/shy is no understatement!  Held at the Hilton in San Francisco, it's limited to 300 members of the public and the organizers split 64 of the top Pinot Noir wines into two groups to be blind-tasted throughout the day.  In addition, there were two educational sessions I attended: "A Question of Style" and "Winemaking 101".  In my job, I worked Crush (grape harvest) for six seasons, so I have a good fundamental background in some of the production of wine, but it was so interesting to hear directly from winemakers from wineries both small and large.

I chatted with the ladies sitting next to me in the first session, and the butterflies started to dissipate.  I introduced myself to someone who shares a common acquaintance with me, and just that small step allowed me to meet a very nice couple who just moved to Napa and are starting to live out their goal of being involved in the wine business. 

There was a sparkling wine reception (with some yummy appetizers!) followed by an opportunity to browse each of the participating wineries offerings individually and then the winners of the tasting were announced.  At the end of the day, I was definitely experiencing "palette fatigue" (even though I was using a "spit cup") but I had a great time.  If you are in Northern California area and interested in wine events, give me a holler and I will check the event calendar.  Often I have contacts in the business that can provide discounts and I'm always up for a tasting!  This upcoming weekend, my buddy and I are attending the 33rd Annual Barrel Tasting along the Wine Road in Sonoma County.  For more info check out their site: http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3 More than 100 wineries are participating!  Check back here for a recap next week!