Northwestern Alums Gather in SF to Taste and Play with Wine

I admit I haven’t been the most active alum. This was probably the first alumni event I have attended since I graduated quite a few years ago. However I made sure it was a lot of fun to make up for all those lost years

Close to fifty Northwestern alums and their guests gathered in Jackson Square’s LeTrianon Gallery for Wine List 101: Tips for Making Friends with the Wine List while Impressing Your Customers. They were welcomed with a little sparkling Gruet from New Mexico and tried their hand at some interactive tastings.

An Argentina Malbec from Alamos was tasted blind (a couple of über palates zeroed in on it right away). Then they moved on to sample a wine some mistook for Champagne or a rosé in an opaque glass. It was the Brampton Sauvignon Blanc. Then they also experimented with tasting fruit candies with their nose closed (a sensory experience I modeled after the Jacob’s Creek researchers in the Barossa). They also had a fun time trying to see if the Zin was totally dry or not (please see the pics).

The hit of the evening was the 2005 Animus from the Douro Valley. A dynamite mix of indigenous Portuguese grapes, the same ones used to make Port, from the hilly and majestic Douro Valley. It has just arrived in the California market for $14.99 and should be available in others shortly.

Cheers,

Liza the Wine Chick