The K.I.S.S. Tasting….Keep It Simple & Sensible

The telephone rang.  Would I like to do a tasting on Sunday - in 5 days?   The day after we would be arriving in California in the middle of the night?  And the day of the tasting  we would see Star Wars for the first time in my life?  Jason and Karen are huge fans of the Star Wars saga, so I was along for the ride!

To plan a tasting for a dozen people is usually a lot of arranging, researching, working on food combinations, etc.  There would be no time for that.  My idea for this tasting was to make it easy, do very little preparation, have others give their thoughts and ideas, and have the guests involved. So my focus was to do very little, and make sure it was still a success.

With eight hours to go here is where we were:
The food is in the fridge, the wines still sealed in the box, no research, no real plan, just a few notes on the back of a business card.  I told one of the guests that I had spent just thirty minutes on this project.
    I lied - it was 15 minutes.

I called the San Clemente Wine Company, (click here for link) three days before the event and spoke to Bob who helped me choose the wines.   He then gave the phone to Stacy who owns the SCWC along with her husband Jeff and she helped me select the cheese and meats for the tasting.
Jason and his girlfriend, Niki, agreed to pick up the wines at the store and to make good use of their time, they also did a little tasting (not Spanish) while there!  Good time management!

The key points I wanted to make with this tasting were:  
     *No need to stress
     *People love to help and be involved
     *Does not have to be elaborate
    *Beer and spirits are made to a formula, and have usually met maturity
    *Unlike beer and spirits, wine changes due to weather and local traditions and practices
    *Year of production (vintage) is super important
    *Did you know that up to 60% of alcoholic beverages are sold in a six week period          
      (Thanksgiving until New Years).

It is now noon on Sunday with  5-1/2 hours to go before the tasting.
The case of wine is still sitting in our little rented condo facing the sea.  What a glorious view!  Our vacation plans - a nice glass of wine or two or three while enjoying the view and doing some California Dreamin'.
No time to research.  No time to plan - we are on the way to see Star Wars.  To my surprise, it was a great movie, and I stayed awake! Then we were treated to lunch by Jason at an Italian trattoria nearby.  The clock was ticking!  It was close to 5:00 pm.  Just a half hour to go until the tasting.  Case still sealed.
Thirty minutes before the tasting.
Just enough time to run into the grocery store for a few more food items to pair with the wines.  Karen has to feel there is "enough food" for an army before she is happy.  At this point we have decided to have foods similar to the snacks we were served in the bars in Madrid.  Remember - we were pairing Spanish wines.
We arrive fifteen minutes prior to the time we had set to begin the tasting.   I looked at my notes and saw the first thing I had written was, "make sure it is fun for everyone, including myself."

The K.I.S.S. Tasting
The first wine was a 2013 Bodega El Nido "Clio" from Jamilla.  
Jamila is southeast of Madrid in Valencia. The wine is made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, with a touch of the Monastrell grape.  It was the most expensive wine of the evening, and a very good value:  $56.99
If I were a wine buyer I would buy as much of this as I could,   If you can still find it, have no hesitation in trying a bottle. Wine is a very subjective:  some folks love a wine, others may hate it.  This Jamilla is one of the best wines I have used in a tasting this year. The San Clemente Wine Company has just two bottles left, it is about $60 a bottle and worth giving to that special person.  Look for it in your area.
The second wine was a 2011 Jorge Ordonez "Avanti" from Ribera Del Duero  
A good vintage with a little aging evident by a light rim around the glass.
This wine is easier to obtain than the Bodega El Nido.   The attendees for this tasting were all from Southern California, so the San Clemente Wine Company should have this wine in stock if you liked it.  You can also buy online from them.
The last wine was a 2010 Marquez De Murrietta Reserva from Rioja
The oldest wine in the tasting trio, the easiest to present, and a Reserva.
 The third wine is always the easiest to present-the guests have a few glasses of wine in them by now!
Wine tasting veterans could see the wine was light in color around the rim (the meniscus) - a sign of aging.
From the Rioja region, one of the most respected areas in the Spanish wine making world.
It had a lot of tannin.  I could tell this without tasting it because our tasters took cheese and ham, which softens that slight astringent feel on the palate.
So, after two hours it was over and we all had a great time.  There were lots of good questions and everyone had fun.  It was simple and easy.
 You can have your own wine tasting by following K.I.S.S. - keep it simple and sensible!  
1.  Know your audience
2.  Don't do it alone 
3.  Do not use too many wines - we used only 3
4.  Make sure you have some simple food with fat (salami, ham, cheese) if doing red wines and
 smoked fish, very creamy cheese, chopped eggs, and plain water crackers for white.
5.  Have water for the guests
6.  Encourage participation
7.  Have fun
​  
Our niece had arranged for the tasting to be at the home of her parents in San Clemente.  They were gracious hosts and welcomed all of us into their beautiful home and incredible backyard.  The perfect place for parties and wine tastings!
  Thank you Carol and Michael!  We were even serenaded by Carolers during the tasting!  Merry Christmas!​
Until next time - be safe, be polite, and have a wonderful New Year with fun tastings.

Wine Calendar 2016
Want some fun?  Here is my wine tasting/learning plan for 2016.  I have no idea yet what form those tastings might take.  It could be just Karen and myself.  Could be with another couple.  Could be a little party.  
January:  West Coast wines,and climate change.
February:   Wine and Chocolate.
March:  Case Study. The Billionaires Vinegar, the book that uncovers fake wines.
April:  Spring is in the air.  White wines except Chardonnay.
May:  Planning a trip to the vineyard.
June:   Exploring the wonderful wines of Southern France.
July:   Wines for celebration.
August:  The selections of Berry Brothers and Rudd, a very British Wine Merchant.
September:   A Tasting in Taos with family.
October:    A re-visit to the San Clemente Wine Company.
November:  Fortified wines: Ports and Sherries.
December:    A Pot Luck Wine Tasting.

---