Wine Anyone?
Why Wine?
When we tell our clients of the breadth of our services, it is the wine tastings that receive the most interesting reaction. Clients are simultaneously confused and excited. “Why wine education?” is almost always followed with “That sounds cool!”
Why not wine? So much business happens in the presence of wine. Go to any steak house in any major city and you will see business executives hammering out deals with the requisite trophy wine hovering near by.
One of the greatest joys of business travel is visiting great restaurants and experiencing interesting wines. So, yeah, wine education is cool and it is a perfect (ahem) pairing for business seminars.
Little did I know when I had that first curious sip of a white zinfandel about 30 years ago that I would be starting a journey that would lead all over the world of wine. Over the last three years, I have attended both the certified wine sommelier and the advanced wine sommelier courses offered by the International Wine Guild. This education has served me well in two ways: the personal enjoyment of fine wines and the ability to provide valuable assistance to our clients.
Click on wine picks and you can see my perfect 24 bottle wine cellar. The wine tips link will take you to several unconventional thoughts on the subject as well. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter for a new pick and tip about six times a year. Finally, keep the What is Your Wine Personality? and Are You America’s Next Top Winemaker? sessions in mind for your next team building event or holiday party.
And remember our wine drinking motto, “If you like it, drink it. If you don’t like it, drink it fast!” Cheers!
The Perfect 24 bottle Wine Cellar
-
2 Cabernet Sauvignon (one that you are cellaring)
-
1 French Bordeaux (for that special meal – also could be a Spanish Rioja or Italian Brunello di Montalcino)
-
1 Merlot
-
3 Pinot Noirs (one from France, one from Oregon, one from New Zealand)
-
1 Zinfandel
-
2 Syrah/Shiraz (one from Washington, one from Australia)
-
1 Chianti
-
1 Salice Salentino (remember, for that spaghetti with red sauce)
-
2 Sauvignon Blancs (one from France or California, one from New Zealand)
-
1 Riesling
-
2 Chardonnays (one from California – oak, one from France – apple)
-
1 Pinot Gris/Grigio
-
1 Malbec (for that charcoal grilled meat)
-
1 Statement (something unusual that is your signature wine)
-
4 House wines (some relatively inexpensive but tasty quaffer that you serve when folks drop by – white or red is up to you)
Now, here are the wines that would make up my Perfect 24 Bottle Wine Cellar**
-
Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon or Medlock Ames Cabernet Sauvignon
-
Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon
-
Chateau LaGrange or Bodegas Muga Gran Riserva or Castella Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
-
Duckhorn Merlot or L’Ecole Estate Merlot
-
Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir
-
Amisfield Central Otago Pinot Noir
-
Bouchard Pere & Fils Burgundy (Pinot Noir)
-
Seghesio Zinfandel
-
Mollydooker The Boxer (Shiraz)
-
Gramercy Cellars Syrah
-
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Chianti Classico
-
Taurino Salice Salentino
-
Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc
-
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
-
Chateau Ste Michelle/Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling
-
LaChablisienne Chablis (French Chardonnay)
-
Argyle Nut House Chardonnay
-
Elk Cove Pinot Gris
-
Bodegas Norton Malbec
-
DAMA Wines DAMAnation GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre)
-
4 bottles of Saviah The Jack Red Wine (red blend)
*You can have a very nice 24 bottle wine cellar for $350.00 and an amazing 24 bottle wine cellar for $500.00. My perfect 24 bottle wine cellar is about $750.00…and you can spend a whole lot more than that if you want.
**This list will change this evening when I discover a wine that I now like better than one of these. This list will change again tomorrow night. Within a month, this cellar will be completely different.
