Recently I had the opportunity to introduce 20 lovely people to 9 different grapes from 5 different countries, in 3 different sparkling wines, and 2 still ones.

I am not a fan of boring wines, nor of showing people what they already know and love (or don’t).  So, this was a great chance for me to win a few converts to new wine styles and grapes.

When everyone was arriving, we started with a small glass of Bella’s sparkling Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay.  Bella is Canadian and located in the Okanagan Valley’s small town of Naramata.  I paired it with two classic matches – Ruffle potato chips and popcorn.

Wine number two was another sparkler – but this time, a Cava from Penedes made of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello.  Only two people had tried a Cava before and it proved to be a big hit when paired with some Iberian ham and Manchego cheese.

Everyone has had Prosecco, so I introduced the group to an Italian Lambrusco which was an enormous hit.  Shockingly, only one person had tried Lambrusco before, and not like this one – beautifully light and frothy, slightly off dry and fruity with rosemary and watermelon aromas and flavours.  The bruschetta appetizer matched the wine’s acidity perfectly.  This wine was a highlight of the evening.

For the first still wine, we had Domaine Wachau’s entry level Gruner Veltliner from Austria.  A new experience for everyone there, it was phenomenal with the schnitzel and creamy coleslaw.  Dill, white pepper and tarragon in both the food and the wine showed beautifully and the acidity kept us wanting more.

We finished with the Jeune Red from Lebanon’s famed Chateau Musar.  No one had known that the wine referenced in the Bible (turning water into wine…) is believed to have been from what is now the Bekka Valley.  The Lebanese (aka The Phoenicians) are the ones who introduced wine to Greece and Rome.  Wine has a solid 6,000 year history in that region of the world.  And this lovely red of Cinsault and Syrah was perfect with our mini soft pita and beef topped with tzatziki.

It really was a phenomenal evening – with lots of laughter and chatter.  My watch warned me several times it was dangerously loud!

That’s how wine should be – fun, and loud, and new, and exciting.
Mission accomplished.