Wine & Brews

Sips & Tips: A New Approach

Team Wine met on a Sunday afternoon in April. I posed a new approach to them.  Rather than a blind tasting, I offered the bottles, unopened, for their examination. I asked them to write down all they could about the wine based on information on the bottle. I queried them as to the varietal, what aromas might they find, how would it taste or feel in the month, and could they determine acidity, tannins, or sweetness from reading the labels. Both of these wines were purchased at Family Beer & Liquor.

Sips:
Barton & Guestier 2019 Les Grandes Perlières Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, France (11.5% ABV, $10.79) – This white wine was a somewhat easy start for the Team. Though the green bottle hid the true color of the wine, they could all see it had good clarity with no cloudiness at all. Most guessed a yellow tint.

They all felt it would be dry to semi-sweet with a medium body, medium acidity, no tannins, and a low alcohol. They suggested aromas would include grass, floral, and stone fruit. Flavors thought to be present ranged from floral and citrus to possible cedar, blood orange, and minerality.

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