Since the mid-1990s, I have always been part of tasting groups. In No. Virginia where I lived before here, it was mostly wine geeks from work and from a Sommelier certification class I took.
Whether weekly or monthly tasting groups, the dynamics of a group afford participants to try a much broaders span of wines than what they personally cellar.
I currently have two tasting groups that I put together and we meet on a monthly basis and one is a wine and dinner group, while the other is a wine and "heavy hors d'oeuvres" group dynamic. Ever handful of years, it is refreshing to change groups unless the group really grows tight, not necessarily as friends as much as having a common bond during the tastings.
How many of you folks also participate in regularly scheduled tasting groups? Please give us an idea of the size, scope and nature of your group(s).
Tasting Groups
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Tasting Groups
Ambition driven by passion, rather than money, is as strong an elixir as is Port. http://www.fortheloveofport.com
I used to be a part of a tasting group in most places where I lived and worked. 10 years ago, when the first of the children arrived, I gradually stopped going to the group I was a member of at that time. There were 12 of us and we had met on a 8 week Saturday wine tasting course run by the local adult education college.
I used to enjoy the groups, but I found that the wines that I wanted to taste were not popular in the group. I was very much into old world wines, the group was into new world. While it was interesting to taste merlots from Argentina and Sangiovese from Thailand, I was never going to hunt those wines out and drink them on a daily basis.
Through a combination of work and children, I have far less leisure time these days than I used to have. Today I am not a member of a Tasting Group and probably attend no more than 3-4 tastings a year.....but this is probably about right for me now. These tend to be organised tastings, run by merchants or other enthusiasts who know I like port, or a tasting that I organise and so I get to choose the theme.
Alex
I used to enjoy the groups, but I found that the wines that I wanted to taste were not popular in the group. I was very much into old world wines, the group was into new world. While it was interesting to taste merlots from Argentina and Sangiovese from Thailand, I was never going to hunt those wines out and drink them on a daily basis.
Through a combination of work and children, I have far less leisure time these days than I used to have. Today I am not a member of a Tasting Group and probably attend no more than 3-4 tastings a year.....but this is probably about right for me now. These tend to be organised tastings, run by merchants or other enthusiasts who know I like port, or a tasting that I organise and so I get to choose the theme.
Alex
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John Conwell
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Sat Apr 22, 2006 2:25 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington, United States of America - USA
- Contact:
For years I just stuck to a few varieties of wine that I knew I liked. I didn’t know much about wine (and still don’t) and wanted to learn more. So I recently joined the Seattle Wine Society in order to try a much broader variety of wines than I would normally get to try with just going out to restaurants. This group is fairly large, and not all that tight. It’s more like a town hall meeting with about 10 different wines served per meeting.
I recently started a wine Friday tradition at work, where we try a one or two new wines each Friday. There are about 10 of us that participate and we charge 3$ per glass. This gives us enough money so that each week we can purchase a fairly nice wine to try. I wanted the wine Friday tasting to be feature nicer wines that we might normally purchase on our own. We started two weeks ago with an 85 Grahams VP, and last week with a nice Chianti.
I've also been running a cheese Thursday tradition at work for the past 3-4 months, featuring 2-4 artesian cheeses a week, usually along some sort of theme (by region, type, or milk source).
I've really enjoyed these types of tasting, though I definitely enjoy them more when it’s a smaller, more personal group of friends. The Seattle Wine Society group is fairly impersonal, but it lets me try a many types of wines, and I have learned a lot. I'd like to find a small group out side of work that did a monthly get together, to try a broader selection of wines than my work tasting group.
I recently started a wine Friday tradition at work, where we try a one or two new wines each Friday. There are about 10 of us that participate and we charge 3$ per glass. This gives us enough money so that each week we can purchase a fairly nice wine to try. I wanted the wine Friday tasting to be feature nicer wines that we might normally purchase on our own. We started two weeks ago with an 85 Grahams VP, and last week with a nice Chianti.
I've also been running a cheese Thursday tradition at work for the past 3-4 months, featuring 2-4 artesian cheeses a week, usually along some sort of theme (by region, type, or milk source).
I've really enjoyed these types of tasting, though I definitely enjoy them more when it’s a smaller, more personal group of friends. The Seattle Wine Society group is fairly impersonal, but it lets me try a many types of wines, and I have learned a lot. I'd like to find a small group out side of work that did a monthly get together, to try a broader selection of wines than my work tasting group.
Thanks, John C
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Frederick Blais
- Posts: 2710
- Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:07 am
- Location: Porto, Portugal
I participate in 2 tasting groups. One is always 18 participants and I participate when I want to have an idea of the wines that available to taste. I won't go if we taste 1er cru classé at 18 persons, but to taste 10 Burgundy from 2003 is interesting.
The other group is around 12 persons and I participate around 4 times a year, it is very interesting. We taste each year many great wines from the new released vintage, some hard to find. I've conviced the organizer to make a Douro dry wines tasting next fall.
Between these 2 groups I have around 20 friends that I've met in a French website community. We often meet in groups of 6-8 people for lunch or diner and we all bring a good bottle of wine with us. It happens around 2-3 times per week. Sometimes there is a theme, other times is just for fun and once in a while we do competitions :) But this is clearly the bunch of guys I really like to taste with, we all share the same passion.
The other group is around 12 persons and I participate around 4 times a year, it is very interesting. We taste each year many great wines from the new released vintage, some hard to find. I've conviced the organizer to make a Douro dry wines tasting next fall.
Between these 2 groups I have around 20 friends that I've met in a French website community. We often meet in groups of 6-8 people for lunch or diner and we all bring a good bottle of wine with us. It happens around 2-3 times per week. Sometimes there is a theme, other times is just for fun and once in a while we do competitions :) But this is clearly the bunch of guys I really like to taste with, we all share the same passion.
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
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Frederick Blais
- Posts: 2710
- Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 10:07 am
- Location: Porto, Portugal
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Gilles Séguin
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:10 pm
- Location: Gatineau, Québec, Canada
Tasting groups
I started my knowledge of wine by following a tasting course back in 1989 with a tasting group in my region. I have been a member for 6 or 7 years attending 2 to 3 events per year, out of about 10 to 12 tastings per year for the group. Now the tasting group have more than 200 members (in my region )and have chapters in 4 other regions in Quebec.
I took some years off that group and I am now a member again and the group have about 20 tastings per year and 5 of them are dinners. I am still attending about 3 tastings per year with that group. But I also attend tasting in different setting. Tastings in restaurants, Ontario liquor store (LCBO), I am accross the bridge from Ontario (province).
I also organize some tastings for friends and colleagues, about 4 times a year.
Of course I attend most of the tastings involving port !
But they dont come as often as I would like to. 
I am thinking to start my own tasting group some day, exclusively devoted to port and madeira. Its still a project. But you never know...
By the way, is there such a group somewhere on this planet ?
Gilles
I took some years off that group and I am now a member again and the group have about 20 tastings per year and 5 of them are dinners. I am still attending about 3 tastings per year with that group. But I also attend tasting in different setting. Tastings in restaurants, Ontario liquor store (LCBO), I am accross the bridge from Ontario (province).
I also organize some tastings for friends and colleagues, about 4 times a year.
Of course I attend most of the tastings involving port !
But they dont come as often as I would like to. 
I am thinking to start my own tasting group some day, exclusively devoted to port and madeira. Its still a project. But you never know...By the way, is there such a group somewhere on this planet ?
Gilles