Hone your skills in choosing wine. Learn more about wine characteristics, regions and varieties. Make this a feature of your program, event or party. We will work with you to create a tasting that meets your requirements and your budget. Office tasting parties are a specialty.

All tastings will include appropriate cheese, patés, fruit, crackers and/or bread. We can supply the necessary glasses and other accessories. The venue can be either at the sponsor's home, office, club or other selected location or at a convenient venue arranged by us. Price will vary depending on the number of persons attending and the particular wines chosen after discussion with the sponsor. Here are some popular suggestions for a tasting.

1. Country or Regional Tasting:

We present a number of wines, red and white, from a particular country or region to illustrate the diversity of the wines of that country or area. Such a tasting can focus on the wines of any of the well-known wine producing countries of the world, e.g., France, Spain, Italy, California, Australia, Chile, or South Africa. A regional tasting can focus on an area such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Alsace, Tuscany, Napa, Oregon or Washington, to name a few. The tasting can be blind or open, and will be designed to educate as well as please.

2. Comparison Tasting:

There are many possibilities for a comparative tasting where, in consultation with you, we select several red wines and several white wines from two or more different countries or regions in order to illustrate the similarities and the differences of the same grape varietal produced in different areas or to illustrate the unique characteristics of the wines of one major region compared to a similar wine from another region. Popular comparison tastings are:

· New World v. Old World
· Bordeaux Cabernet v. California Cabernet
· Rhone Syrah v. Australian Shiraz
· Selected French Reds v. Selected Italian Reds
· Selected Spanish Reds v. Selected French Reds
· Chardonnays from France, California and Australia

3. Wine Discovery:

Explore with us quality wines from lesser known countries and regions, for example, Chile, Argentina, Virginia, New York (North Fork, L.I.) and New Zealand, or learn about the lesser know varietals, e.g., viognier, malbec, semillon, tokai, etc..

4. Wine value:

A blind tasting of several reds and several whites from one country or region (e.g., France or California) chosen from different retail price points (e.g., $10.00 -- $15.00 -- $20.00 -- $25.00 or more) to learn whether there is a correlation between quality and price.

5. Wine and Cheese:

We select several wines and several cheeses. Both red and white wines are tasted, perhaps from several different countries or regions. The cheese is chosen to coordinate with the wine choices. We discuss the wines, the cheeses and the marriage of the two. This tasting is very popular for office parties and fund-raisers.

6. Champagne and Friends:

Ever wonder about the differences among the vast array of champagnes and sparkling wines? Want to know more about port, sauternes or sherry? We can develop a specialized tasting focusing on one or more of these wines to increase your knowledge and sophistication.