Fifty Shades of Grape

Almost a week after Valentine’s Day, and on the coat tails of the new movie, Fleming’s in West Hartford hosted an evening boasting fifty wines for $40. Upon entry, tasters were given a large, bulbed glass and a booklet detailing the wines offered that night. Five tables were arranged around the room, each with either a pairing or an activity to walk tasters through the numerous wines.

The first table had five reds and five whites. Attendees tasted each wine, then were asked to identify primary characteristics. Varietals were varied, some, especially reds were blends. Whites ranged from bright to herbaceous. Reds were more fruit forward and juicy, yet some were more tannic and peppery, especially the cabernet sauvignon.

Table two was about food pairings. Beef skewers, fried shrimp, smoked salmon on toast, deep fried macaroni and cheese balls, and tuna tartar on fried chips were laid before us. This table had ten white wines, two for each food option. After selecting our preferred pairing, the card in front of each wine was supposed to reveal something about our taste preferences. Descriptions usually were sensual in nature (example: “You enjoy a tart and bracing nature.”)

Table three was the aromatic table. Ten red wines were poured into decanters and in front of each was a small vial of scented fluid. Scents started fruity like strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, but soon turned more savory in nature with vials containing scents like leather and smoke. I’m glad I did this table earlier in the evening, as I would guess my nasal palate would have deteriorated with additional tastes.

Table four was “spin the bottle.” Ipads were scattered across the table and tasters selected red, white, or all, touched the screen to spin, and the program randomly selected a wine for you to taste. The varietal, vineyard, description, age, etc all came up on the program. My favorite sparkling, of the evening, a Mionetto, came from this table, though I had had a few tastes by then and my palate was looking for something light, crisp, and refreshing rather than toasty as many great sparklings are.

The last table was another food pairing, this time dessert. To my disappointment, there was no ice wine, but they did have a port that was smooth and rich. It paired well with the decadently heavy truffles, of which there were three kinds, double dark chocolate, sea salt caramel, and white.

Though crowded into the back dining room, the event was a raucous blast. A few bottles were raffled off at the end of the night as (I hope) everyone got home safe.