Date Night Wines with Wee Wine Club
This was up there with one of my favourite gatherings to date! It felt like a real treat & brightened up this never-ending lockdown.
Everything about the Wee Wine Club has been so brilliantly well thought through. From the branding, the theme, to the delivery of a gorgeous wee box filled with medicine bottles full of wine, tasting mats, tips on how to taste like a pro, a tiny book for your tasting notes and a lovely welcome note from host & founder, Julia. The cleverest part was a very well-concealed ‘secret’ envelope containing details on the wines to be tasted - no peeking!
We started this virtual gathering with an intro from Julia on her background. Hard to believe that the Wee Wine Club was only launched in October, after Julia’s hospitality business was put on hold due to the pandemic. We had a brief overview on the fundamentals of how to taste wine - just the right amount of detail and then it was straight in to mystery wine number 1!
Each wine was paired with its own ‘date night’ idea (see below), which was perfect for a Valentine’s-themed tasting. We followed the tasting process and, after each wine, guessed what we thought it was.
I loved this blind tasting format, it made the session entertaining and interactive, and was a great alternative to just listening to a host with wine in hand. I guessed one out of the 5 wines and was kicking myself when I discovered what a few of the others were! It really made me consider the wines properly and tasting blind eliminates any preconceptions you might have!
Prices start from £27.99 at: www.weewineclub.com
What we learnt
Faulty wines can smell like wet dog, cardboard, cabbage or even nail polish remover
Picpoul is a white grape variety from South West France and translates as “stings the lip” in reference to its high acidity
Appasimento is a method of making wine with partially dried grapes to give a more concentrated flavour.
The wines
Wine 1
Picpoul De Pinet 2019 - £7.00 Asda
Citrus fruits and peach with lovely salinity and lots of acidity. Super-refreshing!
Date night pairing: Oysters
Score: 3/5
Wine 2
Austrian Grüner Veltliner 2019 - £6.49 Aldi
I loved this wine! Full of pear, nectarine & pepperiness!
Date night pairing: Schnitzel or Chicken Katsu Curry
Score: 4/5
Wine 3
Incanta Pinot Noir 2019 - £7.99 Majestic
Full of cherry & sweet spice - an easy drinking, affordable Pinot from Romania
Date night pairing: A cosy night in!
Score: 4/5
Wine 4
Tesco Finest Montepulciano 2018 - £7.00 Tesco
Red fruit and high acidity this definitely needs food to be enjoyed
Date night pairing: Pizza
Score: 3/5
Wine 5
Mayu Carménère Appasimento 2017 - £13.99 Majestic
Lots of concentrated flavours including plum, dried fig & black pepper
Date night pairing: Steak & chips!
Score: 4/5
