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"Two Buck Chuck" derails wine tasting
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We had friends over for a blind wine tasting of three Sauvignon Blancs over the weekend and the results seemed to surprise even the wine snobs.
The rules were simple: each of the eight people at the table had a note pad, pen, three wine glasses, saucer of crackers and a water glass.
Thirty minutes before the crowd sat down, I chilled the three bottles in the refrigerator, and then pulled on clean white socks up to the necks of the bottles to hide the labels and marked the three with a large black numbers -1 2 3.
The three wines were from different parts of California and ranged in price. Number One - Guenoc $8.99 (Lake County); Number Two - Two Buck Chuck $1.99 (Napa?) and Number Three – Wattle Creek $15.99 (Mendocino County).
Then, the swirling, sipping and guessing began with individual preferences and thoughts recorded and later read aloud.
* (#1) Guenoc: “Fruity bouquet, light, sweet and delicate, butter and smooth”; “Fruity, potent nose, no acidic after taste, slightly tart”; Smooth, full body, very good”; Fruity and clean”; “Sweet, dry, floral”; “Fruity, dry, flat aroma” and “I like it. It’s better after the second sip”.
* (#2) ‘Two Buck Chuck’: “Fruity, smooth and easy to take. Doesn’t taste like alcohol”; Light and lingers on the palate”; “Sweet nose, not too potent, velvety smooth but somewhat flat”; “A classic Sauvignon Blanc, buttery and very smooth, outstanding”; Sweet light, not a big nose, needs time to breathe”; “Crude and dry”; “Better than Number One”.
* (#3) Wattle Creek: “Equal to Number Two” ; “Dry” ; “Spritzy, tinny, acidic, prolonged taste enhanced by a bite of a cracker”; “Floral, fruity nose, not too sweet, slightly tart and slowly fading aftertaste ” ; “OK, but too much initial flavor and a little too much bite” ; “Dry and not my favorite taste”; “A little unpleasant and tinny”.
The group discussed the mystery wines and the consensus was Guenoc was the overall favorite, with the Charles Shaw (“Two Buck Chuck”) a close second and Wattle Creek, the most expensive, limping in a poor third.
Laugher, shock and more wine ensued when the trio was unmasked.
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