You know I like rosé, right? I like rosé. The wine. I like it a lot. The rosé wines.
So I hosted a blind tasting party! And by blind I mean, we were blindfolded. I didn’t jab my guest’s eyeballs out upon arrival. Contrary to popular belief, I’m not that kind of person.
It was soooooosososososomaaach fun! (because wine) I had a handful of my local Gaggle besties over, and we sipped six different (dry) rosés (don’t ask about wine #7 and #8 – long story), paired them with some crazy delish Wisconsin cheeses, jotted down some quick notes (some involving words like COLLEGE and VISOR and GRANDMA’S COUCH), then basically plowed our way through all six wines on a crisp, flawless Saturday afternoon. Oh hi, perfection.
This is how I play the safety game, you guys. Bottles of water. WITH DAINTY LITTLE STICKERS ON THEM. Sorry to yell at you.
I’m not even close to being a sticker person, but Nat has this gigantic book of obnoxious princess and fairy stickers, so I went through and yoinked all the teensy adorable ones, like mustard hearts, bouquets of flowers and a baby chick. Duh.
I also started us with tiny sipping glasses (just rinsed out chocolate mousse jars from my neighborhood French bakery, boom). And then once the tasting was over, I had a tray of slightly bigger, drinking jars with more stickers on them, so you’d know which one was yours. See how I take care of you?
I DIY-ed some tags for each bottle (number stickers on thick, white cards), and typed up simple note cards to fill out for each wine. Questions like, “I don’t know jack about notes or tannins, but is it just me, or does this taste like ________?”
“I’d totally chow down on some _________ with this.”
And, “You know, I think I’d pay up to $___ for this one. Maybe.”
You’re getting buzzed just reading this post, aren’t you?
One of my gal pals is preggolicious, so she took over as our official pourer, which worked out great, since we were all blindfolded! See, I wanted our eyes covered because I didn’t want the color of the wine to sway our tastical opinions. Because I’ve always heard that the deeper the color, the more floral the wine will be. And the more pale the color, the drier. The more dry. The more drier.
However, I was the d-troll who left her mask on the longest during each tasting, yammering on and on about how mine tastes like a picnic with Kenny G., while everyone else had already taken theirs off and was discussing important life and worldly matters of the heart. “Bev, you’re the only one with your mask on. Again.”
Oh good.
“Hmmmmm, this one tastes like old ladies with lipstick on their teeth.”
“I’m getting more cherry essence with a tinge of regret.”
I can tell they really loved the wine.
The cheeses! You can’t have wine without logs and loafs (?) and blocks and wheels and wedges of cheese, you guys. It would be ridic blasphemous. So, Wisconsin Cheese Board sent theee loveliest array of cheeses to pair with our wines. They even have a handy dandy pairing guide for specific cheeses with rosés, so that’s exactly what they sent us. They’re good like that. And I ate them all while no one was looking.
Here’s the list, so you can do the same for your rosé party that you’re clearly going to host next weekend: Monterey Jack (surprisingly perfect with rosé), Marieke Gouda (I wanted to die in it), Chipotle Cheddar (unexpected, but super delightful), Pleasant Ridge Reserve (marry me?), Brie (heavens, yes) and Gorgonzola (staaaaaaanky and wonderful).
I also had a bit of nuts, chocolates, cornichichocochons, and a tiny tray of thinly sliced meats.
We should start a band called Thinly Sliced Meats. No one would come see us play.
Decorating tip!:: use different shades of pink paint swatches as your cheese labels. That one is free.
Do you SEE that bad-to-the-bone geofilter in the upper left-hand corner of this photo^^? Kristen made that for the party! She’s so awesome like that. I had no idea you could even do that. The MORE YOU KNOW.
And yes, those are my thrifted Lee jeans. Could not be more obsessed with them. Don’t hate me.
Also, I think I was about to fall on the table right then.
Once the tasting portion of the day was complete, and that friendly buzz had begun to settle in, we took the tray of wines outside to keep sipping and gossiping and okay, glugging.
It was 70 degrees. A slight breeze. Dandy Warhols on Spotify. My oversized visor on Lindsay.
…I can’t.
So, the RESULTS. The whole reason you’re here. (besides the visors and Lee jeans)
We had six wines total, all ranging from $10 to $18, which is pretty standard for daily-jeah sipping.
Wine #1: Le Reveur Cotes Du Rhone – omg. I loved this one. I bought this one! Spent $17.
- Tastes like summer, apple, berries, apples (again), cheese and apples (again again), and college.
- Would drink it with: pasta, cheese, grilled cheese, cheese (again), cheese (again again) and fruit.
- Would spend up to $20, $12, $15, $15 (again), and $3. (thanks, Linds)
Wine #2: Wild Thing – this one was mine, too! Spent $18 on it.
- Tastes like boldness, apples, fall, pine, nice dinner out, and really dry.
- Would drink it with: cheese, pasta and scallops, prosciutto, roasted chicken, cheese (again), and pasta.
- Would spend up to $15, $12, $17, $18, $15, and $2 (thanks, Linds)
Wine #3: Charles and Charles Rosé 2014
- Tastes like summer, a picnic, cherry, dessert and friends, tart, and a bold bite.
- Would drink it with: a sweet treat, chocolate, cherry pie, bruschetta, fish/bread/seafood, and Frito Lays.
- Would spend up to $25, $10, $15, $13, $17, and $4 (thanks, Linds)
Wine #4: The Ned
- Tastes like old ladies with lipstick on their teeth, grandma’s wine, bitterness in my stomach, bridge club, a visor, and a rose petal. (clearly that last taster was drunk)
- Would drink it with chex mix, pasta salad, nuts, candy, taffy, and peanut brittle.
- Would spend up to $8, $10, $11, $10, $9.99, and .50¢. (thanks, Linds)
Wine #5: Sables D’Azur Cotes de Provence
- Tastes like Friday night, and easy hangover, nuts, fun, fruit, and dry yet sweet at the same time.
- Would drink it with: Hawaiian pizza, s’mores, cheese, pizza (again), a bucket of fries, and fish & chips in a river town.
- Would spend up to $10, $16, $16, $13, $5, and $1 (thanks, Linds)
Wine #6: Dogajolo Toscano
- Tastes like tangy on the tongue, tangy (again), gardens, lemon, Saturday afternoon, and the rest of the other wines.
- Would drink it with: pizza, nuts, margarita pizza, fruit, chips and dip, and gum. (?)
- Would spend up to $10, $10, $14, $22, $14, and $0. (thanks, Linds)
Overall, our faves were split between wine #1 and #2. Which were both mine, so I feel like I’m doing something right in this life. Either that, or they were just being extremely nice to me.
I think we were discussing the magnetic revolution of the third campanteral expedition of the 17th century and beyond.
Or cereal. One of the two.
And there you have it! (hiccup)
Um, I highly, highly recommend hosting your own rosé tasting party, omg. Even it’s it already chilly where you are, have your gals bring over some wine and have it indoors on a huge blanket in front of a fire. So cozy! Or if it’s still warm as hay, have it outside in your garden mulch. Whatever makes you weepy. Just have it. And invite me over.
The end.
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