Wine Tasting... A Photo Essay
(click on the photos to enlarge)

Updated March 1, 2005

#1: First up, you need the wines. I bring at least one full bottle per person, because all of my friends are alcoholics. This tasting was done the day before SuperBowl 39 (2/5/05) and we used these wines:

#2: You have to hide the identity of each wine. I like wrapping them in festive paper because I am queer

#3: Remember that you have to remove the label from each wine so that no one can identify it that way either.

Whoops! Some corks give away wine identities too.

#4: So, you need to open each bottle and discard the corks before gathering everyone together so the wines stay secret

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#5: Your wines are ready to go

#6: You have to have great food, starting with (at our parties) perfectly marinated and cooked tri-tip

Proving that our parties aren't stuffy, here, Arnie models tri-tip in its' half eaten state.

Shrimp cocktail is always a hit, but remember that the spicy sauce will screw with your palate. Eat this well before or after your tasting.

#7: Crackers are a must to cleanse your palate.

Dawn is the least fun person ever. She brings her own "Wheat" crackers to our wine tastings. Jerk.

Cheese is also essential. Have at least one bland cheese (Gouda, for example) to also help cleanse the palate.

Most red wines go great with chocolate, so these brownies would have been great had Arnie not eaten all of them.

Here, Dawn's husband Dumb-Dumb models the "bottle-stoppers" we'll be using to insure that everybody gets exactly one ounce of wine per tasting. This keeps us from getting too drunk too quick.

Okay, time to get started

#8: After pouring it in the glass, you should smell your wine to check the "bouquet"

#9: After tasting each glass, make your feeling known to the group.

Dumb-Dumb likes squashed grapes.

#10: After each tasting, rinse everyone's glass and start with another bottle.

#11: Have fun while tasting. Here, Arnie, Dumb-Dumb and I discuss my NFL helmet tie themed for the Superbowl. We're trying to find which teams' logos have changed. See how much fun we're having?

#12: After everyone has tasted all the bottles twice, unwrap them and reveal the results.

The Jordan Cabernet finished right in the middle Surprisingly, the bottle that finished first in our December wine tasting, The 1997 Beringer Howell Mountain Merlot, finished last this time and tasted like ass. Overall, our big winner this time was Rombauer Merlot.

Questions or comments on our wine tasting or how to host one of your own? Drop us an email to the show.

Happy tasting!