FWSF East Bay; How to Navigate a Wine List and Tasting Tips from the Experts!

July 19, 2017, Buon Vino

By Kimberly Everett

Buon Vino, meaning “good Wine”, is modeled after the wine shops in Italy – taste, bottle, cork and buy. This was the setting for an evening of collaboration, networking, philanthropy and FUN for 30 attendees at the FWSF East Bay “How to Navigate a Wine List and Tasting Tips from the Experts” event.

After a bit of wine tasting, appetizers and networking in a cozy relaxed setting, Emma Mayerson, Founding Executive Director of Alliance for Girls, shared the amazing work of her organization. Partnering with over 100 non-profits in the Bay Area and serving over 300,000 young women, the Alliance supports collaboration, advocacy and research; all to better the lives and opportunities for young girls. Over $750 was raised to support the Alliance by the highly engaged women in attendance.

Then brother and sister team of Buon Vino, Dan and Katie, shared tastings and advice on navigating a wine list. To begin, ask yourself what you want to eat. You can pair per course, or look for bridge ingredients when ordering for the meal or a group. Then, what varietal wine do you want? The more common being Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot. Younger wines are fruitier while older wines have a more earthy quality. Finally, how much do you want to spend? You generally get what you pay for, but realize the value of the wine. If you know a wine costs $20 at Safeway and is $80 on the wine list that might not be the best value. It’s okay to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. It’s really all about what you like.

When tasting wine there are three things to consider - 1) Clear; not cloudy or an odd color, 2) smell; a clean smell; wet dog is bad, and 3) taste; do you like it? Fairly simple. Remember, American wines are higher alcohol and drink well young, whereas European wines are less alcohol and age well; storing impacts age as well.

It was a truly a night for fun and learning. Thanks to all those on the East Bay committee that made the evening such a success.