Have you ever noticed the way that, in the right lighting, a wine glass acts like a disco ball? Rays of light shimmering in a crafted vessel, creating beams of red and gold?
It’s something that occurred recently at AFFINITY HQ as I clasped a glass of vino and breathed in the aromas of fermented grape juice.
The occasion was, well, just that – an evening of glorious office wine tasting.
WINE NOT!
As TEAM AFFINITY was busy beavering away fighting the good fight in advertising, the notion of taking a trip to wine country mid-week was probably out of the question – so the harvest of the vineyards was brought directly to our Stanley Street offices instead.
In place of our customary Wednesday Think Tank Training, we gained a different but equally important insight – the etiquette of wine tasting. After all, who doesn’t love a good wine tasting?
And afterwards we would be able to take away our new, cultured learnings and convert the non-believers.
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
So with nostrils flared and tongues primed for tipples of grape-infused goodness, we went about dissecting the make-up of a Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay – to name but a few.
The room was quickly filled with the sounds of sniffs, sips, swirls and gurgles, as the liquids passed through pursed lips.
As recommended by our guest sommelier George Mammen of Naked Wines, some poured their remaining contents into the vase provided while others fully polished off their glasses – ensuring the contents received an extended consideration.
IT WOULDN’T BE AFFINITY WITHOUT A RANDOMISED EXPERIMENT
The evening was rounded off by a blind A/B TEST with the challenge of seeing who could choose the ‘cheap and cheerful’ versus the more ‘considered $$$ purchase’.
The majority of our newly cultivated sommeliers favoured the more considered purchase – what that means, we’ll leave up to you to decipher.
Here are some photos that may or may not help with that.
PRO TIPS
As noted author and comedian Stephen Fry once said, “Wine can be a better teacher than ink and banter is often better than books”, so here are a few vino expert tips that’ll help you master your next social event:
• Hold your bottle at the base when pouring and your glass by the stem for consistent temperature
• Take the time to smell your wine before drinking to appreciate its taste and aroma
• Clink glasses bell to bell (to reduce breakage) and always look into the eyes – cheers to that!
