Now this is my kind of wine tasting. I recently joined in a Twitter wine tasting, hosted by the Wine Society and I didn’t have to move from my sofa. Millie the schnauzer slept right through it (well, it was past her doggie bedtime).
Each month The Wine Society selects two wines which are tasted “over the ether” for an hour and people can follow along and share their thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #TWSTaste
On the evening I joined in, the society had selected a couple of wines from its Chilean range – Concha y Toro Corte Ignacio Riesling 2015 (£8.50, or save £19 with a case of 12 at £83) and Torres Reserva del Pueblo Pais 2014 (£7.25).
Here’s some highlights.
Twitter wine tasting:
Concha y Toro Corte Ignacio Riesling 2015
We kicked off with the riesling and wow what a lovely wine; it won 80 per cent of the vote at the end of our Twitter tasting.
I loved this white wine; and tried to sum it up in this tweet:
“Moreish spice-sprinkled citrus zing in the mouth; not too showy; flirty without being flighty and what’s this? A touch of peach?”
Ah, I’m nothing if not a wordsmith.
Fellow Twitter wine tasting tweetsters shared their thoughts:
- The refreshing acidity is balanced by a light honeyed character (@TheWineSociety)
- The off dry fruit makes it so versatile with sweet seafood. Little spicy note across the finish continues the interest. Ace value (@NeilCammies )
- Refreshing citrusy nose, lemons, limes and note of grapefruit in the mouth, long zingy finish (@KingManchester)
- At first glass
@conchaytoro#riesling is a cracker – beautifully balanced and great value. Will need second glass to confirm. (@EvansTheCrime) - Delicate white flower aromas to the riesling and a smidge of white cotton. Don’t drink it too cold folks. (@NeilCammies )
- I’m loving the Casablanca Riesling. Who knew? Proper Claudia Schiffer: sweet & pretty but lean – not getting flabby on sugar. (@TheWinebird)
- This wine would work well with pork belly with crackling – think of it as apple sauce (@TheWineSociety)
Twitter wine tasting:
Torres Reserva del Pueblo Pais 2014
Over to the pais, a grape which originated in Spain, but was wiped out from there by phylloxera in the mid-1800s.
Fortunately it had already been planted elsewhere in the world by emigrants, including Spanish conquistadors in Chile and western Argentina.
A nose-dip from me and I immediately picked up on “fresh jam still warm in the pan”.
In a tweet, the Wine Society explained that the wine was like that because it is made using the same technique as beaujolais (carbonic maceration) which produces really fruity wines. There was also a fizzle, as the wine was bottled with a little natural C02 for a slight spritz to retain freshness.
Other Twitter wine tasting tweetsters said:
- “I’m really enjoying it’s Beaujolais-with-a-twist vibe” (@TheWinebird)
- “The Pais is fun – a summery South American Beaujolais” (@EvansTheCrime)
- This
#Pais from Chile is interesting. Gamay-like with a sappy, greener edge. I like it. Better with air. (@TheWinebird) - Food matching the
#Pais in my head, I’d go charcuterie or a lighter, red meat dish without much sauce. (@TheWinebird) - Pais – light body, red fruit, slight initial spritz, Beaujolais style red – would also work slightly chilled. (@TAll04)
- Proper crunchy fruits like a weighty Beaujolais Cru. Nice perfume and a touch of spritz. Has a charming country quality. (@NeilCammies )
Twitter wine tasting: A learning curve
Now to fully take part in a tasting like this I recommend you need the wines to share all the sensations. However, I’ll say this – and I’ve said it before – Twitter is a great resource to learn about wine.
You may not feel like tweeting; but just by setting up a Twitter account and following other Twitter users you can learn so much. By running a basic search on hashtags such as #wine or #winelover you’ll find lots of people sharing ideas and recommending wines.
- For more details on the monthly #TWStaste sessions then seek out @TheWineSociety on Twitter.
Based on a story first published in Raise a Glass, Trinity Mirror regionals March 12, 2016
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Nice!! Where was my invite???….Only kidding! 🙂
Ah I’m sure you can join in next time!! #TWStaste