Checked out a wine tasting at the Bin 604 wine store in Harbor East. While not technically fitting into the restaurant theme of the blog, there was some deliciously crusty bread and a variety of cheeses that were served as part of the tasting, so it seems close enough to be blog-worthy.
For those that don't know, Bin 604 is an upscale wine store located right next to the Whole Foods. They sell a wide variety of wines, most of which are too fancy (code word for expensive) for me to really appreciate, but also some very affordable and tasty options. The best part is, the in-store sommeliers know a ton about every wine they carry and can provide great recommendations for any occasion or dish you plan to cook.
The tasting itself took place in a cozy space right in the center of the store. The tasting space had enough room to intimately accommodate the 10-12 people participating, the moderator, and a few tables with snacks and wine for everyone to crowd around while they learned about each wine. This particular tasting was put on by the Yalumba Winery from Australia, and included 7 wines - 2 whites, 3 reds, and 2 dessert wines. Unfortunately, I'm not enough of a wine connoisseur to say whether the wines themselves were especially good, although I will say that Jen and I each found one or two that we really enjoyed. What I can say is that the tasting portions were generous, the provided snacks were delicious, and the speaker from the winery was amazingly informative about all things wine. Among other things, we learned about the history of Australian wine making, the virtues of corks vs. screw caps, and what happens when wine becomes "corked" or "cork tainted".
The total cost for the tasting was $20 each, which included a coupon for $10 off one of the featured bottles of wine from the tasting. All in all, we had a great time at the tasting and came home with two bottles of wine for just over $50 total.
If you're looking for a fun and relatively inexpensive date night a tasting at Bin 604 is a great option!
Here's their schedule of events: http://www.bin604.com/index.cfm?page=events
I second this review! I've been to two wine classes here - their Wine 101 class and one on Spanish wine - and I really enjoyed both for many of the same reasons that Nick noted. I went to these a while back so I don't really remember too many specifics, but I do remember reviewing a wine flavor wheel (like this one http://twentytwowords.com/2011/06/20/wine-aroma-wheel/) that blew my mind/was super helpful. I would like to see a class that is focused on one grape (control some variables, please!) to help me start to figure out what "oak," "dry," and "sweaty sauerkraut" actually taste like in a wine.
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