5th Annual Stem and Stein

5th Annual Wine and Beer Tasting Fundraiser to benefit the programs of Spokane AIDS Network.


Friday – June 19, 2009
6pm - 10pm

Cheese Pairing

Chocolate Pairing with
Halletts Handmade Chocolates
(See our Special Events page for tips on
Wine and Chocolate Pairing)

Live Auction

Silent Auction

 

Location

Northern Quest Resort and Casino
Pend Oreille Pavilion
N. 100 Hayford Road,
Airway Heights, WA 99001
Map and Directions

Admission

$40 in advance, $45 at the door.

Tickets

Tickets may be purchased from
The Spokane AIDS Network
905 S. Monroe St.
Phone: 509-455-8993
Or from Tickets West.

Proceeds

Proceeds from Stem and Stein will benefit the programs of The Spokane AIDS Network.

 

The Basics of Wine Tasting

Many people think you need to be an expert when it comes to wine tasting. That's not true. You just need to trust your own taste. Each time you try a new wine, your awareness of the character and subtle differences will be expanded. It's been said that tasting wine is like a sport: the more you practice, the better you become. Here are some simple steps to better wine tasting.

Look

The first step is to hold the glass by the stem and look through the wine against a white background (if possible) to appreciate the true color. The wine should be bright and clear, not hazy or cloudy. White wines range in color from nearly clear to a golden yellow. Red wines range in color from dark, intense red to light, pale red.

Swirl & Smell

To get the full aroma of the wine, swirl the wine glass to aerate the wine. This releases the aromatics. Take a good first sniff at the wine. Pause, and take a longer second sniff. Do you smell fruit or spices? You might find hints of familiar smells including wood, tobacco, citrus, apple, chocolate, plums, pineapple, flowers or raspberries. While contemplating the smell, look at the wine and notice whether it's thick or thin, bright or mellow, clear or hazy.

Taste

After taking a sip, roll the wine around in your mouth to reach all of your taste buds. Then, breathe air through your lips to release the aromas. If the wine makes you pucker, it may be a little tart (high in acids) or tannic (dry like banana skins and tea leaves). If it feels hot and burns a little, it may have high alcohol content. If none of these elements overwhelm you, the wine is likely well-balanced. Notice how it feels in your mouth: this is called the texture.

Spit

This may make you slightly uncomfortable at first, but if you are tasting several wines during an event it is important to spit. Spitting enables you to experience wines without the danger of imbibing too much alcohol. If you are just trying a few, go ahead and swallow. A wine that lingers in your mouth and throat after you have spit is a sign of good length and body.

Some Things to Remember

·  Wine's legs - the "tears" that flow down on wine glass when you swirl - are no indication of quality. It can however imply the full-bodiness of the wine. Fuller-bodied wines generally have slower dripping legs.

·  Don't smell the cork. It does not reveal much about the wine... and it is not that pleasant. Focus on the wine itself!

Stem and Stein - Trivia and More

The Irish believe that fairies are extremely fond of good wine. The proof of the assertion is that in the olden days royalty would leave a keg of wine out for them at night. Sure enough, it was always gone in the morning. - Irish Folklore

There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels. Of the trees that are used, only 5% is suitable for making high grade wine barrels. The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years!

1 grape cluster = 1 glass
75 grapes = 1 cluster
4 clusters = 1 bottle
40 clusters = 1 vine
1 vine = 10 bottles
1200 clusters = 1 barrel
1 barrel = 60 gallons
60 gallons = 25 cases
30 vines = 1 barrel
400 vines = 1 acre
1 acre = 5 tons
5 tons = 332 cases

The bill for a celebration party for the 55 drafters of the US Constitution was for 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of port, 8 bottles of hard cider, 12 beers and seven bowls of alcohol punch large enough that "ducks could swim in them."

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

What is the ideal temperature for wine?
Whites: chilled (45-55 degrees F) for a few hours in the refrigerator.
Reds: slightly cooler than room temperature (about 65 degrees); Younger fruity reds benefit from chilling.
Sparkling Wine: thoroughly chilled; refrigerate several hours or the night before serving.
Dessert Wine: room temperature.

Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.

Should I ever use a decanter for my wines?
A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment from older red wines. Also, it can be used to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine will “breathe” enough in your glass and decanting is not necessary.

Why should I swirl wine in my glass before I drink it?
By swirling your wine, oxygen is invited into the glass, which allows the aromas to escape.