“Wine is a multi-sensory experience,” Glen Brannen said – President of The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club as he swish-swashed his glass full of a red Argentinean Malbec.
“The first thing you do is take a look at it, its color,” he said raising his glass to the light.
“You want to give it a little swirl in your glass,” he said next.
Brannen closed his eyes and lifted the glass to his face, his nose a good inch inside the glass.
“And sniff,” he said with his eyes closed slowly taking in the aroma of the wine.
“Wine is all about smell. It is as much about smell as it is about taste.”
He then poured the wine into his mouth. “You’re looking for several different things,” Brannen said.
“The taste, what it feels like on your tongue, the finish, all of those things are subtle nuances that make wine different.”
The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club
The club headed by Brannen held their April meeting at the St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre this past Friday to let members and guests sample wines and ports presented by Stephen Marentette of Whitehall Agencies.
Now into its fifth year, this community of friends connects wine drinkers within Oakville to the industry itself – who showcase various new products to the town of Oakville.
“To our members we provide an opportunity to experience a wine based event once a month, and try things that people might not normally try,” Brannen said.
Wines and ports
Served on the evening were several Chilean wines from Montes as well as different Taylor Fladgate Ports. To accompany the wines and ports, specially selected foods such as blue cheese, grapes, and almonds were served to members.
One of the more favorable wines on evening was a stunning Chilean Montes Classic Series Sauvignon Blanc with a crisp yellow color, and a deliciously light citrus flavor. This wine is 100 per cent fermented in stainless steel, not oak and is considered a happy and tropical wine as a result from the cool climate of the Casablanca Valley in Curico Chile.
An elegant Montes Alpha Carmenere was also poured with a deep ruby red color that hinted at flavors of black pepper, plum, and chocolate. Delightful, but might be considered a bit too forward with its strong finish.
The evening concluded with various ports being poured, the Taylor Fladgate First Estate Reserve was favorable with its youthful expression of black currant and spices.
Great learning experience
The entire evening, a success with just about every chair filled in by guests and members.
Gloria Ingram was an occasional guest, is now a regular and enjoys the wine, along with the educational element.
“I like learning about the different wines and regions, you’re here enjoying your evening but your learning at the same time,” she said.
She is thankful that the club continues to have a very relaxed and friendly environment.
Membership director Sheena Curran encourages new members and guests to attend future meetings. “Come explore and discover new wines,” she said explaining the relaxed and friendly vibe of the club.
Club president Glen Brannen extended the invite to Oakville residents to come and take part in their next event on May 28th.
“I think what is interesting is that people are much more interested in what they are drinking. It’s not rocket science, or even scary or intimidating,” he said.
“But with a little bit of knowledge, you can experience wine a long way.”
For more information about The Oakville Wine Enthusiasts Club please visit http://www.oakvillewine.ca/
About the author: Michael Burton
Michael is journalist with experience in publishing, news writing and the magazine industry. He graduated from Sheridan College and is the former editor of TRAVIS magazine.
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Just lovely!
Learned a LOT about Ports. Thank you Taylor Fladgate!