A wine tasting where no one knew what they were drinking

It’s not often you approach the bar at a social gathering where the wine is being served out of numbered black bags. But that was the case at St. Thomas Uncorked, the annual wine tasting organized by the local chamber of commerce.

Winemaker Jamie Quai had selected a diverse range of enjoyable red and white wines for guests to sample over the course of the evening without knowing what they were drinking. Guests at St. Thomas Uncorked only knew if the bottle inside each bag contained red or white wine.

This was the fifth year that Quai, whose family planted vineyards in St. Thomas in 1970 and opened Quai du Vin Estate Winery in 1990, had selected a range of international and domestic wines to share. A graduate of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University and former Grape Growers of Ontario Grape King, Quai introduced the blind tasting element a few years ago to make things more educational for attendees.

“We encourage them to taste the wines without prejudice,” Quai explained.

“It prevents the case of having someone just say, ‘ Oh, no, I don’t like chardonnay.’ ”

Quai said blind tasting is a great way for consumers to taste and decide which style of wine they enjoy most. It’s an honest assessment of quality and preference.

The identities of the selected wines were revealed in groups throughout the event. As he introduced each selection, Quai shared intimate details about how the wine was made and fun facts about the associated winery and growing region.

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The most talked about wine of the night proved to be a robust carmenere from Chile’s Viña Tarapacá, which sells at LCBO Vintages outlets for $ 17.95.

Would the people who found a new favourite red wine have liked it as much if they had seen the label? Probably not, but now they know more the next time they shop for wine.

WATERS ON WINE