I am sure we have all had our New Year’s resolutions started by now right? You got that membership at the gym, you cut back on ‘Candy Crush’, you are posting less selfies on Facebook and you have a jar starting to fill up with those left over quarters for that trip to the Bahamas…but what about the wine lover’s resolutions? We can’t leave those out and now is the perfect time to start! Here are our top 6!
1. Go Wine Tasting to NEW Places
We know you are very connected to your Zinfandel or your Chardonnay…but there are wines out there you have never tasted that might go even better with that sea bass you love to make! Try some new wine trails and new grapes, some small boutique wineries or check out how the old school guys do it. Go with some sustainable wineries and taste the difference in depth and mineral qualities, look up the different grapes and get exotic!
> Wine Trails to Check Out A) Old School Wine-making B) Sustainable C) Boutique Wineries
2. Take Some Wine Classes!
Try a few seminars like the Rhone Rangers classes, Dry Farmed grapes, Cooking with Wine, Pairing with Wine, How to Taste Wine like a Pro, Rose’ classes, etc…Many wine festivals offer them and so do wineries! They love to talk about how they make their wine, what makes it different, what changes when it is aerated or how it comes to full flavor at a specific year. It will open your eyes to why wine tastes so good in the right environment!
3. Accessorize!
Upgrade your wine glasses to something you LOVE holding in your hand, get new wine stoppers that are funky and bold, upgrade your wine rack or get a wine cooler for your kitchen. There are a plethora of wine accessories in every wine tasting room, wine bar, foodie shop and boutique. Enhance your love of wine by using things you love with it.
> Splurge on this site!
4. Have a Wine Tasting Party!
Now that you have cool accessories, new wines and are uber-educated you can host a party! Blind your guests and have them taste test wines and guess what they are. Whoever gets the most right gets a prize! Pair your apps with specific wines, make a full course meal with pairings, play wine games and end the night with a dessert wine and paired dessert bites! Yum. Your wino friends will think you are AH-MAZE-ING.
5. Attend Five Winemaker Dinners This Year!
Who doesn’t want a custom chef prepared meal? Not wine lovers. They LOVE food. It goes best with their wine! So look up some of your favorite wineries in Paso and check out their event calendar. They usually always have their winemaker dinners seasonally and will have them catered or prepared by a local cuisine chef. The food is carefully paired with the wine by either the winemaker or the sommelier of the winery and you are educated throughout the course and treated to special plates that usually have local and farm fresh ingredients. The prices range from $50-$250 per person with a discount if you have a wine club membership so save up!
> Event Calendar to Check In
6. Join Three New Wine Clubs!
Wine club memberships give you discounts on the wine, events and sometimes on the merchandise in the winery’s tasting room. Many times the winery will have a VIP room just for members, send special gifts to their members with shipments and give their members first dibs on upcoming tickets for special occasions. Taste the wines completely, the whole list and decide if you want reds only or a mix of reds and whites. Then when you know that you will really enjoy each shipment, they have a great selection of events and wine club parties, you like the price and the shipment schedule…go for it!
Whatever your resolutions are for 2015, don’t forget to make a trip to Paso Robles top on your list! You can’t go wrong.
