FAQ: What Is Wine Time Online

We created Wine Time Online as a way for me to continue sharing my passion for wine while I was unable to work at a restaurant. Our thought was why don't we offer the opportunity to experience a social, entertaining, informative wine tasting event, that people can experience from their own home. We will ship the wines to the guests ahead of the event, and guide them through a tasting exercise with a regional focus. We will be able to offer different classes each week, partnering with a different winery for each event. I started by encouraging friends and family to check out my first few classes, and it has been a really unique experience.

A typical call has 8-10 groups of guests. Each group has 2-4 people, and groups join our call from all over the United States. We evaluate three wines, generally a white, a rosé, and a red from one producer. We discuss the differing production processes, and I answer any questions the discussion generates. We discuss the aromas that guests smell, the flavors they taste, and the textures they feel, and I explain how the production processes have influenced those. We discuss food pairing options, and try a selection of varying food items with each wine. We have beginners and professionals on the same call, and everyone is encouraged to share their personal perceptions. My favorite part of the project, thus far, is brokering the introduction to wine enthusiasts who may be in completely different parts of the country. We spend about an hour and a half on the call tasting through the wines and discussing the selected region of origin, (we frequently get a little sidetracked) and the guests are essentially a part of a wine club experience brought into their living room.

As we go forward with the project we want to offer different wine regions and producers each week, which will allow guests to attend frequently and get more and more experience evaluating characteristics of wine, and personal preferences about styles and grapes. We are excited to offer international wines and regional lessons in the near future. We are also creating a series of food and wine events that we hope to freckle in to our calendar over the summer. Be sure to sign up for information, and to stay up to date on new regions and producers.