At first glance, the complimentary kit I received from Master the World seemed intimidating. Inside were six wines in 187 ml glass bottles labeled only with the kit and pouring sequence numbers. A group of journalists and members of the wine trade had been invited to the online webinar with a mission to take a dive into each wine (from a celebrated winery, by the way) in order to focus our palates. An optional (and daunting) learning exercise? We could taste each wine “blind” before the webinar and pit our tasting skills against Master Sommeliers Evan Goldstein, Tim Gaiser and Madeline Triffon.
Evan Goldstein explained that the idea of this wine evaluation endeavor isn’t “to train Jedi Knights!” Instead, the purpose is to identify key aromas, flavors, tannic structure, and level of alcohol, then deduce the variety and region as a palate training exercise. After the group tasted, each of us took an online poll to weigh in on our choices… Did I make the correct “guess” or fail miserably? Spoiler alert: my rate of correctly identifying the wines and regions was a mere 60%. Humbling, of course, but I chalk this up to yet another unique and incredible wine education opportunity.
My second foray into the Master the World experience was during the Full Circle Beverage Conference: Live @ Home. The complimentary kit complemented the Chile Today seminar. Our group tasted six wines, again in numbered 187 ml glass bottles, that represented a specific Chilean variety, region and/or style. Although I had the option to analyze each wine blind and submit my deductions prior to the webinar, I opted to evaluate each during the seminar, just as before.
Led by Master Sommeliers Evan Goldstein, Rebecca Fineman and Vincent Morrow, we engaged in a discussion about the wines along with the “important evolutions, genres and styles” of today’s Chilean wines. Julio Alonso, Wines of Chile’s US Executive Director, shared insights about the “state of the state” of Chilean wines in the United States. For the record, I was reminded by the discussion and each of the six wines poured in the glass, that Chile consistently overdelivers on quality for the price. The impressive wines we tasted were 2019 Leyda Single Vineyard Garuma Sauvignon Blanc, 2016 Amayna Pinot Noir, 2017 Santa Ema Reserva Merlot, 2013 Odfjell Aliara Red Blend, 2017 Concha Y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2017 Sideral Red Blend. (I’ll be writing about each wine and more about Chile in an upcoming article.)
Vineyards in Chile
Lest you think that the Master the World blind tasting kits are for wine trade only, think again. “This is no ordinary wine club – it is a wine club that will empower you to explore new wines, learn how to evaluate them, and decide for yourself what you like. No artificial intelligence telling you what to do, no gimmicks, no swill,” stated Evan Goldstein.
Members of the club have three subscription options. The “Check Us Out” plan is $90 for a single kit., a once-a-month “Pay as You Go” option is $80 per kit, and the 12-kit annual subscription is $840 with free overnight shipping during the summer. Perfect for honing your tasting skills or for gift-giving, I highly recommend Master the World. For details, click here.
If you’re interested in this concept, you may want to attend a seminar without purchasing the kit. Since May 2020, Master the World has hosted free monthly webinars for all wine lovers who would like to learn more about blind tasting and learn from Master Sommeliers who discuss the monthly wine kits. The next event is November 23, 2020 for Kit 111A (no purchase required) and I encourage you to register here for the Zoom Webinar. This is wine education at its best… and I hope to see you there!
Cheers! ~ Cindy
For more Grape Experiences and a free infographic “4 Keys to a Stellar Wine Pick” click here.
