Where do you socialize and learn about something about which you are passionate?
For musicians, there are studios for gathering and recording a potential hit song or simply for jamming with colleagues. There are art studios where those who love this creative outlet can practice their craft and hone their skills. Dance studios are for those who want to learn ballet, modern dance, or a few steps of the Fox Trot!
But on Monday nights, you can often find me at a different sort of studio…I’m with Tina and GUY at Protocol Wine Studio and their weekly Twitter based wine education tasting, #winestudio! And I can’t think of a better way to begin my week!
Both Sommeliers and professionals in the wine industry, Tina Morey and GUY have a philosophy which “centers around a cultural aesthetic where wine gently glitters from the background and becomes part of a complete social experience – a journey of wine awareness.” Their focus is to “engage the wine community” with a variety of strategies (visit their website for more), one of which is to present educational programs on Twitter. Wine tasting accompanied by relevant information about the wines, its terroir, cultural aspects of the region (including food pairings of course!), and industry issues are featured.
It’s up to you to purchase the wine then be ready with glass in hand at the specified time on Twitter the using the hashtag #winestudio in order to swirl, sip, savor, share your thoughts…and socialize with other wine lovers and learners from around the country. For those of you who think that an educational wine tasting can’t be done in a virtual way, think again…this program is fun, entertaining, and the banter on Twitter is interesting and enlightening! Trust me, I know!
Most recently, I participated in Protocol Wine Studio’s wonderful four part series highlighting wines from Greece, a topic about which I have written several articles because I love wines from Greece! Tina, GUY, and those of us who participated in the learning experience felt that the various wines from this beautiful country were food friendly and truly expressed the nature of the country – and a few “Yamas” and “Opa” were tweeted during the tasting!
My favorite wines which were profiled and sent to me as samples for the Grand Tasting were…
**2012 Moscofilero George Skouras –From the Peloponnese, the intense aromas of pear, honey, honeysuckle, and other florals were like a Siren Song and I wanted more…Its high acidity is another reason I loved this wine and the stone fruit notes with subtle minerality, and beautiful finish were fantastic. I paired the Moscofilero with grilled salmon with lemon and capers along with a Greek salad of feta, olive oil, tomatoes, and cucumber. The incredibly reasonable price is between $18.
**2011 Sigalas Lixaas Asirtiko Athiri – This wine was a savory surprise thanks to the blend of 75% Assyrtiko and 25% Athiri. With defined aromas of honey and plenty of minerality and high acidity, this wine displayed more deep and intense aromas and flavors than the Moscofilera. Some at the Twitter tasting wrote that this presented “gritty minerality” and others remarked about the “slight petrol flavor which reminds me of a Riesling” – comments which I loved and which truly enhanced my enjoyment of this wine! The Athiri grape contributed a lemony, fresh fruit, soft acidity component. For this deliciousness, you can expect to pay around $18.
**2009 Alpha Estate Xinomavro – This red wine of Xinomavro, considered the “noblest wine of Northern Greece”, is from the D.O. Anyndeon and was aged for twelve months in French oak barrels. It showed pervasive aromas of dark berries and vanilla and I thoroughly enjoyed the flavors of earth and blueberries along with herbal and vegetable notes. At the tasting, we loved the long finish and this wine tasted just as fresh a day later. Perfect price point is $24.
For more information about how Tina and GUY at Protocol Wine Studio are engaging others in the many social and educational aspects of wine, please follow the link to their beautiful/uber-hip site.
Their second in a four part program regarding one of my favorites, Sancerre, will be held Monday, August 19 at 6pm Pacific Standard Time. Three weeks of instruction and September 9 as the Grand Tasting mean that I’ll be enjoying some delicious wine, having a terrific time learning more about one of my favorites, and hopefully, contributing something meaningful to the ongoing online conversation. How about you?
Will you be on Twitter with #winestudio on Monday night? “Meet” me (and other wine lovers) at my favorite studio!
Cheers~ Cindy
