Here's a tempting teaser for an upcoming article on Blind Tasting Parties.  Keep an eye out for the Summer 2012 edition of Edible Sacramento Magazine.

"I love a good wine find, who doesn’t, really?   For me, that means something worth drinking on the spot which doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.  Amongst my peeps, I have a few friends who turn their noses up at wines under $25; they believe them to be utter swill.  I wouldn’t even dream of pouring from a $15 bottle in front of them.   Seems like anytime I serve something they know to be in that range, surprise, surprise, they rarely like it.   But I can be tricky, and with wine stubborn friends, I’ve found you just have to resort to the inimitable blind tasting…the classic equalizer and confounder of popular thought.

In my own voyage with wine I have taken the opportunity, when I can, to taste wine blind.  With no knowledge of brand, price, or varietal, I find that I can trust my palate to teach me about my true preferences.   I think back to an instructor of mine from UC Davis who once said “A good wine is the wine you like”, and how true that is.   In side-by-side blind tastings, the good wines stand out…"