WineTastrs

Taste Wine Like a Pro - Online!
2020-12-16 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Zoom Online
Our isolation tastings have been great fun; but let’s move it up a notch. Join us in Berlin and New York and around the world as we learn how to taste wine like a pro.
Grab your favourite bottle of white. Decant a delicious red. And dig around at the back of the cabinet for a ¼ bottle of brandy (or rum, whisky or whatever). Because we are going to learn a real life skill: how to sample, savour and summarise in a way that makes sense, helps you to catalogue your experiences – and impresses your peers.
I will supply the video clips, print-outs and other information to transform you from to dilettante to connoisseur.
By the end of the evening you will be considerably more knowledgeable regarding how to handle wine and how to taste wine like a pro!
Cheers! Sean

With years of experience living in viticultural regions, importing and exporting wine, and running bars and wine shops, Sean has a lifetime of information, opinion and stories to share.
You can read some of his unique articles on subjects like how to find great wines for cheaper prices and woman in the wine industry.
Sean runs occasional activities which are beloved by the many regular participants. They focus on wine, beer and Cognac tastings, held around a theme such as country of origin, food pairing or finding more esoteric links with wine; for example mythology, art or veganism.

Champagne and Cava Tasting Online
2020-12-09 19:00 - 21:30 | Zoom Online
Sean’s Legendary Festive Bubbly Tasting!

Time for the world’s most festive tipple: joins us as we taste and discuss genuine AOC Champagne and Cava. As this year the tasting will be virtual I recommend you buy 2 half bottles (full bottles if you are feeling thirsty!)
– A classic Cava from Catalonia – for example Flama d’Or Brut
– A genuine Champagne, “brut nature” version (ie drier than usual)
As always I will employ photos, maps and diagrams to help explain everything about these delicious tipples. This is an amazing chance to really compare and contrast styles and flavours.
I’ll explain how they are all made, let you know what flavours you are supposed to be experiencing, and tell you a bunch of amazing stories about the geography and history of these fascinating regions. You’ll be able to access the tasting notes, maps and photos on your smartphones.
Along the way you’ll learn the crucial differences in these bottles and discover your preferences: Reims or Troyes? Majority Chardonnay or Pinot? Malo or not? Maison or Grower-Champage? Brut or zéro dosage? Oak or steel? Rosé saigné or assemblage? So many questions! So few liver cells…
You should set yourselves up with some accompanying food – my suggestions are:
– Salty snacks like crisps and nuts
– Seafood, e.g. smoked salmon or prawns
– Double or triple fat cheese, such as Brie or Brillat-Savarin respectively
– Salami or pâté
– Strawberries, fruit tarts or buttery biscuits
Cheers! Sean

Our previous bubbly tasting was a super event – we met in Tiergarten in Berlin.
With International Champagne Day just gone (Oct 25th) and Business Women’s Day just a couple of weeks ago, it’s a good time to reflect on the fascinating story of the “veuve” Champagne houses.

Vegan Wine Tasting
2020-12-02 07:00 - 21:30
You probably know that most wine is not vegan – and you may have a few questions! Mine would be:
How can I tell if a wine is free of animal-derived products?
Does anyone have any great recommendations for vegan wine?
What about organic, natural, and bio-dynamic processes?
Which wines pair best with plant-based food?
As a wine expert and 30+ year vegetarian, I am well placed to answer these questions, and many, many more.
I will recommend 3 vegan wines which you can find in Berlin and elsewhere. You prepare your food, and join me online. We’ll taste, discuss and enjoy! At the same time I will answer the questions above, plus any others you may have. There will be photos, maps and diagrams to help explain things.
Cheers, Sean
0151 71 72 1627

Vegan wine recommendations:
If you are in Germany, Bio Company has a good selection of wine – all of it is organic, and much of it is vegan.
These bottles are available in Berlin:
Albet i Noya Curiós Xarel.lo (white)
Régis Boucabeille “Les Terrasses” (red, medium weight)
Domaine de Brau Syrah (red, heavy and fruity)
In general, look for a green “V” logo, or the words “suitable for vegans” (obviously…). Unfiltered red wines, and cloudy Ports etc. will always be vegan.
And remember – (almost) all sparkling wine, and spirits (eg brandy such as Cognac or Armagnac) are vegan.

Check out some of our other tasting themes and plan your own private event.

Beaujolais Nouveau
2020-11-19 19:00 - 21:30 | Zoom Online
Beaujolais Nouveau will be released on Thursday 19th as planned, and no stupid virus is going to stop us tasting it!
Of course the REAL Beaujolais wines are much more interesting – with their unique fermentation method, mouth-watering flavours and extraordinary geographical location. So buy yourself a bottle of Nouveau, plus one of delicious, quality Beaujolais*, and log in so that we can learn all about this fascinating region and its unique wines. For the full experience, pick up an example of its close neighbour Burgundy Pinot Noir as well, so that we can compare and contrast. I will put suggestions in the comments. Half-bottles are often available too, of course.
*The quality Beaujolais are: Brouilly, Côtes de Brouilly, Morgon, Chenas, Juliénas, Fleurie, Régnié, Moulin à Vent, Chiroubles and St Amour.
As we taste we will look at the maps, diagrams and photos that help unlock the secrets of this gastronomically blessed but tragically under-rated wine region. I will also post food-pairing ideas.
Santé, Sean
With years of experience living in viticultural regions, importing and exporting wine, and running bars and wine shops, Sean has a lifetime of information, opinion and stories to share. Sean has been hosting wine tasting events for 15 years, which are beloved by the many regular participants. They focus on wine, beer and Cognac tastings, held around a theme such as country of origin, food pairing or finding more esoteric links with wine; for example mythology, art or veganism. Check out the tasting notes from the previous tasting for this region. Learn the English of Wine using fun exercises, games and quizzes.

Grüner Veltliner and Merlot!
2020-10-29 19:00 - 21:00 | Zoom Online
The Austrian day of independence is on the 26th October, and International Merlot Day is on the 7th November – so let’s split the difference and celebrate these two sensational grape varieties together at the end of October – a kind of Hallowine!
The plan is that you buy yourselves a bottle (or half-bottle) of each. Here are my suggestions:
Grüner Veltliner
Although Grüner Veltliner is now being planted all over the world, I suggest that we all get a version from Austria – most of the bottles available in the shops come from Niederösterreich, which is probably the best region for what we’re looking for. It’s nearly always made in a still, dry style so I don’t think you can go wrong there. Try to get a bottle from 2015-2018.
GV works well with fresh or slightly acidic cheeses – try a goat’s cheese or a mature Cheddar.
Merlot
Nearly all wine that is 100% or majority Merlot is made in a still, dry, red style – so I guess we will all be getting one of those. The classic option is to get a Right Bank Bordeaux – especially from Saint-Émilion, Pomerol or slightly cheaper versions from nearby villages (Lussac Saint-Émilion, Lalande de Pomerol…), However you will be able to find examples from many regions including the Languedoc, Italy, California, and even Germany.
Merlot combines beautifully with pizza, charcuterie/salami and semi-hard cheeses such as Camembert or Chaumes (from Bordeaux).
Then join me on Zoom at the appointed time, and we will taste together. At the same time, I shall explain all about the history, techniques and geography of these grapes and their wines – as well as a bunch of fascinating stories and factoids. I will also share maps, diagrams and photos to help make everything clearer.
See you online!
Sean +49 151 71 72 1627
Learn the English of Wine using fun exercises, games and quizzes.
Checkout our varied and interesting tasting themes or choose your own to book a private party or team event for your employees.

Spectacular Wines from Southern Italy
2020-10-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Sagrantino 136, Linienstraße 136, Berlin, 10115
Italy offers a vinicultural tour like no other, so join me as we discover the tastes, history and sumptuous countryside of the southern regions of what the Greeks called “the land of vines”.
The likely list of wines looks like this:
– A couple of stunning whites from the vineyards around Vesuvius, so beloved of Pliny the Elder before the birth of Christ
– A fabulous Italian rosato from the sun-kissed south
– A varietal from the elegant Magliocco grape from Calabria
– A pitch-black Aglianico wine from its home region
– A sumptuous red from the heel of Italy, Puglia – not Primitivo, but the more interesting cultivars of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera
The tasting will take place in the beautiful Sagrantino 136 restaurant in Mitte, and the deal is that you commit to ordering at least a main course.
They serve delicious authentic dishes from southern Italy and receive great reviews:
Sagrantino 136 Reviews
We’ll sit at a couple of tables outside or next to their floor-to-ceiling windows, and I’ll limit numbers so that we can stay a responsible distance from each other.
The cost of the 6 wines in the tasting is 20€, and you should settle your food bill (as well as any other drinks) with the restaurant.
See you there! Sean
Checkout our varied and interesting tasting themes or choose your own to book a private party or team event for your employees.
