Sips & Tips wine class an excellent introduction for a beer geek to the world of wine

16 Feb Sips & Tips wine class an excellent introduction for a beer geek to the world of wine

Posted at 18:50h in Musings, Special Events, Uncategorized by Justin Knepp 0 Comments

By Mathew Muncy for Indiana On Tap

Around my office I’ve become known as the “beer” guy. It’s what I know best and it’s always a great conversation starter, but not everyone drinks beer, or finds it interesting to talk about. So I decided to add to my alcohol knowledge bank and attended the Sips & Tips Wine Class at the Indianapolis Propylaeum.

When it comes to wine, I’m about as clueless as they come. I’ve tried my fair share of wines, but unlike beer, my palate can’t distinguish between a $6 bottle or a $600 bottle. While I can’t claim to be a wine expert after having attended the Sips & Tips Wine Class, I can say that thanks to Elizabeth Musgrave, our wine advisor, I know more about wines than I did beforehand.

The event kicked off at 6:30pm, but the first 45 minutes was set aside for everyone to tour the historical home. For those that don’t know, the Indianapolis Propylaeum sits on Delaware Street in Downtown Indianapolis, just a few houses north of the Benjamin Harrison home. It’s a beautiful Victorian home that hosts many events and it’s where the Mrs. and I got hitched back in June 2015.

Getting a chance to reminisce on that day was pretty cool, and they even had some of our decorations and our wedding program.

After the trip down memory lane, it was time to grab some appetizers before “sipping” on our wine. The spread was solid: cheeses, crackers, veggies, and these amazing cheesecake pops that I could have just walked out the door with. Seriously, whoever made those needs a raise.

Time came for us to find a seat amongst 60 other strangers and settle in for an hour of wine lessons. In front of us sat four glasses of red wine and four different types of chocolate. Before we could do any drinking (I was getting thirsty) Musgrave took us through some quick tips that would lead us to be smarter wine drinkers.

The tips Musgrave provided were actually pretty helpful, even to a non-wine enthusiast. Now, though, it was time to taste the wines and take our wine knowledge up another level.

We started with the dry wine and worked our way up to the sweet ones. First up was Bodegas Conde Valdemar Inspiracion Seleccion, which was paired with Brix Extra Dark Chocolate. Musgrave had us swirl the wine, check for legs, smell it – full nose and then at the opening – and then finally we drank it, but not before swishing it around in our mouths. We then ate part of the extra dark chocolate, which brought out more favors from the wine.

It was a long process, at least to a guy who normally smells the beer then proceeds to gulp it down, yet every step had a purpose and definitely added to the learning process.

This process continued down the line. We tried Project Paso Zinfandel with Brix Dark Chocolate, Mega Petite Sirah with Brix Milk Chocolate, and M. Chapoutier Banyuls, Hermitage, with white chocolate.

A couple things to note from the tasting: 1) Each wine was a restaurant wine, ones that cannot be purchased through a retail location. 2) The M. Chapoutier Banyuls was my favorite, mainly because it was a Port. It’s high in alcohol and that’s right up this beer lovers alley. 3) Brix chocolate was created by a doctor specifically for wine pairing. Apparently he will not add white chocolate to his lineup because it’s made from cocoa butter and that’s not healthy for you. 4) The Mega Petite Sirah pairs best with chocolate that has chipotle or pepper in it.

While the event didn’t use Indiana wines, the information we learned could easily be applied when drinking at one of the 80-plus wineries in the state. I went in not expecting much and left knowing more about wine than I ever imagined I would. I would highly recommend any wine class that Musgrave puts on at the Propylaeum..