Another great event from the folks at Vine and Table in Carmel, Indiana is in the books. As they did last month and as they will do every month until further notice, I had the chance to attend yet another Pick 24 wine tasting event. These events, as you might remember me discussing in a previous blog post, are your chance to come in, and for a minimal fee – $10 is all – you can sample twenty-four wines. Not only are these wines carried at Vine and Table for your purchase, they are all rated at ninety points or higher according to Wine Spectator Magazine. So these wines are guaranteed to be good until the last drop.
The wines that were featured in this month’s Pick 24 were not only all rated at ninety points or higher but thy were also all organic wines. Vine and Table, in spirit of Earth Day, wanted to share and showcase some wines that were not only tasty but also good for the environment.
One thing that I did not like about the last Pick 24 was they only had two pouring stations. At the first one that I went to there were two tables with a Vine and Table representative each, pouring these wines for a line of people. There were over sixty folks at the last event and I even remember some folks being turned off by the lines and the chaos that was caused as a result. But, this month, Vine and Table got smart! At this months event there were three tables set up all around the gourmet food market with a different wine representative pouring the wines for you. These wine reps knew their stuff too, discussing each wine they pored, telling stories about the wine makers, and even joking about their favorites.It made for a much more enjoyable evening.
Another thing that I noticed about this event were the smaller numbers of people. I did see some familiar faces walking around with a glass of vino, but after having spoke with Jeff Wilcox, the local wine connoisseur, I learned that it was spring break for Carmel and Fishers schools. So, as a result, the numbers of wine drinkers were a lot lower because of this. Also, not to mention, it was insanely nice weather that evening. Sunshine plus having the kids out of school makes for lower attendance anywhere you try to have an event. But that did not stop me from enjoying all twenty-four wines.
The cool thing about these events is not just that there are twenty-four wines being poured, but all of these wines are competitively priced. Twelve of these wines come in at under $24 while the other twelve come in at under $12. My favorite wine of the evening, when asking how much it was a bottle, was only $8.99. Granted, Vine and Table does lower their prices on these wines as a result of these special events, but a normal retail price is only $10.99.
Again, as Vine and Table always does, produced some tasty treats for the guests to snack on while walking around sipping their wine. There were the usual addictive meatballs, the array of cheeses, and tasty pastry treats, but this time there was quite a larger selection than usual. There were salted pretzels, a couple of different nut varieties, and even some pastries that were topped with toasted raisins. It helps to be drinking wines that the rep says, “This would go well with good,” and having food there for you to taste right along side the wine.
I did not buy any wines this trip, but I now have a few new favorites to try the next time I visit Vine and Table. If you are interested in attending one of these events you can view their website for pricing and upcoming event dates. All of the events, not just the Pick 24 events, are a blast. I have been lucky enough to attend more than a handful ranging from beer tastings to whiskey dinners and I must say, these folks know how to put on a great event. So, if you are looking for an excuse to drink some wine, and need a reason to come out and see what best fits your palate, then head over to Vine and Table. You don’t even have to attend an event to meet with someone like Jeff and have him tell you all you want to know about your next favorite wine. Until next time, bottoms up!
