Fine wines, premium beers and sumptuous gourmet fare dazzled the senses and delighted the palate Sunday afternoon as the Oxford Women’s Club hosted its First Annual Wine and Beer Tasting at the Addison Oaks Conference Center.
Approximately 70 guests sampled 24 exquisite wines and 13 unique beers from around the globe. Dean Rondy, owner of the Oxford Wine & Beverage Company, coordinated the successful tasting.
Knowledgable representatives from four beverage distributors were on hand to advise and educate tasters about their products and how to best appreciate them.
Representatives included Michael Yale Korn (a sommelier from Wines of Distinction, J&J Importers), Mark Serafimovski (of Veritas Distributors, Inc.), Herb Boheim (of Josulete Wines) and Todd Hill (of Rave Associates).
Experts aside, it was the wines from Italy, France, South Africa, Germany, Canada, Spain, Australia and California that were the real stars of the event.
My personal favorites included Frascole Chianti Rufina 2002 from Italy; Fort Simon Shiraz 2001 from South Africa; Truth Cabernet/Syrah from California; San Carlo Chianti 1999 Reserve from Italy (a real gem in this Son of Italy’s opinion ? molto bene!); and Tatachilla Shiraz from Australia.
For those looking for something special to help keep warm this winter, I highly recommend the Nurnberger Gluhwein, a German red wine that tastes of cinnamon and spice, and is meant to be served hot. This is the perfect wine to imbibe while shovelling snow.
Beers from as far away as Germany, Belgium, Holland and England were also included in the tasting as well as a few close to home (i.e. Michigan and Canada).
I really enjoyed Old Speckle Hen (a hearty English ale that sticks to your ribs) and Reissdorf Koelsch (a light, crisp, thirst-quenching German beer perfect for sipping on a hot summer day).
Tasting all these wonderful wines and beers was terrific way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon in January and I sincerely hope the Oxford Women’s Club will hold another tasting next year ? or sooner (hint, hint).