Personalised Wine Tasting Experiences for your Private Gathering
I offer in-person wine tastings in the central and north Okanagan. These are a fun and educational way to celebrate a special occasion, or elevate your evening in with friends or family.
Amor Towles said that “A bottle of wine is the ultimate distillation of time and place; a poetic expression of individuality itself.” Sometimes the words used to describe wine may seem too poetic and seem to have little bearing on the liquid in your glass. Do you want to learn more about wine-speak or how to decode the “expression of individuality” in your wine glass in the safety of your own home? Gather a group of friends for a fun and educational experience and lets explore some wines together.
The venue is your own residence. I will provide the wine stories, glassware and the fine wine. Any level of wine enthusiast is welcome. These events also make excellent gifts for the wine lover you know!
Wine 101
$50
per person
Perfect for those who are new to wine. I will guide you through 5 wines so that you can get to know your preferences, how to describe them and feel confident in shopping for wines that you will love.
Wine Comparison
Starts at
$60
per person
Ideal for new or experienced wine enthusiasts to improve their tasting skills by comparing wines. Choose from one of my suggested tasting themes or we can build a custom theme that interests your group most. 5 wines are included.
Wine Icons
Starts at
$80
per person
Designed for experienced tasters who want to learn more about iconic wines or winetasting regions. 4 wines are included.
Guided wine experiences
Wine 101
Maybe your wine journey is just starting and you are asking questions like, “How is wine made?”, “What are the main types of wine?”, How do I choose a good wine?”, or “How do I describe what wine I like?”. I am here to help you discover the answers to these questions and more. The best way to learn about wine is to taste it! I plan to take you beyond the 5 “S’s” of wine tasting (See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip & Savour”).
I will guide your group through tasting 5 wines of different styles, teaching you some wine terms and how to identify what it is that you like or don’t like in a particular wine. We will learn to use descriptive terms, for which there are no right or wrong answers.
This casual, fun experience takes place in your own home and no questions are considered stupid. As Charles Proteus Steinmetz said, “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions.“
Priced at $50 per person (minimum charge of 6 people)*.
guided wine experiences
Wine comparisons
One of the best ways of learning more about wine and improving tasting skills and vocabulary, is by comparing and contrasting different wines side by side.
I will guide you through 2 groups of 2 wines each and then give you a 5th wine as a blind sample so that you can put what you have learned into practice.
Maybe you have a gap in your wine knowledge that you are wanting to fill, or there is a particular region that interests you, or perhaps you find one of the themes listed here fascinating? Whatever it is let’s have a conversation and put together the perfect tasting for your group!
Prices starting at $60 per person (minimum charge of 6 people)*
guided wine experiences
Icon tasting
Some wines or wine regions stand out above the rest and have become world renowned and difficult to access because of their price point. There are the “super-Tuscans”, Amarones, Barolos of Italy, premier and grand crus of France, great Rieslings of Germany, meritage blends from California and many more. Maybe you wonder what sets these apart? David McRaney said that’, “expensive wine is like anything else that is expensive: The expectation it will taste better actually makes it taste better.” Is he right?
Why not share the cost of one of these icons with your friends and test this statement? I can guide you through a tasting of an iconic wine and compare it to wines from near neighbours and similar varieties but different price points without you knowing which is which. Will you guess the most expensive wine?
*Prices include the following
01
A 30 min pre-consultation
I will work with you to create a personalised tasting session to help you achieve your winetasting goals.
02
Wine
I provide 4 or 5 wines to explore the theme that you prefer. 2 oz tasting servings will be poured. Contact me if you want to add additional wines to the package. Average wine prices will determine the final cost.
03
Wine glasses and spittoons
I supply ISO INAO wine tasting glasses and encourage you to spit rather than swallow. You are responsible for providing water glasses and water.
04
Wine tasting scorecard, placemat and other aids
I will provide material to guide and assist you in taking wine tasting notes. You are responsible for providing pens or pencils.
05
Knowledge and experience
I undertake to use my knowledge of grapevines and wine and wine tasting experience to help you discover your own abilities to descibe wine and improve your wine tasting skills during the 1.5 hours of the event. I will arrive 30 min prior to the scheduled start time of the event to set-up the tasting. Adding extra wines to the package will incur an additional cost of $50 per 30min of guided tasting time.
06
Ideas for snacks and decor to accompany wines
I will provide neutral crackers for palate cleansing and can provide snack and decor ideas related to your wine tasting theme on request. You are responsible for providing plates, flatware and all decor including table coverings.
Travel costs to locations within 50km of Vernon, BC are included. An additional rate of 70c per kilometer will apply for locations outside this perimeter.
Invoice and payment
Once we have settled on your package and theme I will invoice you. At that time I will require a deposit of $150. Final and full payment is due on the day of the event. e-transfer is preferred, but cheques or cash are accepted.
