GROUP AND TEAM PROGRAMS

“The Guessing Game” 

Your group will be broken into teams. Following a short presentation on tasting wine, we will have 3 rounds of blind-tasting wines. Each round will have a topic/question – Such as “is this a $100 wine”, or “is this a cabernet”, or even a pair of wines – “guess which is more expensive” or “are these wines from the US”. The team which guesses the most right answers goes into a bonus round for an additional tasting, and a chance to win a special prize! It’s 90 minutes of exciting, fun, entertaining action!

“The Blindfolded Contest”

Again, the group will be broken into teams. For 3 rounds, 1 member from each team will be blind-folded, and presented with a glass of wine.  They must answer questions about each wine, such as “is it white or red”, or “cabernet or merlot”, or a pair of wines – “are they the same wine”.  The top teams will then enter a playoff with a final tasting to determine the winner! It’s 90 minutes of competition that will bring out the best in teamwork from your group!

  “Wine Jeopardy” 

America’s favorite TV game show is now a SDWineGuy team building program! We’ll divide your group into teams, and we’ll play Jeopardy with questions based on the wide world of wine. There will be wine sampling, smelling, sniffing, evaluating and eventually, a Wine Jeopardy winner! It’s the ultimate in wine and team building! 

FIND THE $100 WINE

A lot of what people believe about wine (and how much they are willing to pay for it) is based less on their own perception and more on ratings, packaging and marketing. In this unique presentation, guests will learn about how we really perceive wine. The group will then proceed to a blind tasting of three different wines: one well over $100 a bottle (and highly rated) and two under $20 a bottle. The group will be tasked with determining which wine is the expensive one, based on their own perception of the tasting characteristics that they learned about in the first segment of the presentation. Participants gain a new appreciation of their own ability to decide what they really like and are willing to pay for. This event requires approximately 90 minutes to complete.

THEMED WINE TASTING

Explore the diversity of varietals and winemaking styles of various viticultural areas in this animated presentation. Participants will be guided on a progressive tasting of four wines selected from four major wine producing regions. A narrative account of regional differences in style, winemaking techniques, microclimates and historical perspective will be offered. A question-and-answer period will be included. The event will require approximately 90 minutes to complete. 

*Note: This tasting can feature a selection of domestic, international, or local San Diego County wines.

THE SYNERGY OF WINE AND MUSIC

There are dozens of factors that influence whether or not we like a certain wine, and this unique program explores a fascinating one – music. Can different songs change how we perceive our favorite wines? If so, positively or negatively? In this 90 minute program, we’ll blind taste a flight of wines, and then re-taste them while listening to different musical selections. By choosing our favorite with each song, we’ll explore the effect music can have on our wine preferences – and will certainly encounter some interesting results!

WINE & CHEESE PAIRING 

In this entertaining presentation, participants will taste and compare a variety of cheeses and wines and learn how they complement each other. They will sample cheese from different origins, different types of milk and different production techniques. They will be paired with diverse wines, specially selected to enhance the attributes of the various cheeses. Learn the secrets of matching flavors to maximize your enjoyment. This class includes three distinctive wine/cheese pairings. This event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.

WINE & CHOCOLATE

OR

CHAMPAGNE & CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE PAIRING

In this fascinating presentation, participants will learn about the origins of various chocolates and the production techniques used to produce the final, delicious edible product. We will then proceed to sample three fine chocolates with various wines and ports specially selected to enhance their flavors. Alternatively, attendees will taste three distinctive chocolate truffles with three sparkling wines. Enjoy the pure decadence of these delightful pairings. The event will require approximately 60-90 minutes to complete.

RARE AND VINTAGE WINE TASTING

Most wine lovers only dream about experiencing the greatest wines in the world. First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundies from France and the most sought after California wines are expensive and difficult to obtain. The opportunity to taste a number of these highly-rated treasures side-by-side under the direction of an established wine educator can provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Four collectable wines will be tasted for this event. Selections will be based on a theme chosen with the client. Examples include: California Cabernet vs. Classified Bordeaux, four Classified Bordeaux from a single vintage, California Pinot Noir vs. Grand Cru French Burgundy, etc. The event will require approximately 90 minutes to complete.