It's Young, it's Hip...it's Wine?

“Wine without the attitude,” is the surprising yet encouraging mantra of the maverick Neighborhood Tasting Society, a New York City organization as friendly and hip as its founder and director Stefani Jackenthal. As Stefani will gleefully inform you at one of her public classes, there are no right and wrong answers when tasting wine, merely differences in opinion. Each two-hour class focuses on a specific topic with past events ranging from the holiday themed Pinot Bianco & Pinot Noir…and no Green Beer to the sexy Cool Coastal & Mediterranean Wines for H-O-T Nights. Both the range and depth of varietals covered in her classes make it easy for beginning oenophiles to experiment, while her wine tasting mixers combine education along with amore.

Should you be willing to shell out more serious bank, Jackenthal and uber-chef Yvette James will demystify the world of wine and food pairings in the privacy and comfort of your own home. The NTS also performs corporate events, offering employers everything from team building exercises to wine etiquette lessons. Contact the NTS directly for rates.

Wine Tasting Aboard the Queen Victoria

Wine tasting seminars with Chief Sommelier Michael Standen are pretty sweet. First of all, you get to sample six different wines and pair them with nibbles like fruit, cheese & meat. He’ll also arm you with an informative booklet featuring wine aroma and mouth-feel wheels to help you hone your sense of smell and taste. But admittedly, the wheels are also useful for crafting pretentious phrases like “I detect vegetative notes of cut grass.” The buzz words you learn in this seminar (terroir, palate, tannins) while useful for wine tasting, can alternatively be used to pick-up women or also, to impress your boss at company dinners.

We sampled Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chateuneuf-du-Pape, Pinotage and a Bordeux Blend. My favorite was the 2004 Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape that smells of black currant and pepper. (See how good I’m getting with my wine aroma wheel? Ha.) I can just imagine pairing it with some lamb, stew or even ribs. But even if you just pop it open with some cheddar cheese and crackers, like I’m apt to do on a Friday evening, it’d still be delish.