Story
A Taste of Wine Geek
Wine Geek at Blackberry Farm is a unique celebration of wine, going beyond traditional tastings and pairings to really dive into the details, stories and flavors behind each bottle. For the 20th anniversary of this beloved event, Ray Isle, longtime executive wine editor for Food & Wine and wine and spirits editor for Travel + Leisure, joined Andy Chabot, Blackberry’s vice president of food and beverage, for a series of inspired tastings that took wine lovers on a journey of flavor and fun.
Wine and Chips
This tasting was set up with six different wines and six different flavors of Wine Chips. Wine Chips created their chips specifically for pairing with wine. They’re a bit crunchier and have a more intense flavor than a typical chip, designed to be ideal for snacking with your favorite pours. So, for this tasting, there was a wine chosen to pair with each type of chip. Ray and Andy used the chips as a way to have a larger conversation about food and wine pairing principles.
Wines featured in this tasting:
Famille Mousse, Les Vignes de Mon Village, Blanc de Noirs, Brut Nature, NV
Comando G, Rozas 1er, 2022
Spottswoode, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa and Sonoma, 2021
Georges Vernay, Maison Rouge, Cote Rotie, 2015
Hudson, Chardonnay, Carneros, 2018
Turley, Uberoth, Zinfandel, Paso Robles, 2021
Touchstone Wines
The Touchstone Wines tasting was made up of wines that influenced Ray’s book, “The World in a Wineglass: The Insider's Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now.” Ray concentrated on highlighting smaller wine producers of the world, focusing on their farming techniques – whether that’s farming sustainability, exercising biodynamics or farmers that are helping to pioneer regenerative agriculture. The wines poured for this tasting corresponded to key producers discussed in the book, giving guests a deeper connection to the stories they can read within the pages.
Wines featured in this tasting:
Tablas Creek Wine
Hirsch, Raschen Ridge, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, 2021
Littorai, May’s Canyon, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, 2017
Château Musar, Bekka Valley, Red, 2017
Niepoort, Coche, Douro, 2015
Lopez de Herredia, Vina Tondonia, Gran Reserva, 1995
Blind Tasting Like a Pro
This tasting was designed to be a discussion on wine tasting and wine reviewing techniques. Ray and Andy walked the guests through a blind tasting, getting into the details of its realistic utility and some of the thought process behind deductive tasting. Guests were not given any information about the wines they were experiencing going into this tasting but were provided with space to take notes as they explored each sip.
In honor of the blind tasting, we're keeping these bottles a mystery!
A Journey Down the Rhône
Celebrating a well-loved wine region, this tasting focused on wines from the Rhône Valley, traveling geographically North to South. Guests were able to taste some stellar examples of the key appellations from the Blackberry Farm cellar.
Wines featured in this tasting:
Bernard Burgaud, Cote-Rotie, 2012
M. Chapoutier, La Meal, Hermitage Rouge, 2005
J.L. Chave, St. Joseph, 2021
Clape, Cornas, 2005, Magnum
Janasse, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vieilles Vignes, 2010
Chateau des Tours, Vacqueyras, 2012
The creative celebration of wines and pairings wasn’t exclusive to the tastings during Wine Geek. For the opening dinner of the event, the sommelier team created a “Somm Smackdown” where they pitted human against AI. Sommelier Greg Wilson chose a wine pairing for each dish, and Assistant Beverage Director Kelly Schmidt used ChatGPT to issue wine pairings for the same dishes. Guests, thinking it was the two team members going head-to-head, tried both wines with their courses and cast their vote for which one they felt was the better pairing. It was a close vote, but Kelly’s pairings came out on top. They then revealed to the guests that she had generated her wines using ChatGPT!