Sommelier, Connoisseur & Enthusiasts Tastings

Tastings are all about the wine. Swirl, sniff and sip with participating vintners, learn about wine and winemaking and taste a wide selection of wines representing an array of grape varieties. Outstanding unique tastings are a signature of the biennial Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend. The 2010 Sommelier Tasting is an Almost Perfect Tasting, featuring 10 wines that have achieved near perfection (98-100 points) by the country’s leading wine critics, including Kevin Zraly, author of Windows on the World, and Doug Frost, Master Sommelier and America’s eighth Master of Wine.

The Connoisseur & Enthusiast Tastings will feature national superstars and celebrity guest. Tastings will be one of a kind, covering various wine regions, grape varieties and good old winemaking stories.

Sommelier Tasting: Almost Perfect! Sponsored by Dr. Rocco Tritico.

The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, Friday, April 23 3:00 $325.00

Kevin Zraly, author Windows on the World will lead you through 10 wines that have received 98+ points from the leading wine critics.

Connoisseur Tasting I: Burgundy – The Great Pretenders

 The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, Saturday, April 24 10:00 $250.00 

Taste ten Burgundies that are even BETTER than their already lofty Premier Cru status would make you think. Kevin Zraly, Dick Ward of Saintsbury Vineyards and Laurent Drouhin will guide you through this tasting of the undercover Grand Crus.

Connoisseur Tasting II: “The Great Vintage-2007 Rhone”  Sponsored by Colin & Ruth Shaw.

The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, Saturday, April 24 2:00 $150.00

Kevin Zraly moderates this rare opportunity to taste Robert Parker’s most highly rated Southern Rhone vintage ever. The ten wines tasted will include several Chateauneuf-du-Papes.

Enthusiast Tasting I: Pinot Noir -The Heart Breaker

The Ritz Carlton Charlotte, Saturday, April 24 10:00 $75.00

Oregon, California, Burgundy?? Oh my-Why does this cantankerous, difficult to grow, sensitive varietal inspire some of the greatest winemakers in the world? Find out from the legends and the innovators themselves, Laurent Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin, Laurent Montalieu & Danielle Andrus Montalieu of Solena Estates, Ken Wright of Ken Wrigh Cellars & Mark Ray of Perception Wines – as they guide you through a tasting of their wines and share their inspiration.

Enthusiast Tasting II: The Winemakers Tales-Stories from the Cellar 

The Ritz Carlton Charlotte, Saturday, April 24 2:00 $150.00

Robert Foley and Dick Ward both graduated from UC Davis in the latter part of the 1970’s – wouldn’t you love to hear the stories they have to tell about all their time in the wine business since? We jumped at the chance to sign them up. Come taste some wine with them in this informal session and enjoy the stories.