MaD U3A Wine Appreciation Group April Meeting

Our April Meeting had the title “Can You Taste the Price?”. The challenge was not to identify which wines we personally preferred, or what we would ourselves be prepared to pay, but (as in the Antiques Roadshow) which wines were the cheapest, the mid priced and the most expensive. We had 3 New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and 3 Argentinian Malbecs. The cheapest were under £10.00, mid-priced were £10.00 – £20.00 and the most expensive were over £20.00. We didn’t have the year of production or the ABV to help us.

Our Sauvignon Blancs were Fairhall Cliffs 2023 (11%) and the cheapest; Baron Edmond de Rothschild “Rimapere” 2022 (12.5%), the mid-priced wine; and Marisco Pride and Glory 2020 (13.5%) was the most expensive. Several people managed to identify the wines in the right order of price, but 8 people preferred the Rimapere, while 5 liked the Pride and Glory and 4 liked the Fairhall Cliffs – so price doesn’t necessarily determine taste!

Our Malbecs were, in order of price, Trapiche Vineyards 2023 (12.5%); Zuccardi “Q” 2022 (14%) and Catena Zapata “Catena Alta” 2021 (13.5%). Again, several people were able to get the wines in correct price order, and this time 7 people liked the Catena Alta best, while 5 liked the Zuccardi “Q” and 3 preferred the Trapiche. Again, price is not always the indicator of preference.

This was a great Wine Group meeting which showed that we are learning how to recognise quality, even if sometimes we might actually like the cheaper wine most! Our palates are becoming more discerning and we can enjoy complexity. We have learned a lot in the last few years.

The MaD u3a Wine Appreciation group meets on the third Wednesday of each month, starting at 2:30 pm. The group is currently full, but if you would like to put your name on the waiting list please contact either Sue or Maggie by email.

Although the in-person group is full all members are welcome to join the MaD Wine Bar which meets via Zoom most Wednesdays at 6.00 pm.

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Cheers from the Wine Appreciation Group