Wine tasting is made accessible for twenty-somethings
Marvonnay is a wine and cheese tasting social event created by University of Guelph alumnus Felix Aleobua. On August 6, 2016, the fourth event in this series entertained 70 patrons at Van Gogh’s Ear in Guelph. Marvonnay IV was sponsored by The Towne Winer and Konzelmann Estate Winery, and also included Gouda from Mountainoak Cheese.
In addition to the wine and cheese tasting, Marvonnay also featured local artists through the Fine Arts Network, as well as live jazz music with David Hollingshead on piano and Calvin Barnard on drums. The evening concentrated on providing a classier alternative to the typical nightclub experience and binge-drinking culture that is so often associated with university life. Those in attendance mingled in an atmosphere that was safe, comfortable, and the fun kind of fancy.
The evening redirected focus from alcohol consumption to wine tasting and from quantity of drinks to quality of experience. One means of achieving this was through the inclusion of a Marvonnay Wine Tasting Scorecard, which provided a scorecard on one side—with subtle multiple choice prompts related to appearance, taste, and aroma—and wine tasting tips on the other side—such as see, sniff, swirl, sniff again, and taste.
While the cards were clever in conception they left something to be desired in terms of execution. The cards proved difficult to use due to the very dim lighting at the venue, which not only made it difficult to read the small font and fill out the card but also made it difficult to notice any details of the wine’s coloration. Still, the cards were thoughtful souvenirs for one to use for future tastings at home.
Marvonnay offered patrons four drink tickets and six options of wine to choose from: the whites featured a Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Colombard/Chardonnay, while the reds featured a Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. All of the wines were recommended by Rod Phillips, a wine columnist for the Ottawa Citizen and professor of history at Carleton University where he teaches students about the history of alcohol and drink.
The Montepulciano and Cabernet were softly tannic and subtly spiced making them excellent choices for those who may find the bold flavour of reds overwhelming. On the other hand, the Chardonnay, with hints of grapefruit and grass, and Sauvignon, with hints of sour apple, were surprisingly lacking in sweetness and fairly astringent in their citrus flavour for beginner wine drinkers.
Attendees Arienne Wesley and Stacey Bruce found the tasting scorecards useful and fun to fill out, best enjoyed the Cabernet, and found the evening to be a good mix of music, art, and drinks.
The cheeses were perhaps more enjoyable than the wines. The Gouda was indeed very good and the Bleu Ermite by the Saint-Benoît Abbey was dynamite. While the cheeses are listed on the wine tasting menu, they were unlabelled on the serving table making it difficult to know what wine to pair with the cheeses—especially since the area was very dimly lit. Unfortunately, some of the cheese, such as the Brie, ran out almost immediately so that certain wines were left unpaired.
Speaking with The Ontarion, Aleobua confirmed that he and his co-organizers—Rossy Jikova and David Richardson—are still striving for a happy balance between a social night out on the town and a legitimate wine tasting. The event started late at 11:00 p.m. making things rushed for a tasting, which meant that people were drinking four glasses of wine within the span of two to three hours with very little to eat. Also, since all of the wines were served at the same time it made it less likely for people to discuss wine with others at the event. Despite these minor issues, the positive attributes of Marvonnay and its purpose of promoting a responsible drinking culture for twenty-somethings and novice wine drinkers are undeniably wonderful.
Check out some more binge-worthy articles about wine from The Ontarion:
Marvonnay offers twenty-somethings a classy night out
How binge-drinking affects your physical and mental health
How to be a wine snob