The experience takes place at the home of Cem, a connoisseur with a WSET Level 3 Award in wines and an educated Sommelier. His passion is evident as he combines both Science and Art through his tasting.

Upon arriving, Cem will get to know you and familiarize you with the table set in front of you. You’ll find 8 glasses, each with various small bottles of aromas before them. You’ll begin by going through each wine one by one, smelling each aroma, then the wine, to isolate the scents and try to pull them out of the wine. This isn’t easy, especially if you’re new to it, but it was so interesting to try and really focus on each scent.

When it was time to finally taste each of the wines, I learned the proper technique for checking acidity, body, texture, and more by slurping, swishing, and swallowing. I had no idea that so much went into wine tasting and I certainly had never gone this in-depth at a tasting.

The selection included the following wines sourced from the region: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Nero Riserva, Amarone Riserva, Barolo Cannubi, Chianti Gran Selezione, and Brunello di Montalcino. Every single one of them was delicious.