THE EVERY GIRL WINE NIGHT
How often is it that one of your absolute favoriteeee websites/blogs comes to your city? AND hosts a wine tasting event? WITH a food pairing? And how often is it that you get the opportunity to speak to the founder of that website? AND she gives you her email!? (Alaina, I'm looking at you!) To answer all of those questions - once in a lifetime! I'm so stoked to write about my experience with The Every Girl x Kendall Jackson Wine Night that took place at the gorgeous Gadsden House in Charleston, SC, so let's get right into it!
Forgive me for not posting about this breathtaking event earlier, as I have been buried deep in moving boxes and job applications. Trust me, this post is going to have been worth the wait, because on Thursday, June 22nd, I went to the most entertaining and educational wine tasting events I believe exists. How did *I* get in you might ask. Well, as a tech savvy millennial, I saw @theeverygirl_ post on Instagram about an upcoming wine tasting event with limited tickets, so I quickly viewed their Instagram story and swiped up to order a ticket. Now, since Sarah hasn't quite moved down yet, going to wine tasting event alone was indeed a very scary thought, but there was no way I could pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity to see The Every Girl in collaboration with Kendall Jackson wines. The outdoor patio at the Gadsden House was swarming with talented girls - from knowledgable wine experts like Katie from California to Alaina who founded The Every Girl and organized such a glamorous event.
Essentially, there were twinkle lights strung across the patio, a mixture of the the best Chardonnay's, Rosé's, and Pinot Noir's, accompanied with the sweetest team to make the night even more perfect. Not only was this wine tasting lush and gorg, it was very educational in the sense that I learned so many valuable concepts about wine. Let's start wine some basic, yet not-so-basic wine education. These three wines - Chardonnay, Rosé, and Pinot Noir are only three of over 10 wines that Kendall Jackson offers, so be sure to check out all their wine and maybe even snag a bottle because you've earned it.
WINE 101 with Katie: From the beginning of the night, Katie (my favorite wine expert as you'll glean throughout this post) taught all the girls that the taste of wine depends on 4 factors: sight, smell, taste, and what you think of the wine after tasting it. Simply by looking at the color of the wine, you can tell the age, grape (red, white, or mix), and the oak influence ( how dark or light is the wine). The deeper the color of any wine, be it white or red, the more oak infused it is. You can simply hold your glass up to the light and tilt it to see how deep the color is and notice if there's any brown on the edges of the wine to judge how oak infused the wine you're tasting is. Impressive right? I never knew wine could be so interesting and complex at the same time. Even more important than sight is the smell because smelling wine provides you with all the details of the wine you're going to taste. In other words, aromas can be broken down into three categories: primary (fruity), secondary (organic; i.e., forest or rive rock smells), and tertiary (inorganic; i.e., vanilla or dill). Taste is more involved than you might think, as it confirms or denies the flavors that you have just smelled. For example, you may have smelt watermelon in the Grand Reserve Sonoma County Rosé, but after sampling it, you may conclude that it tastes more sweet like a peach with hints of floral notes. Finally, what you conclude about the wine gives you insight to so many things. Like, what is your overall impression? How balanced was the wine you tasted in terms of the three aromas? What food would that wine pair best with? So many different concepts are in work with each variety and subcategory of wine!
"Exploring Wine By Region - Pinot Noir" Let's begin with why Kendall Jackson is able to produce some of the highest quality wine as I talk you through some interesting concepts about Pinot Noir. Kendall Jackson's wines are unique and favorable because the company is family-owned, and wines like Pinot Noir are 100% pure. I learned that the soil the grapes are grown in can greatly enhance or detract from the flavor of the wine - who knew? I found out that Monterey/Santa Barbara County - Grand Reserve is the lightest Pinot Noir, and guess what? I actually didn't dislike red wine for once! This Pinot Noir encompasses dark cherry with uplifting notes of vanilla and wild berry which balances out the taste so well. (Don't worry Rosé, you'll always be my favorite). But if you're looking for an 'everyday' wine, go for the Vintner's Reserve as it's fresh, light, and smooth with its all-encompassing cherry, strawberry, and raspberry fruit notes. Of course, I can't forget about the Anderson Valley as it ties together perfectly notes of blueberries and cherries as it originates in a cool climate with bright acidity.
"An Oak Barrel Story - Chardonnay" The second station I visited consisted of the beloved chardonnay and wow was this one sooo tasty! K.J. offers Avant, Vinter's Reserve, and Camelot Highlands and my goodness were each of these so fruity and refreshing! My favorite part about the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay is that it was the first wine made by the Jackson family AND it's 90% barrel aged which gives it a deep, golden color, infused with oak, and makes it all the more crisp and vibrant. The deeper the color of any wine, be it white or red, the more oak infused it is. The Vintner's Reserve is just as special as it's the number one selling Chardonnay in America with its tropical notes mixed with vanilla and toasted oak... mmm can you taste it? And if fruity notes aren't your thing, test the Grand Reserve. The Grand Reserve from Santa Barbara offers lush intertwines of lemon and lime with slight hints of tropical notes. Perfect. Just perfect.
"What's in a Rosé" By the time I got around to the rosé station, I had tasted (and felt the effects of) six different types of wine. But, rosé is my absolute favorite wine so there was no way I could skip out on this one! Katie Rose, who just so happened to become my favorite wine educator, led the girls and I through the rosé expo and she was such a gem. Having lived in China for eight years, she came back to her home roots in California to pursue a career in wine educating with Kendall Jackson, and I'm so thankful she did. Her father managed wine, so it only seemed fitting that Katie follow in his footsteps and my goodness is she knowledgable about wine (as I'm sure you're well convinced now!) So the Grand Reserve Rosé that is from Sonoma County is tied together nicely with notes of gardenia (the best smelling flower in my opinion), roses, peaches, and orange blossoms to showcase a vibrant salmon color rosé. The other featured rosé was the Vintner's Reserve with more acidity as it features citrus notes with white floral notes and oh my is this one amazing. Rosé all day. Yes way Rosé. Stop and smell the Rosé. Okay, I'm done with the rosé puns... for now. I wasn't joking when I said rosé is my favorite wine.
Who's ready to take a cross-country road trip to Sonoma County and do some serious California wine tasting IN California? Me! I've already wanted to visit California for many, many reasons, but now I'm literally watering at the mouth to go so soon. Just imagine walking under the hipster outdoor patio areas filled with twinkle lights and a vineyard so close by that you can taste it. I'm ready, let's go!
Again, thank you so much for hosting such a lovely, lush event that I'll never forget!
What's your favorite wine? How about your favorite summer even you've been to/are going to? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
