Shea Simmons
Last year, Valentine’s Day snuck in just before stay-at-home orders. This year, you still might not want to head out for a romantic dinner. Thankfully, if you’re both wine lovers, there’s an at-home activity that’s perfect for you: blind wine tasting.
Wine curation site, Argaux, is where many sommeliers go to select ethically farmed, small-production, family-owned wines. You can get gift sets centered around certain types of wine or food or a monthly, rotating pre-fixe selection.
However, it’s the site’s Blind Tasting Kit that could be your ideal way to spend Valentine’s Day 2021.
Retailing for $100-$150, depending on how many bottles you order, the kit arrives on your doorstep prewrapped, so neither of you will know what kind of wine is in each bottle. When you order, you can customize a little and choose a selection of different whites, reds, or a mix.
The kit also includes instructions for conducting your tasting (or you can check out the video below), as well as educational information on varietals and regions, and tips and tricks for figuring out which wine is which.
There are also sommelier-created cards, on which you and your partner can make observations on everything from color to smell, then write down your guesses. When you think you’ve got the answer, text a photo of the bottle to the “Pocket Somm” for the big reveal. A link where you can buy the wine will be included, as well as an answer key so you can check how well you both did.
So, go ahead and plan a Valentine’s Day dinner at home, and let Argaux handle the wine and fun.
