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Casa London: That always seemed like an awful waste anyway…
Kristine: We are finding the balance between making it an educational experience and an entertaining experience. It’s about the social side as much as it is for learning about wine and tasting! And that’s what people have been really enjoying – that they can take something away from the evening, as well as having a great night with their friends.
Most of the parties we have done so far have been women, and they will normally all be staying at the hosts house that night! We always ensure safe, responsible consumption.
Casa London: Have you any plans to expand the business or move into new areas?
Kristine: I’ve been in talks with a few caterers and cheese makers to see if there is any way we can incorporate that. At the moment the style we do now is tour style, essentially hopping the different wine regions in Ontario, and that is what people want to experience is the different wines across the region all in one night.
We are also starting to focus on bringing in craft beers, we have been getting a lot of interest in that. But it will still be all about the tasting, experience, and discussion of the beer! During the actual tasting we provide palette cleansers like plain crackers, or baguettes – we don’t like people to be eating during the tasting so the food doesn’t interfere with the wine tasting experience. That said, we do recommend that people eat before and after.
Casa London: How long does the tasting take?
Kristine: The evening takes around two hours, and afterwards I hang around to take orders and talk to everyone. People can order any of the wine that they have tried that evening, or any of the wine that I supply from the wineries, including some exclusive wines not available in the LCBO. It is a great way to end the evening!