The Grand Reveal!! A Lookback at our Evening of Mystery Blind Wine Tasting
Seven wines. Numbered bags. Black glasses. An evening of mystery, instinct, and revelation — our blind tasting evening asked guests to trust only what was in the glass.
A Different Kind of Tasting
We hosted an evening with a difference: an “Evening of Mystery Blind Wine Tasting” where every wine was hidden in a numbered bag, and every pour went into an opaque black glass. Guests could not see whether the wine was red, white, or rosé — they could only taste, and think, and guess.
We began with a slice of melon — a simple palate cleanser that works precisely because it is neutral. Good blind tasting starts with a fresh palate: no residual coffee, no toothpaste, no lingering perfume. The melon helped, and by the time the first wine was poured, everyone was focused.
Seven Wines, No Clues
The first wine — most guests correctly identified as white — was a classic grape variety from a slightly unexpected country. The second white proved trickier on origin but immediately recognisable in character: high acidity, a bright lime note, and a faint petrol finish that those familiar with Riesling will know immediately.
Wine three was the evening's great surprise. With light strawberry and melon notes and just a touch of sweetness, most guests were convinced they had a white in their glass. It was, in fact, a rosé — a vivid demonstration of how profoundly colour shapes expectation. Without the visual cue of a blush hue, the mind reaches for other explanations.
A lightly chilled, lighter-style red followed — guests detected the tannin immediately and knew they were into red territory, even if many underestimated how light and fresh the wine actually was. Wine five confounded even the most experienced tasters: a rich, oaky white with a peppery finish that reads almost as tannic and could easily be mistaken for a red. The final two were richer reds, one considerably better known than the other, and the seventh provided a memorable finish to the evening.
The Grand Reveal
When the bags came off and the wines were identified, the room filled with the satisfying mix of vindication and surprise that makes blind tasting such good fun. The full lineup was:
The Seven Wines
- Bon Courage Sauvignon Blanc — South Africa
- Dr Loosen Dry Riesling — Germany
- La Jaglerie Rosé d'Anjou — Cabernet Franc & Grolleau, France
- Albert Bichot Beaujolais — Gamay, France
- David Finlayson Chenin Blanc — South Africa
- Señorial Rioja Reserva — Tempranillo, Spain
- Chamonix Pinotage — South Africa
What Blind Tasting Teaches You
More than the wines themselves, what an evening like this reveals is how much context shapes perception. Colour, label, price — all of these prime your palate before you even bring the glass to your lips. Strip them away and you discover what you actually taste, rather than what you expect to taste. That is both humbling and instructive — and the best possible reason to do it again.