March Wine Madness

It's that time of year. Bracket Heaven. If you're hosting, we're here to help you raise the bar by combining the challenge of choosing bracket winners with the fun of a blind wine tasting.

Step 1:

Download Your Bracket

Step 2: Pick Your Varietal

What'll it be? Are you going to test your guest's White or Red taste buds? You can make the pick yourself or poll your guests and see which varietal they'd like to taste.

Whites

Rich & Creamy, Crisp & Refreshing or Crisp & Herbaceous?

Chardonnay
The most widely planted white wine grape in the world, it can range from creamy and oaky to bright and citrusy.

Pinot Grigio
A crisp and refreshing white, Pinot Grigio is dry and zesty, with notes of citrus and green apple.

Sauvignon Blanc
This trending varietal from both New Zealand and California is known for its citrus, fruits, gooseberry and herbaceous notes.

Reds

Big & Bold, Smooth & Medium or Light & Fruit-Forward?

Cabernet Sauvignon
This rich, full-bodied red is the most popular red wine grape, with growing regions across the globe.

Merlot
A dry, medium- to full-bodied red, this wine boasts notes of dark fruits and baking spices.

Pinot Noir
A light-bodied, fruit-forward red, Pinot Noir is renowned for pairing well with a variety of foods, from beet salad to lamp chops.

Step 3: Purchase the Elite Eight Wines

Once you've decided on the varietal, pick a price range. You can either purchase here on The Barrel Room or ask your guests to select a bottle of the varietal you agreed upon. You may need two bottles of each depending on the size of your group or the size of your pours.

Once the wines are taken care of, ask anyone not bringing wine to prepare one of our Wine Country recipes to pair with the varietal.

Step 4: Share the Names of the Wines Chosen

Shortly before the bracket party, distribute the names of the eight wines chosen and their bracket numbers so everyone can research and fill in their brackets.

Step 5: Conceal the Wines

On the day of the tasting, conceal each bottle all the way up to the opening so the players cannot identify the wine. We suggest removing the foil sleeve or 'capsule'. You can get creative by using wrapping paper or aluminum foil with ribbon or twine. Fabric wine gift bags also work well.
Number the bottom of each bag with the corresponding wine on the bracket so only you know which wine they are tasting.

Step 6: Pour and Play

Now it’s time for the best part of the game: wine tasting! Pour wines #1 and #2 and give players time to choose their favorite. The wine with the majority vote moves onto the next round, which you’ll note on the master bracket. Repeat this step with wines #3 and #4 and so on until its down to the final two.

If there’s a tie vote at any point, have players defend their choice—use tasting notes, aromas, mouthfeel, etc.—to persuade others to change their vote.

Step 7: Reveal the Winner!

The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Which wine gets the trophy? Pour the final blind taste test and vote. Once a winner is announced, reveal its identity.

How’d everyone do? Let each player check their bracket to compare with the master bracket. The player with the most matches wins this year's bragging rights and perhaps a special wine gift.