01438 741177
Good afternoon/evening everyone!
Welcome to tonight’s LIVE virtual Born In The USA tasting.
If you’re planning to participate tonight then thank you - we’ve been hosting a virtual tasting each week since lockdown began!
If you’re new to The Community and need help with how to use the forum for the tasting and what the tasting involves, have a read of our guide 'How To - Take part in our virtual #TWSTaste events
USA Wine Guide
If you’re new to USA wines and would like to swot up before the tasting, have a read of our Ultimate Guide to USA Wine:
**We’re thrilled to announce that our USA Buyer @Sarah will be joining us for the tasting tonight! **
A NOTE FROM OUR USA BUYER SARAH KNOWLES MW:
“I have always loved all things American. From early childhood family road trips to American sit coms, and in my first foray into wine at university the blue nun of my generation - Blossom Hill Rose! The American dream was clear to me - bigger, funnier, louder, sweeter - I loved it. In my 20’s as I began to learn about wine, I discovered that the story of American wine is entwined in the perceived American stereotype. Napa Cabernets had arrived onto the Fine Wine World scene with a bang; disruptive, delicious and dangerous to a French-dominated Fine Wine market. I admire this American entrepreneurial anarchy and I have to stand back and take my hat off to a wine trade that has made trends, changed styles, and switched focus, with agility and success. More recently, we are watching the swing from the bigger, bolder, sweeter styles to the tighter, leaner and more subtle, but underneath it all is a truly talented wine community, with some unbeatable vineyards, old vines, buckets of skill and, importantly, a finger on the pulse of what consumers actually want to drink. My annual trip to the West coast has become a pilgrimage of sorts, and I can’t wait to be back on the Pacific highway 1, in an enormous hire car covering hundreds of miles, trying stunning and surprising wines.”
Who’s on hand to help tonight
We have lots of staff attending tonight, so please feel free to use the below usernames and tag any of us if you need a hand (and if you’re new to The Community, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have!)
@laura - Community Manager
@Kelly - Community Co-ordinator
@hugofount - from our Brand and Content Marketing Team
@MrLaura - from Member Services
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Here’s how things will work:
- We will post a WIKI (editable list) of who’s tasting what tonight. Have a look and, if you’re not on there, please do add yourself! You can do that by clicking the ‘Edit’ button in the bottom right of the post.
- We’ll also post a poll to see who’s here - please let us know, and feel free to say hi and start chatting before we start.
- We’re all drinking different bottles, so it might be hard to keep track. Whenever you post tonight, please start your post with the name of the wine you’re drinking!
- To begin, we’ll invite you all to pour a glass, have a swirl and take in the aromas, and post your thoughts and first impressions. Feel free to take your time and have a good swirl and sniff.
- We’ll then taste the wines together and ask you to share your own tasting note. Feel free to add any additional food matches and/or your thoughts on how well the wine is drinking now, and how much longer it might age. Anything goes, and there are no wrong answers!
- After this, we’ll possibly have time to ask for your mark out of 10, or final thoughts.
And after that, if people want to continue chatting about their wines then please do!
Very excited for tonight’s event - we hope to ‘see’ you there! 
