E3

Robert Noel

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Following last week's article, I will share some information, tips and advice in order to make the most of the upcoming World Wine Food and Expo 2009.

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The tasting sessions: Given the great selection of wine offered, more than 350, organizing your tasting is an important step.

I suggest you begin with the sparkling and white wines followed by red wines (from light to powerful) and finish with dessert wines and ports.

I also recommend that you sample the prestigious and sought-after wines at the beginning of the tasting. They tend to go fast and might not be available to you by the end of the tasting.

Also, when trying these great wines, you want to make sure that your senses are at their best; towards the end of the tasting session, these get tired and are not as accurate.

I also suggest that you visit the most popular booths first; their wine inventories seem to go very fast, as well.

And, since there are so many wines, do not waste time trying the same product a few times or trying wine that you might already know.

Usually the main goal for attending wine tastings is to discover new products and learn a thing or two. Every year, the various wine festivals offer a large number of new wines from various countries, styles, producers and grapes, giving wine lovers a unique opportunity to widen their horizons.

Therefore, make sure at least to sample the wines you already have an interest for at the beginning. The wine list is available at this addresss: http://www.wineexpo.ca.

If you really wish to sample most of the wines, I recommend that you to buy tickets for two sessions.

Preparation: Here is a few tips and advice: Never drink and drive. Plan for a ride for a safe return home. Make sure you have a meal before the event. Do not wait to eat until after the tasting; a full stomach will help you to absorb the wine (alcohol), and will slow down its entry into the blood.

Do not be shy to spit out the wine you are sampling; It is accepted and tolerated at these events. Sampling a minor amount of wine but several times does have an effect on our blood alcohol level, so do manage your sampling responsibly.

Drink water, a lot of water, before and during tasting. Alcohol, talking, laughing -- all of these contribute to dehydration. Drinking a lot of water will help with the headache the following day.

Please do not wear to much perfume to the tasting: your favourite perfume may smell great but it will compete with the wine aromas.

Seminars and other activities: As mentioned last week, the seminars and other educational activities are always very important for the organizers of the Moncton wine festival. These are usually very popular, so do not wait until the last minute to buy your tickets.

For the list, http://www.wineexpo.ca/french/index.htm.

Here is a small reminder of the activities which I will present:

Tuesday, Nov. 3: Bordeaux 101 -- Join us to discover various appellations and wines from the region of Bordeaux. We will learn about the various appellation of this famous and respected wine-producing area. The wines tasted will all be from the 2005 vintage. Only 24 seats are available. The cost is $50. For reservations, please contact the Delta Beauséjour at 506-854-4344.

Wednesday, Nov. 4: Wine & Food dinner with Augusto Boffa from Pio Cesare winery from Piemont, Italy -- This event will feature the fine cuisine of Chef Andrew Stevens from Little Louis's restaurant. This dinner will showcase a number of wines from the respected Piedmont producer. For reservations, please contact Little Louis's restaurant in Moncton at 506-855-2022 or dining@littlelouis.ca

Thursday, Nov. 5: Special release, Tasting of 2005 Bordeaux vintage -- This exclusive tasting will feature 18 wines from the great 2005 vintage of Bordeaux. Some of the finest Bordeaux Château will be presented. Wines like Les Forst de Latour, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Prieuré-Lichine and Château Angélus will be tasted. Only 24 seats are available. Tickets are $120. For reservations, please contact the Delta Beauséjour at 506-854-4344.

Tickets for the Grand Tasting: The tickets for the Grand Tasting are already on sale and are going fast. Make sure to buy yours as soon as possible.

Weekly wine picks:

* #8006725100256: Sella & Mosca Cannonnau di Sardegna Riserva, Italy ($24.29)

* #3760113370175: Vincent Pouilly Fuisse Marie Antoinette, France-Burgundy ($32.99)

* #8032610318932: Mezzomondo Sangiovese Merlot, Italy ($10.29)

* Robert Noel is Alcool N.B. Liquor's sommelier. His column, World of Wine, appears each Saturday in Life & Times.