The Tasting Light is ON at Port O’Call

By Terry Baxter, Member Since 2002

One of the nicest perks of being at Ocean Reef is the season-long complimentary wine tastings on the Port O’Call Patio. The events are arranged and hosted by our certified Advanced Sommelier, Micah Winecoff. Like many Ocean Reef associates, Micah uses part of his summer enhancing his skills for the benefit of our unabashedly wine-loving Members. This year, he toured Napa and Sonoma wine country with a team of Ocean Reef culinary staff (tough duty). Then Micah continued on his own time to the South of France to study the wines of Provence (Languedoc and Roussillon) and came away with a love for “a beautiful part of the world.” A glutton for punishment, Micah went on to Catalonia, Spain to work the harvest at the Raventos Winery. He brought home a rich appreciation for the different grapes, aromas, and tastes of these regions.

That appreciation was all on display for our Members last week at Port O’Call’s “World of Value” tasting. Micah charms his wine suppliers into presenting bottles of special value and regional distinction, and they didn’t fail us – 30 plus selections from diverse locations – Venetian Amarone, and Rosso; Tuscan Montepulciano and Lagone; French examples from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, and (of course) Provence.

Other countries contributed rare treats from Lebanon, Armenia, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, and Upstate New York. Work, work, work. As a reward for our diligence, there were star turns (generous pours of pricey and celebrated wines) like Chassagne-Montrachet Burgundy, Lady May Cabernet, and a Chateau Musar from the Bekka Valley, among others.

Micah continues to pursue his rigorous program to earn the designation “Master Sommelier” (there are only 250 in the world). He takes the Master Exam in July. Your investigative reporter from the Ocean Reef Press will bring you the results, but whatever the outcome, Micah’s four year devotion to wine education has benefitted us all. The next Port O’Call tasting will be Thursday, November 21, with the popular standbys of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.