Bob Wesley
Paul Wellman

Amidst all of the other wine-related offerings happening this weekend (see my previous roundup here), The Winehound is hosting a tasting of international wines at SOhO on Saturday, July 20, noon to 3 p.m. The wine shop’s proprietor Bob Wesley dished a few details to me earlier this week.

I thought our wines ruled the world! Why is it important for Santa Barbara wine lovers to try other regions?

While some Santa Barbara wines may have a Genghis Khan-styled tendency towards palatal (though not world) domination, the appellation is still in its infancy when compared with Europe. Imagine if you only viewed art by Jackson Pollack and Andrew Wyeth, and never saw a Monet or Rembrandt; you’d be missing a wealth of visual experiences from other parts of the globe. Diversity is one of the greatest attributes of wine enjoyment.

When you’re talking about the world, how do you narrow down what to taste?

Selfishly, by my favorites: France, Italy and Spain, mostly. We are including two Macedonian wines at our event, though. There’s nothing like a good glass of hearty Vranec…

Are you noticing any particular trends that might come out at the tasting on Saturday?

The wealth of values that are out there in the sub-$20 range. I love California, but our finest QPR’s are mainly from the three countries mentioned above.

Will there be anyone on hand to tell me the difference between a Brunello and a Barolo?

Absolutely: We’ll have importers as well as representatives from import companies manning each table. If you have questions, they’ll be glad to answer them. This is the best @#$% educational experience you can have on a Saturday afternoon!

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There are still a few tickets left for The Winehound’s international tasting at SOhO on Saturday, July 20, noon-3 p.m. Call 805-845-5247 to reserve.

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