Virtual wine tasting
Want to have a unique virtual wine tasting experience? We have some great news for all you wine lovers out there. Robert Bouman and his team are offering virtual wine tastings. Get ready to sample 6 different wines and learn more about the whole winemaking process.
In this blog post, we wanted to tell you more about Robert Bouman, a wine lover and an all-around great guy who will be hosting the virtual wine tasting sessions.
Robert’s passion for wine started during his first restaurant job. Since he showed interest in the wine pairing business and was impressed with the fact that a glass of wine can bring your dish to a whole different level, Robert decided to take a study hotel-& event management course. While attending the course, he learned all the basic things about wine and was ready to pursue a career in this field of expertise, not knowing he would be hosting virtual wine tasting events in the future!
Robert’s journey
Talking to passionate sommeliers while working at the Hotel Okura Amsterdam was one of those experiences that changes you, says Bouman. The way they spoke about the wines made his curiosity about the wines even stronger. Therefore, after his final thesis in Barcelona, Robert decided to work at a wine bar VIQH in Haarlem. The wine bar served more than 100 different wines by the glass, making it an ideal place to work wants to make it in the wine industry. He also did one more wine course where he learned about different wine regions in the world.
Of course, Robert had a lot of questions during this course and was really interested in the whole wine production procedure, and dreamt about bringing his own wine label in the market. However, Bouman had no experience with winemaking whatsoever and also didn’t know if he would actually like working in a vineyard.
This is why he decided to go to a charming Mexican wine region called Valle de Guadalupe, where he had an opportunity to taste new wines and find out how grapes turn into wine, he will tell you all about it during our virtual wine tasting.
Quinta Monasterio
Robert Bouman worked at Quinta Monasterio, a place where the head winemaker studied Oenology at the famous University of Rioja. Robert says that it was a real honor to work at this fabulous winery and still remembers his first experience with the harvest of the Chardonnay. Although he thought that cutting the grapes and putting them in a box would be easy and simple, Robert was about to find out that 42C in the Mexican sun and his pale skin was not an ideal match. He also had to deal with muscle strain at the end of the day, which wasn’t the greatest experience.
This didn’t discourage Robert and after the harvest, the procedure of the selection of the grapes started. Having an eye for detail and knowing how to tell the difference between the grapes of good and bar quality was essential.
As for the ambiance at the Quinta Monasterio, Bouman says how the people were very welcoming and made you feel like at home. All of the colleagues were open-minded, shared the same passion for wine, and worked together hard as a team. One of his favorite places was the nicely-decorated tasting room which has a cozy vibe.
Mexico experience
Robert says how one of the people, he met in Valle de Guadalupe, was Mrs. Tru Miller who made it all the way from the Netherlands to the United States of America and then to Mexico to follow her winemaking dreams. As an owner of Adobe Guadalupe, that is definitely one of the best wineries in Valle de Guadalupe. Mrs. Tru Miller talks about wine with so much passion that you really never want to leave that place. Apart from learning everything there is to know about wine, Robert also remembers the great food at the winery and fun outdoor activities he could enjoy there including horseback riding through the wines.
Bouman also states that the style of winemaking at Adobe Guadalupe is very different than in Quinta Monasterio. In Quinta Monasterio, the main focus was on grapes like Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, while Adobe Guadalupe was more connected and inspired by the French wine regions.
After his Mexico experience, Robert is ready to give answers to all the questions about how to make wine, thus he decided to offer virtual wine tastings.
Book your virtual wine tasting session
All in all, we should look at the positive sides of virtual events and appreciate that we can still create something impactful. We will explore new technologies and alternative activities together and make sure that we all remain connected. This virtual wine tasting experience is very engagement-driven and something unique.
Book your virtual wine tasting session below:
Take a look at our other blogs or feel free to get in touch.
