Wine and cheese event allows people to live like nobles

I like wine, but I’m not a connoisseur. I don’t know the differences between the merlots, the chardonnays and the zinfandels. In fact, when asked about the type of wine I prefer, I usually say the type that is served at communion. And God probably only knows what that type is, literally.
I also like cheese, but I’m not a cheesehead. I know cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella and Colby, but I’m clueless when it comes to brie, blue, brick, gouda and fontina. This Packer nation would not be proud.
I love desserts, and will proudly admit to eating my fair share of them in my 34 years on this planet. Give me a cheesecake (does that qualify as a cheese), fudge brownie, chocolate-covered strawberry or a chocolate-chip cookie, and I’m happier than an investor who cashed in his portfolio two years ago.
I was able to broaden my knowledge about wines and cheeses, while enjoying some great desserts, at the Portage County Taste of Wine & Cheese Friday, March 27, in the Noel Group Hangar at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport during fund-raiser for the Boys & Girl Club of Portage County.
The event, in its fifth year, annually draws hundreds of people for a good reason – they live like kings and queens for the night while supporting a good cause.
My wife, Jenny, and I are no strangers to wine and cheese tastings, as one at the Wisconsin State Fair every year is usually where we spend most of our time when we go there. Plus, we like visiting wineries in Door County, Cedar Creek or Madison whenever we are near one.
Jenny is the expert in the family, whereas I’m mainly there because she is; I don’t believe I’ve ever been at one without her. She knows how to smell the wine first before tasting and how to swish the wine around in her mouth before swallowing. One quick gulp and I’m usually done. I’m sure I look like an ogre the way I taste wine, but I don’t see the point of smelling and swishing.
She prefers sweeter wines, which I like too, but I also like the drier ones that aren’t quite as sweet. She’s not fond of those types and usually gives me the rest of hers when she accidently selects one like that.
At the Taste of Wine & Cheese, Jenny was able to pinpoint the types of wines she wanted to try, all of which are available at Trig’s County Market, and for the most part liked everything she tried.
I tried the ones she really liked, and agreed with her on all of them, but I also tried plenty of wines based on the non-proven and most unscientific method possible – by the look of their bottles.
I wish I could say that worked, but it didn’t. Although I never knew their names, some were downright nasty. Some were really bitter, others were too sweet and one was spicy. Of course, this wasn’t the wines’ faults, as I should have been more selective. I’m sure plenty of people liked the wines that I didn’t.
This method worked better with the cheeses, as the ones that looked good also tasted good. I didn’t bother to look at their names, so I’m no better off than I was before the event.
I didn’t need any help with the desserts. Provided by Rockmann Catering, they were all delicious, especially the cheesecakes. Jenny caught me several times wandering away from the wines and gravitating towards the desserts. I know the wines and cheeses were supposed to be the main draw of the event, but the organizers should have added Desserts to the title, as to attract the attention of people like me.
Speaking of the organizers, all the people at the Boys & Girls Club, especially Kevin Quevillon and Carie Winn, and all the other people that helped did an excellent job in putting together such a magnificent event, and one that was for such a good cause. They really did make people feel like kings and queens.