BlindWine – Wine Tasting Game for Wine Tasting Parties

By MARY BERGIN The Capital Times

The game is called BlindWine, and it is an amusing way for novice to advanced enthusiasts to learn or match wits about quality of varietal wines. Marc Sisler and Josh Haller, California friends from high school, came up with the idea in 2005 to lessen their boredom during house parties. What happens? Party guests bring bottles of wine from a designated category, say a domestic Cabernet from 2001-2004 that costs no more than $25. They sip, chat and score. The host tallies results and announces which wine and wine purchaser is the winner. Game materials cover all aspects of the party except the wine, from invitations and bags to hide the wine, to stickers that mask the wine's identity, wine glass labels, scorecards and scoring rules. "We're creating fun games around wine, food and other activities for adults," says Sisler, and the aim is to provide easy ways for partygoers to mix and mingle. BlindWine costs $20 and can be purchased at www.blindwine.com or WineStyles in Hilldale Shopping Center. This is the first of 30-some products that the inventors' company, Marc & Josh's House Party, has developed from its business plan. The game is in more than 500 stores in Canada and the U.S. Next up: a chili-tasting game, designed in conjunction with the International Chili Society, to be released in early 2008. ADD CHEESE: Pine River Cheese in Newton (Marquette County) is showing its team colors with a new sharp cheddar spread that is Green Bay Packer green and gold. Natural cheddar and cream are mixed with food colorings to make the swirl of colors. The limited-edition product is sold at House of Wisconsin Cheese, 107 State St., and Jim's Cheese Pantry, Waterloo. ANOTHER SLICE: The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, at www.cheeseoftheweek.com, features Wisconsin cheese testimonials from culinary experts around the nation. Liz Thorpe of Murray's Cheese, Manhattan, talks up Pleasant Ridge Reserve in the first installment. HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES: Check out baking advice at recipematcher.com. Too busy? OK, here are highlights for holiday cookie makers. * Too much flour will toughen and dry cookie dough, so measure this ingredient accurately. * Reduce oven temperature by 5 degrees, to prevent overbrowning of cookies, or set a timer to go off 1 or 2 minutes before the time called for in a recipe. * Is it all a tiring ordeal? Make dough and freeze it in logs or scooped drops, then bake when convenient. Add 2 to 3 minutes additional baking time when using frozen dough. mbergin@madison.com