This kit has everything you need for a Duplin Christmas At Home virtual wine tasting party

How to taste wine like a Duplin pro

See. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Savor. Use this 5-step system for each wine on the Christmas At Home Tasting Score Card included in your kit. Here's how. 

See: First, hold a wine in a glass up to a light and look at the color. It will allude to the variety of grape used and what the wine will taste like. Is it Scuppernong? Nobel? Carlos? Another? Color also indicates flavor. A bright, saturated hue often means more intense flavor. See if you can guess the grape and flavor before you sip.

Swirl: Consider the wine's body next. Swirl the wine in your glass to determine if it is light or heavy. You're looking for the viscous streaks running down the side of the glass after you swirl. They're called "legs." Sweeter wines will leave streaks that cling or move slowly. That means a heavier body.

Sniff: After you swirl, really dip your nose into the glass and inhale the aroma, what wine pros call the "bouquet" or "nose." Pausing to experience the bouquet heightens your senses and anticipation of the first sip. Think about what you are smelling. Is it fruity? What kind of fruit? Berries? Ripe banana? Musky honeydew melon? Pure grape? Are you getting floral notes like honeysuckle or gardenia? See if you pick up unexpected smells like pine or fall leaves. Describe the bouquet and discuss it.  

Sip: Take a sip slightly larger than normal and hold the wine in your mouth for 3-5 seconds. Let the wine coat the tongue and the inside of your mouth. Wine releases more flavors as it warms on your taste buds. Before swallowing, purse your lips and breathe in gently, allowing the air to travel across the wine in your mouth to get the full flavor profile.

Do the flavors you're experiencing match the wine's nose? When and where are you tasting those flavors? Are you getting, say, banana bread on the first sip and then astringency or acidity at the end, which is called "the finish." Where do flavors hit you? On the tongue? On the side of your mouth.

Think back to the wine's body. Compare the texture of different wines, how they feel in your mouth. Light as water or heavier, like the texture of sweet iced tea? If you're sampling a sparkling wine, do the bubbles feel fine or medium in size. Compare your experience to the wine's description and see if it matches.

Savor: As you continue sipping, note how the sensation is slightly different from what you experienced when the wine was resting in your mouth on the first sip. This is the point when you taste and feel the wine's finish. As you continue tasting, note how the wine pairs with the Duplin Gourmet crackers and Muscadine Pineapple Habenero dip. See which wine you like best with those snacks and others you may be enjoying during your at-home or virtual tasting. Cheers!

Christmas At Home Wine Tasting

Christmas At Home Wine Tasting Score Card

Summertime Strut

Duplin's driest white wine is a blend of Carlos and Doreen Muscadine grapes. Together, they produce a light-bodied and fruity sip with a crisp finish that makes every day feel like a summer day. The Sanderling Sandpiper on the label is a coastal bird found on the beaches of North and South Carolina during the winter.

Magnolia

Carlos Williams, a N.C. State University professor and his team developed the namesake grape in Magnolia. The grape is named after Williams’ hometown, Magnolia, N.C. This semi-sweet, fruity wine in 1989 earned Duplin its first international prize. In 2006, Martha Stewart Living magazine billed it one of summer’s best wines. Note the medium body, sweet start and clean finish. Magnolia might remind you of riesling. It pairs really well with spicy foods.

Naughty & Nice

The Christmas wine Naughty & Nice is a white made with a special blend of Scuppernong and Niagara grapes. This white has less alcohol kick than many of Duplin's other wines. Each sip goes down smooth and mellow.

We like to joke that this wine is so good that it can make naughty people nice; nice people naughty; or it can make you both at the same time!

Sweet Lily

Made with the Doreen Muscadine grape, lightly bubbly Sweet Lily is lighter and more refreshing than many sweet wines. Invigorating is a good way to describe this white's lively yet light fruity flavor. Note the fresh, fruity aroma. Drop a few frozen blueberries pr blackberry in a glass of Sweet Lily for an extra-special treat.

Coastal Shag

Duplin's driest red wine, contains a blend of early harvest Muscadine grapes. Light-bodied with a fruity start and a smooth finish, it might remind you of a lazy day at the beach and a night of dancing on the boardwalk. The label features the Red Knot, another coastal Sandpiper that frequents both North and South Carolina shores.

Pink Magnolia

This medium-sweet, fruity blush in 2003 won its first gold medal for best blush and best in class at a California wine competition among wines from more than 3,000 locations.

Moderately light-bodied, Pink Magnolia is produced with carefully selected mid-harvest Muscadine grapes to create a perfect balance of fruit and flavor.

Christmas Wine

One of Duplin's most beloved Christmas wines blends North Carolina muscadines that bring the taste of a true Southern Christmas. Sweet with hints of berry to start followed by a touch of spice, this red easily move from cocktail hour to holiday dinner table. Try it with Christmas cookies, especially gingerbread, molasses cookies, chocolate chip and gooey butter cakes.

Muscadine Kisses

Duplin's new 2020 holiday blush is a blend of red and white Muscadine grapes. This wine has a fresher, fuller sweet start and a smooth, warming finish. Ice cold, it will remind you of that wonderfully crisp air that always accompanies winter's first snowfall while you lounge inside, cozy by the fire.

Sweet Poppy

Fun, fizzy and blooming with a hint of peach, Sweet Poppy starts full of harmonious fruity flavors followed by a satisfyingly fizzy finish. How do you think the bubbles affect the flavor of the wine? Also, ponder the story behind that beautiful red flower on the bottle. Red corn poppies have long been a symbolic tribute to our troops. Duplin put a red corn poppy on the wine’s label to honor service members, past and present. Sweet Poppy was released in May 2020. In summertime, try it topped with whipped cream and garnished with a slice of peach.

Jolly Juice

Duplin wine slushies are called Sweetzers, and you can easily make them at home. This mix's flavor is a delicious fusion of grapes and berries. Whizz Jolly Juice mix in a blender with Muscadine Kisses blush wine and plenty of ice. The flavors co-mingle and create the most scrumptious frozen concoction. Sweetzers are great refreshers for ending any wine tasting.

Muscadine Pineapple Habanero Dip

Duplin Gourmet Muscadine Pineapple Habanero Dip pairs perfectly with any Duplin wine tasting. Between wines, eat a few crackers with the dip to help cleanse your palate. This tasty recipe is super easy to make and even better to eat!

Recipe: Soften one 8-ounce block of cream cheese and mix in ½ of a jar of Duplin Muscadine Pineapple & Habanero Salsa. Use a hand mixer to blend together until the consistency is creamy. Serve with Duplin Gourmet Crackers.