Something Special about Private Wine Tastings or Dinners

​Navigating through the notoriously vast terrain of wine is now becoming easier, convenient and accessible thanks to an emerging and vibrant wine tasting culture in Kenya. These events, generally open to the public usually involve a day or afternoon well spent more preferably in an outside setting (coupled with good weather), laid back vibes, music and a certified sommelier on the mic taking you through various wines on showcase.
In a previous article, we described a particular experience encountered at Wine life Kenya where we got to test and experiment Caitlin Moore‘s research paper, a unique study that looked into experimental marketing used in wine tastings. In summary, an invitation to such an intimate event heavily influenced buying decisions when it came to whole bottle purchases while at the same time built upon relationships that encouraged recurrent buying.

​But what about the exclusive tastings….the ones you never see anywhere on social media? There is something special about those. These type of events are sprouting from the shadows for wine lovers and enthusiasts alike especially now that we all have regained the option of eating out at restaurants, again.
Private Tastings: They are almost always conducted in the presence of between 5 – 10 guests; some maybe slightly more. During these intimate sessions you will often see curated flights of wine and thoughtfully displayed paired bitings. The wine expert (s) will usually be the one to invite you at the door guiding you to your designated seat.
We recount a recent trip to The Wine Box Dion tucked in the upmarket Karen suburbs on an invite-only tasting for about 10 guests and the experience was breathtaking. With a total of 6 new wine entrants in the market, you could think its all about the wine but you soon realise that its all about the interaction, stories behind the reflections of wine travel, fun, games all the while as you try different pairings and much more. Renowned sommelier Sam Ndichu was our host for the night- he delicately introduced each wine with a juicy tale- “Thats what wine is all about, the stories beyond,” he reiterated.

Another added experience you may encounter especially in the more established restaurants such as The Wine Shop Kenya is a private dinner setup. These meals are intentionally crafted to present the art of food and wine pairing in exquisite expression. Each dinner features a custom, coursed menu with carefully chosen wine pairings. A sommelier (sometimes the owner of the joint) will curate the experience to match your taste and preferences while highlighting unique and interesting wines from around the world. These meals are private and can be booked for groups of 8 to 50 people.
A message to Kenyans: Try as much as possible to think outside the box when it comes to hanging out in 2021, expand some of your hangouts and explore wide enough to incorporate these new and exciting ways to enjoy the company of friends and family.
There was one particular story of a newly-wed that actually organised a private wine tasting as the afterparty!