We attended Bottlenotes' Merlot Me event at the Presidio Observation Post on October 16, 2015. I subscribe to Bottlenotes' Daily Sip Newsletter and saw that tickets to the events have been discounted, so I bought two General Admission tickets for me and my husband. The discounted tickets were a great value, as there were about 15 wineries at the event pouring tastings of their signature and library Merlots. Light appetizers (cheeses, fruit, Marcona almonds, and charcuterie) were also served. Really, for the equivalent of a typical wine tasting fee in Napa, you can taste some of the best Merlots in one room! I was DD, so I only did about 5 tastings. They were all good, but I have to say that the 2010 Pahlmeyer and the 2009 Duckhorn were standouts for me. They both had a great nose! I enjoyed sipping both until they were both gone. My husband tasted a lot more than I did and he was very impressed with the wines he tasted. It was too bad that he missed having the 2010 Pahlmeyer. They were all out of this particular wine by the time he got around them! Luckily, he was able to taste a bit of mine. The event's tasting glass was beautiful. It's called Gabriel Glas, a lead-free crystal wine glass from Austria, and is touted as a "One for all" wine glass. It was great for swirling and drinking! It was being sold at the event $20 per glass. Bottlenotes chose a great venue for this event! Views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge from The Observation Post were just breathtaking. We managed to get there around dusk, so we were still able to see the Golden Gate Bridge sans fog! It was windy and cold outside, but it was nice and warm inside. Though there were a lot of people there, this was a nice sized event. It wasn't so big that you have to stand in line for more than a couple of minutes. Compared to an SF Vintner's event we've attended in the past at Fort Mason, this event was intimate. This wasn't overwhelming! I'm looking forward to attending another event by Bottlenotes! I hope there'll be another event like this! read more

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