A wine tasting was put on for the senior class, and what a blast it was. Gary Hulseman, a sales manager for a wine distributor in Indianapolis, provided the beverages as well as the presentation. A wine tasting isn’t about imbibing so much as it is about education of this product that has around 5,000 years of history, and several thousand variations of grapes.

It was a class affair, and all of the seniors showed up in style. At one point I sampled a cheese puff (“Absolutely exquisite,” I declared) and there was a wonderful array of cheeses at our tables. The presentation began with an example of how to taste wine. Due to my own excitement over this very subject, I helped with the explanation to the group. Turns out that going to Italy DOES have its upsides.

The wines were incredible. We had Pinot Noirs, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Sangiovese Chianti, a Zinfandel, and many more. And I learned all the fun facts. A mellow yellow is great for food because it won’t overpower the taste of the food. A Sangiovese Chianti has an orange tint around the rim that you won’t find in any other red. It was basically one big exercise in being classy.