Perfect Pairings

On Fridays, Calvert Wine and Spirits hosts a wine tasting event that has attracted quite the loyal following.

"You can put me down as an ardent supporter," said Mary Ellen Morrison, executive director of the Hunt Valley Business Forum. 

Calvert Wine and Spirits is located in the Hunt Valley Towne Center. The layout is much like a conventional wine store with mahogany shelves filled with specialty beers, liquors, wines, mixers and other items.

In between the wooden shelves there are a couple of wine wracks with bottles cradled for easier visibility. However, the abundance of light streaming from the multitude of windows serves to make a dramatic impact on the ambience by brightening up the space. The high ceilings add to the spacious feel. The store has wide aisles and a main thoroughfare so that customers never feel cramped in their search for the perfect chianti.

It's easy to see why the complimentary wine tastings have become such a popular destination. 

Brenda Hedges, whose father owns the business, was decked out, like much of the staff, in Ravens garb for "Purple Friday," and she took me to the wine tasting in the back right corner of the store. On the way, she explained that her father wanted to move them from their original space on York Road where they had been since 1981 because, "We wanted to try something bigger, something better." They settled in the always busy Hunt Valley Towne Center five years ago in August and never looked back.

Alicia Benhardt is the conductor, the lead singer, and the ringmaster of the weekly wine tasting. She isn't an employee of Calvert but she is brought in to do the tastings.

During a recent Friday tasting, Calvert is sampling Chateau Ste. Michelle wines on. The fluctuating group of six to 12 made their way through the red and white wines one glass at a time.  Benhardt offered running commentary on each wine offered including food pairings.

"Chardonnays are best with a dish like grilled shellfish, nothing buttery because they are buttery themselves," she said.

She added that the sauvignon blanc offered that night would be a good match for buttery foods, and that she has the "perfect lamb dish to pair with a chianti."

The chianti offered was a huge hit.

One woman, a regular at the wine tastings, said, "I was expecting tannins out the ears, but this is soft and almost fuzzy." Benhardt explained to the crowd, which was comfortably conversing about wines and local sports while poking their noses into glasses, that the chianti is one of the first wines made by the newest generation in the family, which is strictly female. The same woman said, "Oh so they're making them softer and not so…" then mimed a cat swipe attack.

The wines sampled are all 20 percent off and Calvert offers different vintages every tasting. The crowd starts to leave in pairs, but most of them will be back next week to enjoy the company and the wine at Calvert Wine and Spirits.