There were some definite winners and losers from our first Wine Tribe tasting. The theme was Old World versus New World summer wines. The wines we sampled were: 2010 Les Charmes Macon-Lugny Chardonnay ($13.99), 2009 Edna Valley Chardonnay ($12.99), 2011 Touraine Sauvignon Blanc ($7.99), 2010 Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc ($10.99), 2009 Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir ($14.99) and 2010 La Crema Pinot Noir ($17.99). 
First, we hear from the Accessible Tribe. (Folks in this group tend to like sweeter wines, and/or are newbies to the whole wine thing.) Not a lot of love for any of the wines in our first tasting, but Accessible favorites included both French Whites (Les Charmes Macon-Lugny Chardonnay and the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc). Comments ranged from “smells sweet” and “tastes light” to “I like with food.”
Next up, the Balanced Tribe. (This group gravitates towards lighter flavors and crisp whites.) A lot of love for the Sauvignon Blancs (Touraine Sauvignon Blanc and Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc). Balancers said the Touraine “smells like apple,” and called it “clean and grassy with a little bit of sweetness.” The Pomelo smelled like lemon and pineapple and tasted “crisp, woody and spicy.”
For the Developed tribe (they like flavorful and exotic foods), the clear standouts were the Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc and the La Crema Pinot Noir. Developers talked about the Pomelo as a food friendly wine showing hints of citrus, pepper and honey. There were a couple of random and vaguely negative descriptions, like “strangely grapefruity” and “sweaty.” But overall the Pomelo was a clear favorite. As was the La Crema Pinot. The tribe detected aromas of caramel and black cherry, and tasted dark chocolate, warm toffee, plum and black cherry. The word “yumminess” came up multiple times.
Finally, from the Complex Tribe (those folks who like big flavors). Their standouts were the Edna Valley Chardonnay and the La Crema Pinot Noir. The Chardonnay, noted the Complex Tribe, “smells like grass and steel” and “tastes like minerals, steel and vanilla.” They deemed the Pinot a good sipping wine with hints of plum and raisin, and a food friendly choice. (One Complex Tribe member suggested pairing the Pinot with pork chops with a spicy berry glaze. Yes, please).
You may have noticed that none of the tribes loved the 2009 Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir. Words used to describe it were bitter, sharp, chalky, tight, fleeting, sour and my personal favorite “tortilla.”
So, to summarize: The standouts from our first ever wine tasting are the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc, a favorite of both the Accessible and Balanced tribe, the Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc, loved by both the Balanced and Developed tribes, and the La Crema Pinot Noir, a hit with the Developed and Complex tribes. Next time you have to take a bottle of wine to a party, remember these as the three that were loved by most. Cheers!