You are about to start the marathon holidays, with Christmas parties here and there with friends, in the family, and even the office! You wonder again how you will manage to surprise your loved ones? With a Quebec wine well chosen (and mostly served), voila! ... Of course, you're afraid of the reaction of your brother who has prejudices against wines from Quebec, or your colleague who pretend to be a "wine expert". The solution? Make your "blind"wine tasting.

The principle is simple, easy and fun in 4 steps:

1/ Hide the label of the bottle with a blind sock tasting, that you can purchase for $8 in specialty stores, such as Vin & Passion, in Laval.

2/ Serve the wine, without giving any indication. Simply tell your guests to give their impressions on the wine.

3/ Listen to them talk and laugh inwardly, when they start comparing wine to a Burgundy or a Valpolicella.

4/ Unroll slowly the sock to reveal the label of your Quebec wine and admire their jaw drop to the ground, a bit like Jim Carrey when he discovers Cameron Diaz in the movie The Mask.

Speaking of mystery wine, the vineyard Oka develops the "red Mystery", a dry red wine, very balanced, based Frontenac and Sabrevois, and worked for 20 months in barrels of new French oak. The surprise effect will be twofold with friends, since Quebec red wines are generally less popular with the public. Your "wine expert" colleague will almost embarrassed to have said he loved wine, while your brother exclaim:"Ayoye! On fait du bon vin rouge de même au Québec?!"

Unlike many Quebec vineyards, where we chose to focus more on white wines, as more suitable for our climate, vineyard Oka has meanwhile prioritized the first red wine and foremost, since its first wine in 2009. With notes of ripe red fruits, spices and leather, the "red Mystery" will go perfectly with your game of the holiday season.

The wine is available at a cost of $25 per bottle, in several SAQ across Quebec, as well as in the wineyard online store du vignoble, which also offers delivery service.

On the picture: The winemaker Michel Levac, owner of the vineyard Oka did enjoy his "Mystère Rouge" at the Wine festival of Quebec, which was held in Montreal from October 28th to 30th.