I am Humbled, Humiliated, and Haunted by Truluck’s Devilishly Difficult Sommelier’s Secret White Wine Challenge

by Andrew Chalk

I had to go for a long walk this morning to recover from the effects last night of one of the most chilling tortures known to mankind: the blind wine tasting. That is where you are served a wine and you have to guess what it is. I have done it a thousand times, sometimes guessing right, and lots of times guessing wrong. I have seen a Master Sommelier, who was a winner of the prestigious Krug Cup (meaning he passed all sections of the exam in one sitting), skew totally off left field on a blind tasting.

So it is not just me who gets it wrong. Maybe that’s why I come back (glutton-for-punishment-like) for more. 

Right now, you can as well! Truluck’s is offering a blind tasting competition with a reward -- you get the glass of wine free if you guess it correctly. Called the Sommelier's Secret White Wine Challenge, it runs through the whole of August at every Truluck’s in America. 

The procedure is described below:

If you guess the wine correctly, the identity of the secret wine is changed and the contest renews. If you get it wrong, you can order another glass at $15 and guess again. In front of you is a copy of Truluck's wine list, and you know the wine is listed there somewhere. Trouble is, they have a wide selection of wines, which leaves a lot of choice. Take the two sections of the list shown below.  There are ten wines under Pinot Grigio & Crisp & Dry Whites and no fewer that 17 under Riesling & Full-Bodied Whites. At least the scoring sheet gives you the starter clue “It is not chardonnay”. 

Part of the Truluck's wine list. Somewhere there is the answer...

Part of the Truluck's wine list. Somewhere there is the answer...

By way of compensation, if you don’t get it right, is the fact that this competition is great fun. I would suggest seizing the chance to combine it with the Summer of 92 Menu. Three  courses for $59. It’s a bargain. I had a rich lobster bisque, deliciously sweet scallops on a bed of cauliflower salted with scallions and spinach, then finished with a moist carrot cake the size of a city block. The bread draped with parmesan cheese strands is essentially crack with gluten. I will return for this menu, maybe on a Sunday, when prime rib is among the main course choices.  

Staff were great, and keyed-in to all the details of the menu and competition. Call out to waiter Eric, and William the trainee waiter, Shaun the F&B manager, and Ryan, GM. 

Do it, it’s a fun experience! 

Scallops on a bed of florentine cauliflower rice with lemon vinaigrette

Bread rolls draped in parmesan strands

In one of "The Great Mislabellings On a Dallas Menu" this is described as Petit Carrot Cake.

Note: This was a media event.