“The Wine That Fooled a Master Sommelier” | Pieropan Soave Blind Tasting
In this episode of Got Somme Blind Wine Series, Master Sommelier Carlos Santos is put to the test with a blind white wine tasting that sends him across Spain before revealing an iconic Italian classic.
From citrus and sea spray notes to debates around Albariño, Viognier and Riesling, this episode captures the chaos, confidence and humility of blind tasting at the highest level. What starts as a confident call for Rías Baixas Albariño ends with a surprise reveal: Pieropan Soave made from Garganega.
Carlos breaks down the wine’s structure, aromatics, acidity and texture in real time, giving listeners an inside look at how Master Sommeliers think through a blind tasting grid. Along the way, he explores why certain wines can completely disguise themselves stylistically, and why Garganega continues to be one of Italy’s most underrated white grape varieties.
This episode is a must-watch for wine lovers, sommeliers, hospitality professionals and anyone fascinated by blind tasting psychology.
In This Episode
– Blind tasting an iconic Italian white wine
– Why Carlos initially thought the wine was Albariño from Spain
– The aromatics that pointed toward Viognier and tropical styles
– How texture and alcohol can alter acidity perception
– The challenge of identifying Garganega blind
– Why Pieropan remains one of Italy’s benchmark producers
– The role structure plays in blind wine assessment
– Master Sommelier thought process in real time
Glassware used: RIEDEL
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https://www.riedel.com/en-au/
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3 Comments
Ah, he is human after all!
Never been this early! ;p My first guess (on the nose, was also Chenin blanc) but then saw the top of the bottle and knew it wouldnt be the case. Somehow i thought it would be from sicily with the minerality but then it prob would have that vulcanic stone taste as well. The wine sounds lovely!
nobody, i repeat nobody is guessing anything non classics or anything that is no specific region related to the guesser. who is going to guess Garganega? absolutely nobody.