The Earle Baum Center of the Blind and Dr. Hoby Wedler visit Brew Ha Ha with Steve Jaxon today. Herlinda Heras introduced Hoby Wedler, who is a PhD in organic chemistry and a sensory expert who has been blind since birth. He is a tasting expert and founder of Senspoint Design. He will tell how to taste a unique brew. Plus, the tasting is all for charity to support the Earle Baum Center and its work.

Hoby explains that the Earle Baum Center was important to him because they taught him the skills he needed to be successful in college. He met with the CEO to put together an in-person tasting for staff and a few donors in August 2018 and the idea is to do it again. With Covid, they have decided to turn it virtual in order to make it happen this time around. They invite people to connect this Sunday at 4pm. Hoby will be talking about the Balletto wines being tasted and there will be a chef there too. Francis Ford Coppola asked him to do a truly blind taste test once, which was his first. He uses blindfolds as a way to "take away the visual tension and talk about what they feel."

They will be tasting three Balletto wines, a 2019 Rosé of Pinot Noir, a 2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay and an award-winning 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Each will be paired with delicious dishes. Search Tasting in the Dark on eventbrite. The event is free but if you buy your wine and use the code EBC "Echo Bravo Charlie" you will get a discount on the wine and a percentage of the proceeds will go to support the Earle Baum Center.

Herlinda points out that Dr. Hoby Wedler can organize tastings like these for beer and also for mead, cider and spirits as well as wine. In fact Hoby at home and Steve and Herlinda in studio all have a pink guava cider from Ace Cider at their different locations. Brazilian Pink Guava is the fruit that gives it great tropical fruit flavors.

 

The Beverage People has been Sonoma County's fermentation experts since 1980. They have everything you need for home brewing, winemaking, and also for making cider, mead, kombucha, kefir, cheese, olives, yogurt and more. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will advise you about what you want to do and how to use the equipment. (Under normal circumstances they hold classes but not right now due to the Coronavirus.)

Open Tuesday through Saturday
pre-order curbside hours are 10 am - 6:30pm,
walk-up hours are shorter, noon to 4pm.

1845 Piner Rd., suite D, Santa Rosa CA 95403

Russian River Brewing Company is open in its Windsor and Santa Rosa locations. Check the website for up-to-the-minute opening hours, menus and Coronavirus precautionary rules.