STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTO BY GARY HOFFMAN

Many people have a thousand questions to ask of their waiter when choosing a wine for the evening.

The tables will flip next Wednesday with a mystery wine tasting.

The Ultimate Wine Tasting Challenge will challenge participants to identify the grapes in eight to 10 different wines. The challenge, which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, is a benefit for the Sun Valley Culinary Institute’s scholarship program.

There is a $25 tasting fee. To register, go to https://sunvalleyculinary.org.

“Never have I seen such an entertaining and educational approach taken in my 40 years of wine tastings,” said SVCI supporter Gary Hoffman, who is organizing the event. “Wine tastings typically ask participants to rank wines based on their preferences among them.

“In this exciting version, a prize and a trophy will be awarded to the person successfully identifying the grape, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Syrah  and others. And we’ll have two tiebreaker wines, if needed.”

Four reds and four whites will be served in a brown bag. Participants will identify characteristics of wine on a printed list.

“This is the opportunity that wine lovers have been drooling over—a chance to show their knowledge and compete for recognition,” Hoffman said. “There are quite a few wine lovers in our beloved Wood River Valley—this is their chance to show that their walk can match their talk. And the social chatting nature will kick in after the tasting is completed.”