Mystery Wines Put You On The Spot In The Woodlands — Are You Up For the Red Wine Challenge?

Think you can tell a particular cabernet from a merlot from one glass? Truluck’s restaurant in The Woodlands is bringing back its Sommelier’s Red Wine Challenge, giving diners a chance to channel their inner wine expert and guess which red they’re drinking. This summer’s White Wine Challenge saw 11 people correctly identify the wine, putting The Woodlands in second place among all Truluck’s restaurants nationwide in its number of successful wine sleuths.

Here’s how to play the new red challenge this month. Ask for the $20 Mystery Wine and your server will bring you the glass along with a slip of paper to record  your answer. If you guess the exact wine correctly, your drink is free. The mystery wines usually exceed $20 in value, but you’ll never pay more than that.

Once someone cracks the mystery, the wine changes and the game begins again. It’s a delicious blend of global wine education, suspense and a bit of oenophile bragging rights.

Whether you’re a casual sipper or a seasoned oenophile, it’s a fun way to explore bold reds from Bordeaux to Napa while adding an interactive twist to your night out. The answer is right in front of you.

It’s somewhere on Truluck’s wine list. Could it be the Margaux?

A Fun Wine Challenge

Matthew Middleton, beverage manager at Truluck’s in The Woodlands, says many diners surprised the staff with their skills.

“During the White Wine Challenge, we picked a wine we thought nobody would guess. Someone guessed it within an hour,” Middleton tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “Other wines we were sure people would get went seven or eight days without a single correct answer.”

Middleton is sharing one insider tip: It’s not a pinot.

He notes that the Truluck’s servers enjoy the wine challenge as much as the diners. “You see a couple of people really get into it, smelling the wine,” Middleton says. “My favorite part is when someone tells you they’re not a wine person but want to give it a try.”

You can take the challenge during happy hour or dinner at Truluck’s. You’re limited to one guess per glass.

A three-course prix-fixe menu, the TRU Ninety-Two, is also now available for fall. It includes eight starters, seven entrees and four desserts, all featuring some of Truluck’s most popular dishes. For dessert, try the warm bourbon apple-spiced butter cake, topped with ice cream, pecans, vanilla sauce and bourbon caramel.

The Sommelier’s Secret Red Wine Challenge runs until October 31 at Truluck’s in The Woodlands. For more information and restaurant reservations, go here.