A few weeks ago I was fortunate to taste four wines from Francis Ford Coppola Winery at Reef … blindfolded.

Blind tastings happen all the time. Sometimes you’re drinking or tasting something that the host won’t reveal. She or he wants to know how you perceive the product without knowing who makes it, where it comes from or any other background information. Often the wine is concealed in a brown paper bag; sometimes (though rarely) you’re literally blindfolded to prevent you from even seeing the wine color or bottle shape.

This tasting was different. I entered the restaurant knowing very well that I would be sampling wines from the Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection*, and I knew I’d be doing it in the dark. The tasting was hosted by Henry “Hoby” Wedler, who has hosted the “Tasting in the Dark” experience at the winery since helping to establish the program in 2011, and was briefly visiting Houston to share the experience with a few industry professionals and local media. The twist on this tasting event was that Wedler has been blind since birth, so his experience with wine is quite different from those of us who have all five senses.

He didn’t muse about the wine’s legs or comment on the color tones ranging from honey gold to blackberry. Instead, our conversation was focused on the smells and flavors that reminded us of another time or another place. (Note: The above photo was taken after the tasting was over and food was served. We didn’t have any food in the room while we were blindfolded.)

Last May our humble and enthusiastic host was honored at the White House as part of President Barack Obama’s Champions of Change program. Wedler was recognized (one of 14 Americans) as leading the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (known as STEM) for people with disabilities. The Champions of Change program was created as a part of the president’s Winning the Future initiative that recognizes outstanding individuals for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities. Wedler gained the confidence to challenge and refute the mistaken belief that STEM fields are too visual and, therefore, impractical for blind people through colleagues in the wine industry, as well as through the encouragement and support of professors. All this while studying as a biochemistry graduate student at the University of California Davis. Pretty impressive for someone who many would classify as disabled.

Hoby Wedler (right, in khaki pants) also champions high school students who are visually impaired or blind at Chemistry Camp, which he founded near Napa, Calif.

You might think that wine is simply processed by the flavors and scents that you taste and smell, but that really is only part of it. While wearing padded thick blindfolds that completely blacked out all vision and light, sounds of wine being poured into stemware and aromas of oak and fruit became more pronounced and at times even overpowering. The air conditioning clicking on and off periodically in the back wine room of the restaurant was very noticeable. Our tasting didn’t include food pairings, but while our group discussed each wine and our thoughts about the profile each one left on our palate, Wedler’s own personal wine anecdotes left us surprised and impressed by the fact that his blindness has seemingly not affected him from a culinary standpoint.

For instance, when discussing the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, he described the elaborate recipes he created at home to pair with the wines, including salmon, pork tenderloin and herb-crusted chicken. He talked about his love of cooking, filleting fish and grilling meats — which when I attempt, with my meager astigmatism, leaves me maimed on many occasions. (Last year on Labor Day, for example, my attempt at potato salad left me nearly one finger short. Not only did I have to create a tourniquet, but I had to go back to the supermarket and cook, peel and cut potatoes all over again, since I’d bled all over the first batch. Labor Day 2012 sure was a lot of work.)

The bright smells of fresh juniper and acidic citrus had us reminiscing about grandmother’s garden and a clean kitchen, while muskier scents such as sandalwood and vanilla reminded us of camping in a wet, green forest and sitting in front of a wood-burning fire on a winter evening. When we later tried to identify the varietal of each wine, I started to second-guess myself. So many different flavors became present that, while I could differentiate between reds and whites, I struggled to stick to a firm answer.

In a way, this particular blind tasting — and the understanding that I was being guided by a person who had lived his entire life without sight — reminded me that in our society we often suffer from the paradox of choice when given too many options. Processing the intense and also the quieter underlying flavors became overwhelming a few times, but all the same very enjoyable with my heightened senses. Imagine tasting and discussing wine with a person who has never seen a black cherry, an oak barrel or the warm hue of Cognac.

Of the two varietals I enjoyed the most, I might have not been so aware of the figs and pineapple in the nearly clear Sauvignon Blanc if I’d been examining its clarity and the way light bounced through it. The same goes for the garnet-colored Cabernet. I probably would have overlooked the soft oak aroma and anise flavor. It made me wonder, How much have I been missing out on this whole lifetime when I’ve been seeing things clearly?

If you’re planning a visit to the Geyserville, California, winery any time soon, be sure to check out Tasting In The Dark, which is $75 a person and includes two hours of discussion over the tasting of four wines. For more information, visit the Coppola Winery website.

*Wondering about the Coppola Diamond collection of wines? I liked them. For the price, they are a great value — ranging from $10-$14, and are available at Randalls and Kroger stores throughout Houston.