Try Sensory Wine Tasting with MPL and Red Wine & Brew

Be honest. You wish you knew what tannins were or what people meant when they talked about "dry" wines. (How can a wine be dry? It's a liquid.)

You don't need to be a sommelier or anything. You just wish you knew enough about wine to learn about what you like, instead of always taking recommendations from people who sound as if they might know what they're talking about.

You can learn how to cultivate your own personal taste in wine with our Tasty Tuesday program. We're having a special Tasty Tuesday at 7 p.m. on May 26 at Red Wine & Brew, which is located at 9620 Old Johnnycake Road in Mentor.

Doniella Winchell from the Ohio Wine Producers Association will lead a discussion on how to taste the different elements in a glass of wine. The program is free if you RSVP by May 19, and you can do so on Mentor Library's website or by calling 440-255-8811 ext. 216.

The program is free, thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of the Mentor Public Library.

So come join us, enjoy some wine, and learn what you like.

By the way, it might go without saying, but you need to be 21 or older to participate in this program.

Tasty Tuesday: It's like a Book Club for your Mouth

Our Tasty Tuesday series begins this week with chocolate.

Libraries are so much more than books. We're music, movies, story times for kids (and occasionally for adults), as well as programs that stimulate your creativity and encourage you to keep learning all of your life.

Don't get me wrong. We love books. We have more than 150,000 in our collection and that's not even counting eBooks.

But we aren't just about books. We're also a place to go where you can expand your tastes—whether it be in entertainment, information or, in the case of our newest program, your literal sense of taste.

This week we launch our new monthly series, Tasty Tuesdays.

And you don’t need to be a gourmand or foodie to appreciate it. You just need to have taste buds and be curious.

Each month, the library will offer tastings and host discussions on foods from all across the palate. It's like a book club for your mouth.

The first Tasty Tuesday will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 24 in Mentor Library’s Main Branch, and they’ll be talking about (and eating) chocolate.

You can register for it on our website.

Bon appétit!

Don't waste your winter

Don't let a little snow scare you.

We know. It’s cold outside. Very cold.

Your driveway needs shoveling, the doors of your car are sealed shut, and you haven’t been able to feel the tips of your fingers since November.

But winter in Lake County isn’t just some inconvenience between fall and spring. It’s an opportunity—a chance to see something new or something familiar in a different light.

So here are five ways to make the most of this time of year.

1. Go for a hike. Lake County is replete with gorgeous parks. And while they may be a little chillier in January, they are no less beautiful. Are you trying to exercise more this New Year? Knock out two birds with one stone and go hiking. In fact, you can get a free pedometer or water bottle for your hike if you show your Mentor Library card at the Mentor Parks & Recreation Office this month.
2. Expand your taste palate. Whether its comfort food at Melt, fine dining at Skye, something crafty at Little Mountain Brewery or dessert at the Confectionary Cupboard, Lake County has hundreds of restaurants, eateries, wineries and more to tantalize you. We’re getting into the act too. Starting February, we’re launching our Tasty Tuesdays program. Each month, we’ll show you the variety of flavors you can get from a single food. It’s like a book club for your mouth. And we’re starting with chocolate!
3. Learn something new. Even if the weather has you trapped inside, that’s no excuse to stare at the walls until your brain cells atrophy. Take a photography class with Gale Courses. Learn Spanish with Transparent Language. Watch a documentary on Hoopla. (What those three suggestions have in common: You can do them all from home and they’re all free with a Mentor Library card.)
4. Update your music collection. You know all of those Best of 2014 music lists that are filled with artists and albums you’ve never heard of? Use them as a roadmap to explore something new. Listen to an artist from a genre that you usually ignore or check out that album from that band you used to love. But music’s expensive, you say. Not if you stream it for free from Hoopla or Freegal, which you can do if you have a Mentor Library card. You can even check out a CD or two, if you’re feeling old-fashioned.
5. Check some books off of your To-Read list. I even know a place that can help with that.