The four 2010 winter/spring Advanced Wine Adventures classes focus on several of the most exciting and interesting subjects in the wine world.
| Four Wednesdays: |
| postponed to February 17: |
Chocolate and Wine: Pairings to Please the Heart and Palate Wine can be the most romantic of drinks and never so much as when paired with chocolate. Somehow the marriage of the world’s greatest beverage with the world’s most seductive dessert excites the palate and warms the heart unlike any other pairing. Yet wines differ one from another as do chocolates, so not every pairing is a marriage made in heaven. It is no accident that this class occurs shortly before Valentine’s Day. Come learn how to consummate this relationship… just in time to enjoy the results with your special someone on the 14th! |
| February 24: |
Champagne and Sparkling Wines - Bubbling Flavors from Around the World: Champagne makes us think of celebrations, weddings, holidays, and having a party. It is so unique – it is made differently, it tastes differently, and it is used differently than still wine. Find out why it tastes the way it does, what the Champagne “house styles” are all about, and learn the terminology used to describe and classify Champagnes and sparkling wine. Speaking of sparkling wines, there is a universe of sparklers outside of Champagne: for instance, Italy’s Prosecco, Asti, Franciacorta and Lambrusco; France’s crémants; Germany’s Sekt; Spain’s Cava; and California’s sparkling wines. Respond to Dom Perignon’s famous call, “Come, I am drinking stars!”, and join us for a memorable evening. |
| March 10: |
The Truth About Cheese and Wine: Ok, ok, ok, everybody has a different palate and different tastes, so what’s with “the truth”? I’m not saying that you have to agree, but this is such a complex area of discussion, that one clear, and clearly explained, take on the pairing of wine and cheese is useful. It is helpful to think of cheeses as falling into a small number of categories and to think of wines, not as 100 varieties and 1000’s of labels, but as characterized by 7 or 8 styles. We will learn the most available and well-known cheeses within each category and the most common wines within each style of wine, and why certain categories of cheese go best with certain styles of wine. |
| March 24: |
Dessert Wines – A Luscious Array: This will be the sweetest and richest wine class I have ever given. The options are many – Sauternes, Coteaux du Layon, vin doux naturel, vendange tardive and selection de grain noble from France, Tokay from Hungary, Port and Madeira from Portugal, Sherry from Spain, Moscato d’Asti and Marsala from Italy, Beerenauslese from Germany, and Icewine from Canada, to name the most well known. Come experience eight to ten of these delicious wines, learn the principal categories of dessert wines, the typical dessert pairings, and WHAT YOU LIKE BEST! |
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