Wine Appreciation Classes

When I went to my first wine appreciation class several years ago I was shocked at how much I didn’t know.  I had no idea when I watched the TV show Frasier that there were really people out there that could tell you in a blind tasting not only what grapes a wine was made from, but the vintage year, the wine region the grapes were grown in, and in some instances, which winery or chateau made the wine.  I thought it was just a plot in a sitcom.  In fact there are people out there that could do just that and most of them are more than willing to share their secrets with someone who shares their enthusiasm for great wine. 

How was it possible for a fermented fruit drink to have the ability to change its scent and smell so completely that you could actually tell when and where it was made?  Try that with orange juice. Its mind boggling if you think about it without understanding how this apparent parlor trick can actually be done.  That is what my classes at UC Davis and the Culinary Institute in Saint Helena did for me. 

I started my classes with Beginning Wine Evaluation at UC Davis taught by John Buechsenstein.  It was an eye opening experience that supplied the structure of a scientific approach to the sight, smell and taste evaluation of wine including how to identify major flaws.  Who would have thought wine making and tasting could be so complex.  I was glad I had at least a fundamental understanding of chemistry to help me grasp it all.  But the thing that amazed me the most were the people who came all the way to Davis, California for this class.  There were people from the East Coast of the United States, South America and even Spain.  There were novices like myself, winery owners from as far away as New Jersey and several people who worked in the wine industry in California.  The contacts I made were as intriguing as the class itself.  I was hooked.

I took two more classes from John; the Descriptive Analysis of White and Red Table Wines and the Advanced Tasting Seminar which shares wine judging techniques with the attendees.  We tasted wines from all over California, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Australia, just for starters, some from varietals I had never even heard of before.  I highly recommend these classes to anyone who has more than a passing interest in wine; I learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

After completing these classes I knew that I had a passion for the wine industry and wanted to pursue further knowledge.  I decided to take the Wine Intensive courses at the Culinary Institute in St. Helena.  The classes are designed and partially instructed by Karen MacNeil, authoress of The Wine Bible.  The Wine Intensive courses take roughly six weeks to complete and prepare you for the Wine Professional Certificate test.  They are designed to give you a fundamental understanding of the evaluation of wine, the state of the industry and a start at gaining experience with wines around the world. 

The classes started out with Mastering Wine.  For 2 weeks we studied different varietals and their nose and palate signatures rounded out with visits to some of the premier wineries of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.  How many of you have had the opportunity to do a vertical tasting of Shafer Hillside Select Cabs from 1995, 1997 and 1999 with John Shafer himself.  It is an experience I will never forget and one that was worth the entire trip. But that was just one of many back stage winery experiences; there was the tasting of Sauvignon Blanc clones with Charles Thomas of Rudd Winery and the horizontal Chardonnay tasting at Franciscan.  Week two brought us to Ravenswood and the most incredible Old Vine Zins (a personal favorite of the Zin Avenger) and then to Havens Wine Cellars for some unbelievable Syrahs. 

Amidst all of these wonderful behind the scenes opportunities were the afternoon tastings of wines from all over the world at the Institute itself.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven the day we did the Burgundy flight.  I know some people will tell you that Burgundian Pinots are overrated – don’t believe them.  When they are good they are hard to beat.  I was mesmerized by these wines and their complexity and unbelievable finishes.  But rare for me was the opportunity to taste Madera, Sherry and Port in most of styles in which they can be found side by side. I never would open that much expensive wine together at one time. Continued ...