Wine Classes

Never has the art of wine knowledge been more in style than it is today and never has there been such a tremendous assortment of wines to choose from! What better time then, for you to learn about this fascinating, complex and healthy beverage?

The best way to truly understand the intricacies of wine is to take a series of classes from David J. Black, our in house wine expert and buyer, who has been educating in the industry for more than three decades.

Several times a year, The Wine Room offers a series of introductory classes in addition to more advanced wine seminars, for the well-seasoned wine palate. Our classes strive to teach about the importance of vintage, about stemware selection, how to properly store and serve wine and how to evaluate the value of wine choices in the future. Each class features six unique wine selections for tasting and are both fun and educational! What you learn during your classes at The Wine Room will be invaluable the next time you’re reviewing a wine list in your favorite restaurant or deciding what and where to buy retail. For more information, contact David J. Black at david@thewineroomonline.com.

June Wine Classes

–Three Part Series–

Wednesdays, June 6, 13 & 20

6:30PM

Session I—Blind Tasting of the Major White & Red Grape Types

Wednesday, June 6    6:30PM

If you have never been a part of a blind tasting, you have missed a lot of fun and the chance to sharpen your senses. This session will be a single blind tasting, that is, you will know the names of the wines but not the order in which they are served. For the whites we will sample a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay and a Riesling. For the reds we will blind taste three wines made from different varietals (grape types), most probably Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I will provide clues about each wine to help you to identify them based on the color, aroma and palate impressions. You will be surprised at how well you do!

Session II—Reds of France’s Southern Rhone Valley

Wednesday, June 13     6:30PM

The reds—and lately even the whites—from the Southern Rhone Valley in France have become my favorite French wines. There are several reasons why I like these unique wines as much as I do. First, they are among the best values not only from France but from anywhere in the wine world. The climate in this southern part of France is nearly Mediterranean which means that the winters are mild and the warm summers relatively long. This means that the major grape types grown in this area—Grenache & Syrah—achieve excellent ripeness which translates into deeply fruity red with great concentration and character. And there are also lesser known grapes that are often part of these marvelous blended wines (both red & white), grape types such as Mourvedre, Cinsault, Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier.

Session III—Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Bordeaux Reds

Wednesday, June 20   6:30PM

For the past couple of decades there has been a lot written about the quality of French wines compared to those from California. The debate has revolved mainly around the Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa and the great reds of Bordeaux. Finally, most aficionados now agree that it is not a matter of a qualitative difference, but one of style. One is not “better” than the other.  They are of equal quality, yet, due to the different growing conditions, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Blends and red Bordeaux blends are necessarily simply what they are: two great and stylistically different reds.

We usually taste five or six wines that best illustrate the theme of each class. And at each class we serve artisan cheeses that we feel best complement the wines. The cost per session is $30.00 per person, but if you sign up for all three, the cost is just $75.00 per person. To reserve your places, please either call me at 407-696-9463 or e-mail me with your credit card #. Space in our vault is very limited, so please make your reservations as early as possible. Thank you very much and I hope to see you at our first class on Wednesday, June 6. _____ David Black