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.

March & April Wine Classes

Three-Part Series

Wednesdays, March 21, 28 & April 4th

Session I-New Wave Reds of South America

Wednesday, March 21 6:30PM

When I say South America, I really mean two countries: Chile & Argentina. Although there are other South American countries that produce credible wines (mainly Brazil), the revolution in wine quality has taken place mainly in Chile & Argentina. Chile produces tons of the usual suspect wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is the Carmenere grape that has caused all the recent excitement. This long-forgotten and misnamed Bordeaux grape (until about 1994) it was thought to be Merlot) is Chile’s new and justifiable claim to fame. Another little used red blending grape in Bordeaux is the Malbec which is the grape responsible for Argentina’s rise to prominence in the wine world. So, this class will concentrate on the wines made primarily from these two excellent grapes from these two adjacent South American countries.

Session II-California Zinfandels vs. California Cabernet Sauvignons

Wednesday, March 28 6:30PM

My first love was the wonderful Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons of the early days of the revival of the California wine industry. I am talking about the mid-seventies through the early eighties. To a large extent these are still my favorite wines. However, these two grape types produce very different styles of wine. Most of the finest Zinfandels come from grapes planted in Sonoma (the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, for example) and most of them have a certain affinity for American and opposed to French oak. The best Cabernet Sauvignons come from the hallowed vineyards of Napa Valley and are among the finest red wines in the world. Cabernet Sauvignon is the finest red wine grape on the planet and the better wines from this thick-skinned, smallish grape have great color, full-throttle tannins, depth and concentrated black fruit flavors. I thought it would be fun to compare some fine examples of these two California classics: Zinfandel & Cabernet Sauvignon.

Session III-Great Value Red Wines of Spain

Wednesday, April 4   6:30PM

More than any other major wine region, Spain is red wine country par excellence! There are two principal grape types that are responsible for most of Spain’s finest red wines: the Tempranillo and the Garnacha. For the past ten years or so there has been a true wine revolution going on in this country. The quality and value of its reds continues to soar, thanks mainly to master importer Jorge Ordonez. Jorge has searched the back regions of Spain and found vineyards of very old vines of Garnacha grapes. He has worked closely with previously unknown wineries and wine regions to help them produce outstanding reds at outstanding prices. This session will concentrate mainly on selections from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Campo de Borja, Montsant and Jumilla.

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 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, March 21^st. _______ David Black