The Level 1 course is a "foundation course" that is ideal for everyone who loves wine and wants to understand it better. This full-day course focuses on learning the art of wine tasting (including demystifying the vocabulary you might have once found daunting), pairing food and wine, and exploring the characteristics of the major grape varieties with intensive exercises. We also delve into grape growing and winemaking, and serving and cellaring wine.
Who is this class for?
This class is the ideal place to hone your wine sensibility, whether your interest in wine is as an occasional consumer hoping to demystify a wine list when you go out to dinner, or a culinary professional looking to expand your wine knowledge beyond the basics that are part of culinary training. It's a full-day course that includes tasting 14 world-class wines from classic Champagne to benchmark wines from Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the United States.
One cautionary note: sign up early! It's easy to put things off, but registering early gives you time to receive all your materials and to prepare for the class. We have an extensive online version of the new WSET text you can read before you come to class and then we provide a hard copy in the class on which you can make notes and keep in your wine library. So, read up and then come to perfect your tasting techniques! I'll have 14 wines and several wine and food pairings waiting for you to taste. And this prepares you for the Level 2 program we’ll be offering in Boston later in March.
Benvenuto Brunello, an event held simultaneously in eight cities worldwide, was the debut of the storied 2019 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany’s classic, iconic and all-sangiovese wine. I was the presenter for one of the three American debut tastings, and have the story here.