There is more to tasting wine than putting your nose in the glass!

Our popular (and according to many students, "life changing") sensory course will be offered this week at The Talbott Hotel … and it’s a game-changer.

The sensory course is crucial if you want to go on to WSET Level 3, but it’s also absolutely enjoyable for anyone at any level of their wine experience - you don’t need to already be an expert to up your game in this single weekend. I promise you, you’ll enjoy tasting every wine more once you understand its sensory basis better.

The first thing we are taught to do with a glass of wine is to look at it. The second thing is to smell it, and only after we smell it do we tip the glass to taste the wine, though I do realize when you are thirsty, you might go right to step three! Which is the most important step? You might be tempted to say taste, but consider this: the taste buds on our tongues can only perceive five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and that elusive savory quality called umami. It is smell that makes the biggest difference in how we perceive and appreciate wine.

This 2-day course focuses on smell, and covers 14 classic grape varieties and the flavor/aroma profiles associated with them. For each grape variety, you will be provided with a selection of 3 to 5 strips dipped in pure aromatic essences commonly associated with that grape. You will smell each element individually, and then experience how they work together. We will coach you in developing techniques for identifying the aromatic characters individually and together.

This class is underway and not accepting new registrations.