Class Descriptions

Wine & Chocolate Pairing 101
Some say it can’t be done, pairing wine with chocolate, but if you
have the right wine to complement the right chocolate it can be a
match made in heaven! Whether you are pairing a delicate white
chocolate or a lively dark chocolate with wine, there are a few
pairing tips to keep in mind so join us for a decadent exploration
of Chocolate & Wine. Class includes wine & chocolate tasting,
take home materials and 2 hours of instruction.

Wine & Cheese Pairing 101
Mention a wine party to someone and the first thought that comes to mind is "cheese". Cheese and wine is a classic pairing - like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk. Wine and Cheese have a long history together. Both are natural products, created using a standard process but with a myriad of results. This hands-on workshop is a perfect introduction to the basics and was designed to offer many ways for you to expand your knowledge and understanding of wine and cheese, delve into the art of pairing the two and celebrate examples from around the world. Join us for a lively discussion and tasting of some classic combinations!

Wine Tasting 101 – Holiday Entertaining With Wine
Love wine but still need a bit more help in choosing a few bottles for the holiday table. Wine can add a perfect festive touch to holiday gatherings, but selecting what to serve can be daunting. So how do you choose the right wine? Come join us for an informative evening and discover some new and fun wines suitable for the holiday wine line-up. We’ll also cover some creative entertaining tips. Class includes wine and food tasting, take home materials and 2 1/2 hours of instruction. Please bring 5 wine glasses to class.

Wine & Food Pairing 101 - Perfect Pairings
So much has been said about wine and food pairing that many have simply thrown their hands up in bewilderment. There is good news. If you would like the process of searching out perfect pairings to be more hit than miss, come join us for an informative evening and learn to apply a few simple principles to turn your palate into an increasingly confident guide. We’ll unlock some pairing secrets and provide tips and insights for everyone from novice to connoisseur.

Wine Tasting 101 - Italy Uncorked
The wines of Italy have something for everyone! Take a tour with us to a few favorite regions of Italy; Tuscany, Piedmont, Southern Italy, Veneto. The sheer diversity of styles, regions, and varieties offered up from Italy is amazing. From the tip of the boot to the northern Alps: tasty and unique wines in a range of prices and styles. Come join us for an informative evening discovering the best Italy has to offer in wine & food.

Wine Tasting 101 – Putting Flavor into Words
Quick! How many tasting terms for wine can you list that everyone agrees on precisely? Better yet, how many precise words are there to describe any flavor? Tasting is, of course, an extremely subjective exercise and you must ultimately let your own palate be your guide. Nobody is born knowing how to taste wine. But tasting is a skill you can learn, just as you learn to dance or play tennis. Unless you want others to tell you what to drink all your life, you'll need to develop the ability to taste. It's easy, and practicing is a pleasure – so join us for this fun and informative wine tasting class.

Wine Tasting 101 - Celebrating Chardonnay
Chardonnay, often described as the king of white wine, is grown in almost every wine‑producing country in the world. This popular grape variety can create wines that are widely varied in styles; from white Burgundies which can be powerful and rich to California Chardonnay which tend to be ripe and full-bodied. Join us for an informative evening tasting a treasure trove of Chardonnay based wines from around the world along with food pairings to complement each wine’s unique personality. The class includes wine and food tasting, take-home materials and 2.5 hours of instruction. Please bring 5 wine glasses.

Summer Chillin'

With summer in full swing, it's easy to find yourself pouring wine that is either too cold or too warm. Just as the right glass will enhance your wine experience, serving wine at the ideal temperature is equally as important. When it comes to knowing what temperature to serve a wine follow this easy to remember tip - twenty minutes before serving, take the white wine out of the fridge, and put the red wine in. This rule is intended to fix the two most common mistakes in wine service; serving white wines too cold and red wines too warm.

Now, this is not something to lose sleep over, but the fact is that properly chilled wines do taste noticeably better. Serving wine at its proper temperature enables you to taste the wine at its full potential. Most of the enjoyment that comes from drinking wine involves its aroma. Taste only has four aspects - sweet, sour, salty, acid. The nose does the rest. Vapors are created as wine warms up, so the wine needs to be a few degrees below its ideal drinking temperature for you to enjoy it at its finest. To be confident the wine you serve will be on its best behavior know the whole story.

Red, Red Wine
If you've heard the old adage that red wines need to be served at "room temperature" don't forget that "room temperature" can be considerably higher in the summer. Most red wines are at their best at cool room temperature, 62 to 65 degrees fahrenheit. Light reds benefit from being served slightly cooler than full bodied reds. Keep reds too warm and they will taste alcoholic and even vinegary. Too cold and they will have an overly tannic bite and much less flavor.

Refreshing Whites
Just as many reds are served too warm, most white wines are definitely served too cold. Fine white wines are best between 58 and 62 degrees. Simpler, inexpensive, easy drinking type white wines are best served colder between 50 and 55 degrees. Chilling white wines properly preserve their freshness but too cold and they will be nearly tasteless. White wines served too warm will taste alcoholic and flabby.

Bubbling Beauties
Sparkling wines should start out totally chilled and are best served between 40-45 degrees. Put them in the refrigerator an hour and half before serving or in an ice bucket with water for at least 20 minutes before serving. For vintage-dated Champagne and other high-quality bubbly, you should let the bottle warm up a bit if you don't want to miss out on the mature character for which you’re probably paying extra. Wine will not stay at a constant temperature once it's out of the fridge so keep an ice bucket handy or put the bottle back in the refrigerator between pourings. You needn't become a maniac with a thermometer to get wine to the right temperature range; a little experience and a little tasting, and the wine itself will tell you everything you need to know. So chill this summer and enjoy a perfectly chilled glass of wine.