The Hidden California

You could sample a new Spanish wine every night of the year and still not experience all the variety that this country produces. Each region has their own specialty. Rioja creates smoky, earthy, subtle reds with the Tempranillo grape, while the Priorat region makes rich, dense, powerful reds from the Garnacha variety. The Ribera del Duero also employs...

French wines ooze intimidation; the language, no grape listed anywhere in sight, countless vineyards and producers, and all this at often exorbitant prices. Yet even in the face of these apparent obstacles, France is worthy of our attention. Why? Simply because they still continue to create so many of the world’s most intriguing, exotic, and individualistic...

Join us in exploring cool climate wines of the world. We'll unravel the mysteries of the EU labeling scheme and compare it with the rest of the world. We will also look for global patterns as we tour the world by glass. Take in the highlights of crisp wines from cool climates from Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Northern France, Oregon and New Zealand. ...

Sunshine, warm breezes, olive oil, wine and the Mediterranean Sea tie Portugal, Spain, Greece and several other countries together. Learn the similarities and differences of some of the oldest wine regions of the world and some of the trendsetting new wines, as well.  We'll explore Cava, Rioja, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, Jerez,...

By far, one of my favorite class of the year. We’ll pour six wines. Some from islands. Some from volcanoes. Some from volcanoes on islands. We’ll talk about why these wines are unique, what sets them apart, and how to track them down. Islands are a special habitat for growing grapes. When the vineyards hug the coast, the grapes soak up the...

Don't underestimate the importance of Germany and Eastern Europe in the wine world. The wines of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire have much in common and just as many differences.  Learn the regions, climate, grapes, complex labeling and many styles of wines from Germany, Austria, Hungary and more. We'll explore Spatburgunder, Riesling and...

Learn all about wines from temperate zones and regions around the world. Flying at 10,000 feet, we will look at global climate patterns and their impact on wine as we tour the world by glass. We leave the extreme climates of cold and hot and strike out in the middle with both white and red wines as we journey through the highlights of Central France,...

Discover the major wine denominations of Central Italy’s Toscana region or as many say in English, Tuscany. Explore the famous appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Bolgheri, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and much more. Learn where they're located, what grape varieties they're made from, their styles and importance,...

Learn to accurately assess acid, tannin, sugar and alcohol as our Industry Leading Instructors lead you through a tasting of 16 carefully manipulated wines to help you clearly delineate the different levels of each. This workshop is fun for novice-intermediate tasters and an important tune up for advanced tasters. This workshop is part...

The United States is the world's fourth largest wine producer. In this class we cover the wines of California, Oregon, Washington, and other states, plus Canada and Mexico. Discover labeling laws, American Viticultural Areas, the history, climates and wine styles of each region.  This workshop is part of the Certified Specialist of Wine program....

In this warm-climate wine workshop, we'll look for global patterns across the world's warmest wine regions as we travel the world by glass.  In this class, we explore ripe wines from warm climates.  We'll explore the highlights of Southern France, Southern Italy, Southern Spain, Portugal, Greece, Washington, South America, Australia and...

Learn to tune up your senses as you identify specific smells and tastes of various fruit, spice, herb and other elements as you blindly identify them in 12 carefully controlled sample wines.  This is a far more effective approach than commercially available wine aroma kits made with essential oils that are not consumable or in a wine solution....

Dive down under to explore all of the wines of the Southern Hemisphere in one course. These New World wine regions continue to challenge the supremacy of Old World regions and increase their market share worldwide.  Learn about the regions, climates, grapes and wine styles of Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. We'll explore...

In this workshop, our Industry Leading Instructors guide students to work the deductive tasting grid against the clock.  Students will continue to practice their improved blind tasting skills and develop discipline to analyze every wine in the same manner every time. Students will also learn exam preparation and test-taking strategies to help...