Wine School

The Beginner's Course

Tuesdays: Sept: 13, 20, 27; Oct: 4, 11, 18 2011
Time: 6.30 – 8.30 / 9.00pm

The Beginners Course is an introduction to basic tasting technique, covering the world’s major grape varieties and their varying styles from the principal wine producing countries. It illustrates what to expect from different types of wine, which qualities to look for, how to describe them, & combining wine with food. It aims, in particular, to help you describe and appreciate different styles of wine, to perceive and articulate differences in quality, and to make up your own mind what you like. 40 wines are tasted, with prices ranging from £5 to £30; the average being £7 to £12 a bottle.

The courses take place at 10 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8AH. They start at 6.30pm, and run for about 2 hours though, because of the amount of material to cover, the first two evenings may last a bit longer and they usually finish at 8.30 to 9.00pm.

The Beginners Course costs £299 inc. VAT.

EVENING 1
Countries: FRANCE: Alsace, Loire, Burgundy, ITALY
Wines: Dry White
Grapes: Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Other: Glasses, bottle styles
Tasting: Sweetness, acidity, alcohol; nosing wine

EVENING 2 (with slides)
Countries: FRANCE: Bordeaux, Burgundy
SPAIN: Rioja
ITALY: Piedmont
Wines: Red
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo
Other: Temperature, decanting, breathing
Tasting: Effects of grape skins and tannins

EVENING 3
Countries: FRANCE
GERMANY
HUNGARY
Wines: Red, Sweet White
Grapes: Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Furmint, Semillon
Other: Description versus evaluation
Tasting: Blind tasting; degrees of sweetness

EVENING 4 (with slides)
Wines: Sparkling and Muted
Grapes: Muscat and various others
Other: Serving sparkling wine, stopping fermentation
Tasting: Tasting sparkling wines

EVENING 5 (with slides)
Countries: AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND
CALIFORNIA
SOUTH AFRICA
Grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc; Syrah/Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
Other: Faults in wine

EVENING 6 (with slides)
Countries: SPAIN
PORTUGAL
MADEIRA
Wines: Fortified: Sherry, Port, Madeira (with nibbles)
Other: Storage, records, buying to 'lay down'
Tasting: Tasting fortified wines