Comments on: What wine course would interest you?

Question: What wine course would interest you?

jmmpangaea — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:46:57 -0800

My friend is starting a wine education company in Canada. He's trying to come up with a list of courses that would appeal to the widest audience. Right now he has a course on VQA wines, Italian wines, French wines, "How to find value wine", pinot noirs of the world (Oregon, Burgundy, California, New Zealand...) and is contemplating a course in Cabernets. Can you think of something that is missing or that would interest you more than what he has?

By: the fish

the fish — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:50:52 -0800

Pairing food and wine.

By: lalex

lalex — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:54:37 -0800

Dessert wines.

By: francesca too

francesca too — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:58:17 -0800

Before dinner wines. I love Prosecco with appetizers, but there are other light spritzy wines.

By: jetlagaddict

jetlagaddict — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:01:51 -0800

Wines for parties-- not just pairing with specific foods but also how to prep them, glasses, amounts...

Fun and interesting "hidden" wines-- unusual stories, locations, names...

Maybe a focus in how to actually taste or what to look for? Not in a snobby sort of way, but more how to figure out your own likes and dislikes?

By: Kronur

Kronur — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:03:12 -0800

In a similar vein as the Prosecco comment, I love sparkling wines! It would be great to learn about the sparkling wines of the world -- Cava, Champagne, Prosecco, Spumante, Asti...

By: goggie

goggie — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:06:39 -0800

I took a survey of white wine course once that was really great. I think most people focus on the reds and don't really know what is available/what to look for in a white.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:15:53 -0800

How about a vertical wine tasting? It might seem kind of specialty, but it is exactly the sort of thing I'd be interested in, because I would not normally go out and BUY several years of the same wine, but it would be cool to be able to try it with a bunch of other people.

By: showbiz_liz

showbiz_liz — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:21:53 -0800

Maybe a focus in how to actually taste or what to look for? Not in a snobby sort of way, but more how to figure out your own likes and dislikes?

I'd take a class like this. Toss in some info about how to order or purchase wine by describing the traits that you like and don't like and I'm so there. I am AWFUL at doing that, and I think most people are.

Also maybe a 'wine types 101' type deal.

By: Sara C.

Sara C. — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:31:11 -0800

Fun and interesting "hidden" wines-- unusual stories, locations, names...

Yes! This! A "Beyond France And Italy" course! He could focus on somewhat known but less important regions like Argentina and Portugal, as well as dipping into places with great wines that nobody knows about, like South Africa, Austria, and the Balkans. I'd also suggest the Middle East and Ethiopia, but every example I've tried has been pretty lackluster -- maybe he knows some importers with good access there?

By: mmascolino

mmascolino — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:43:25 -0800

I'd certainly be interested in unusual grapes from the less popular countries. I think you could pitch this as finding hidden gems as well as getting a lot of bang for the buck.

By: malibustacey9999

malibustacey9999 — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:49:48 -0800

Organic wines are the big 'new thing' where I live in Australia, perhaps there is an equivalent growing interest in your neck of the woods.

By: ThatCanadianGirl

ThatCanadianGirl — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:00:04 -0800

Maybe not a whole class, but throughout the classes talk about different wine glasses. Why there are different shapes for different kinds of wines, the stems, etc.

By: machine

machine — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:01:06 -0800

Oh, I'd totally go to a "Beyond France and Italy" course per Sara C.'s suggestion. Or even a course based on price point - great performers at a given dollar threshold.

By: Azara

Azara — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:08:00 -0800

I took a wine course a few years ago which was arranged around grape varieties. Every week the teacher took one grape variety each for red and white wines, and we sampled three wines for each variety. Mostly it was one European wine, one South African/Australian/American wine, and one slightly more unusual example (maybe more distinctive taste, maybe a smaller producing country). It was really successful. I was particularly interested to compare the French wines that I know by area of origin with the Australian or Californian wines using the same grape varieties.

By: grudgebgon

grudgebgon — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:56:10 -0800

Twenty under $20 - an introduction to twenty different wines, each under $20.

Perfect pairings - the basics of pairing (with tasting of both the food and the wine).

Wine and Cheese - pairing wines with cheese.

Big and Bold - a collection of big red wines.

By: miss_kitty_fantastico

miss_kitty_fantastico — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:07:48 -0800

I would love to take a "break the rules" class. We all know to pair big reds with steaks and red-meat roasts, and whites with seafood. But there are (so I've been told, anyway) some seafood dishes that pair with light reds, and some heartier whites that can stand up to red meat. It would be neat to compare and contrast the "traditional" vs. inventive pairings for a single dish, to see what different elements of the wine and food are brought out.

Also a rose class. People overlook rose!

Also a Pairing With Asian Foods class.

(Okay, maybe not a whole course on any one of these, but I think they'd be fun sessions to include.)

Also please send me your friend's class details once it's all set up!

By: librarylis

librarylis — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:13:42 -0800

An 'Absolute Beginner' course. This would cover all of the basics that oenophiles take for granted (basic pairings, letting wines breathe, which glass for which wine, what's a dessert wine versus a dinner wine and how do you tell, etc etc.).

I'm guessing a lot of people are kind of intimidated (wine has a lot of jargon and rituals that are only semi-penetrable by outsiders) and would welcome a course that would serve as a gateway to later courses where some knowledge is presumed.

By: uhom

uhom — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:16:33 -0800

nthing glasses. Also cultivation, the process of fermentation, the type of wood(s) used in barrels.

By: katemcd

katemcd — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:28:49 -0800

A class about the vocabulary of wine tasting accompanied by samples. I love trying people's suggestions, particularly those who work in wine departments or liquor stores, but I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe my likes and dislikes. Also, it would help with reading labels and wine descriptions.

By: MuffinMan

MuffinMan — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 00:06:34 -0800

A superstars course (wines from big name winemakers), an up and coming superstar course and perhaps a course on new world/old world wines (wines from known old world winemakers operating in the new world).

By: pointystick

pointystick — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:33:37 -0800

I'd love more on the unusual varietals - beyond merlot & Cabernet for example. This sounds like an awesome business!

By: progosk

progosk — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:17:47 -0800

Sorely needed, and hugely popular when done right: a cut-through-the-oenophile-bullshit-and-just-learn-to-find-wine-you-love course.

The overload of ancient lore in the wine world, which is what 99.9% of wine courses normally teach (and thereby reaffirm), is precisely what keeps so many people away from wine. It's a choice to make: either cater to those aspiring to join the oenophile elite, or else unleash the magic of wine unfettered by all the blahblah. There are various ways to slash through all the waffle and get back to the awesome, immediate and infinitely manifold pleasure of drinking a good wine, from the brazen (Vaynerchuck) to the axiomatic (Luca Maroni).

It takes substantial wine knowledge to steer clear of all the tropes and trappings of conoisseurdom and wine-fetishism, plus a contagious gift of communication to lend your listeners the courage to do without all the usual accoutrements, codes and dogma. At the end of the course, they will not be able to don the haughty air of the wine-expert - but they will likely be greater wine-lovers for it.

On the pratical side, this pretty much comes down to lots of comparative drinking, and learning to remember what you like (and then perhaps exploring why you like them, and how to find other wines you'll like).

By: jmmpangaea

jmmpangaea — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 06:47:33 -0800

All great answers. I really appreciate your input. Thanks.