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If you already know a bit about how grapes are grown and wine is made and are keen to learn more, these courses should be just right for you! They will help you to acquire an in-depth knowledge of some of the main wine producing regions of the world, develop your skills as a wine taster and become fully confident about buying, storing and serving wine and matching wine with food. There are eight courses, each consisting of 5 two-hour sessions. 6 wines will be provided to illustrate the main points of each session. These will be of a higher average quality than those provided on our introductory courses. COURSE 1- Classic Grape Varieties - £165 for 5 sessionsYour chance to become an expert wine taster! At each session, you will taste 3 white and 3 red wines ‘blind’. Each trio of wines will be made from the same grape variety and sourced from some of the best producers in the world. Session topics will be:-
Comprehensive course material will be provided. COURSE 2 - The Classic Wines Of Northern France - £165 for 5 sessions
Although France struggles to compete with low-cost New World producers
for places on the crowded shelves of the supermarkets of Northern Europe,
the experts all agree that it continues to make some of the finest
wines in the world, setting standards that wine-makers elsewhere strive
to emulate.
We explore the
many different styles of wine produced along the Loire Valley, looking
particularly at those which show how the best qualities of Chenin,
Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are expressed in this very cool region.
We look at the
way in which Alsace's location, climate, terrain and food combine
to produce varietal white wines of such definition and character.
The most 'difficult'
of the noble red grapes, Pinot Noir, can perform better here than
anywhere else in the world. We examine the quality factors.
What
is it about
this region that enables it to produce some of the greatest white
wines in the world? Why is the quality so variable? What makes the
Grands crus and the Premiers crus so special?
Is Champagne's
pre-eminence deserved? Similar grapes and production methods are employed
in other parts of France. We examine why it is that, although there
is plenty of very ordinary Champagne, no other region seems able to
produce anything as good as the best.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. COURSE 3 - The Classic Wines Of Southern France
- £165
For 5 Sessions Château Pichon Longueville, Pauillac Although France struggles to compete with low-cost New World producers
for places on the crowded shelves of the supermarkets of Northern Europe,
the experts all agree that it continues to make some of the finest
wines in the world, setting standards that wine-makers elsewhere strive
to emulate.
The Viognier
grape has its finest expression here in the wines of Condrieu; elsewhere
blends of Marsanne and Roussanne make fine whites to go with food.
However, it is for its red wines, made exclusively from Syrah, that
the region is best known. In the right hands, the vineyards of Hermitage
and the Côte Rotie can produce wines of world class.
In this Mediterranean
region, the warm and spicy Grenache realises its full potential
in
the wines of Châteauuneuf-du-Pape. But we take a look also at the
lesser-known villages such as Gigondas and Vacqueras and at the
vin
doux naturel of Beaumes de Venise.
It has become
increasingly important in recent years not to ignore the vast amount
of wine produced outside of the classic regions. Languedoc-Roussillion,
the Sud-Ouest, Provence, the Jura and Savoie make some very fine
wine
indeed, and standards have risen beyond recognition. We look at both
the 'new-wave' wines and those which respect the traditional styles
and grape varieties of their regions.
The under-rated
dry white wines of Bordeaux have made great strides in recent years,
and there are some very good Graves to be tasted. Likewise the sweet
wines of the satellite villages of Sauternes.
With their
ability to produce some of the finest reds in the world. the Médoc,
Saint Emilion and Pomerol remain eternally fascinating to winelovers.
Climate
and geography dictate two different styles, one based on Cabernet
Sauvignon and one on Merlot. Subtleties of terroir and vintage then
determine variations in style and quality.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. COURSE 4 - The Wines of Italy- £165 For
5 Sessions Trento The Ancient Greeks called the peninsula Oenotria, ‘the
land of wine’, and 3,000 years on, vineyards still dominate the
landscape of modern Italy from the foothills of the Alps in the north
to the
island of Sicily in the south. But things are changing and changing
fast.
Home of Barolo
which is made from the Nebbiolo grape; its best examples are among
the world's great wines. There are other important reds in the region,
Barbaresco, Dolcetto and Barbera, all of which have benefited from
recent improvements in wine making techniques, and there are also
a number of indigenous varieties which have been rescued from oblivion.
Sweet sparkling and semi-sparkling wines from the Moscato grape are
a regional speciality.
The Veneto,
Friuli and Alto Adige produce a huge range of wine styles. The sometimes
under-rated Valpolicella and Soave regions in the Veneto surprise
many with the quality of their better wines and their reciotto styles
are a revelation. The wines of the Friuli and the Alto Adige are not
often seen in the U.K., which is a great pity because they are unusual
(particularly those of the Friuli) and full of character.
Thought by many
to be Italy's finest region. Its great wines (from Sangiovese) are
a perfect expression of terroir and grape variety . The addition of
international varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah has led
to the creation of a number of luxury cuvées labeled as Vino da Tavola
or I.G.T., but known collectively as 'Super Tuscans'.
There were always
some good wines in these regions, but they were hard to find, and
the general standard was fairly low. There is now a huge increase
of interest in the better wines, stimulated by the advent of the 'flying
winemakers' who have so markedly improved quality at the lower end
of the scale.
There were always
some good wines in these regions, but they were hard to find, and
the general standard was fairly low. There is now a huge increase
of interest in the better wines, stimulated by the advent of the 'flying
winemakers' who have so markedly improved quality at the lower end
of the scale.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. Wine making in Spain has undergone more change in the last 25 years than in the whole of its 3,000 year history. With the help of grants from Brussels, vineyards have been re-planted and new wineries constructed in some of the country’s remotest corners. There has also been much experimentation and innovation. As elsewhere in Europe, lessons have been learnt from the New World but inherent respect for the traditions of the past and a strong sense of regional identity have ensured that this has been a very Spanish revolution. This course is designed to help you gain an appreciation of the wines of the ‘New Spain’. It consists of five two-hour sessions (click on session titles to see more detail):-
In this session, we start by giving you an overview of Spain's wine producing regions. We then look at the distinctive wines of the cool north-west or "Green Spain", such as Bierzo, Chacoli, Rias Baixas and Somontano. In this session, you will also learn how Cava, the famous sparkling wine of Spain is produced. Cataluna was
the first of Spain's wine producing regions to introduce modern methods
of viticulture and vinification. You will taste wines from Alella,
Costers del Segre, Monsant, Penedes, Priorat and Tarragona.
Rioja is the
pre-eminent wine region of Spain. We look the reasons for this,
tasting examples of old and new style wines from top producers. You
will also taste wines from Rioja's eastern neighbour, Navarra.
Some of Spain's
most fashinable wines are produced in hard continental climate of
the centre of the country. You will taste examples from Ribera del
Duero, Rueda and Toro.
In this session
you will taste wines from the inland regions of La Mancha, Valdepenas
and the coastal regions around Valencia. You
will also learn how the fortified wines of Jerez, Montilla and Malaga
are
made.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. Wine has been made in Australia since the arrival of the first settlers from Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. But, until the middle of the 20th Century, most of the wine made on a commercial scale was fortified and exported to Britain as “Port” or “Sherry”. Large scale production of table wine only began in the 1960’s. In the case of New Zealand, large scale production of table wine only began in the 1980’s. Although the youngest of the southern hemisphere wine producers, both countries have risen rapidly to prominence in world markets, exerting influence far greater than their size. This course is designed to help you gain an appreciation of the rich diversity of styles of wine produced in Australia and New Zealand today. It consists of five two-hour sessions (click on session titles to see more detail):-
Australia is
not a big wine producer, - it makes only 2% of the world's total,
yet it has had an enormous influence on the world of wine. We examine
some of the reasons for this.
These states
produce a wide diversity of wine styles. We compare and contrast the
wines of the cooler climate Yarra Valley, Mornington Penninsula, Geelong
and Central Victorian High Country with those of Rutherglen and the
Hunter Valley.
These are cool
regions, by Australian standards, and this is evident in the styles
of wine that they can produce.
For a relatively
small country, New Zealand produces an astonishing arrange of wine
styles. This is due to the country's elongated shape which, if transposed
to European latitudes, would stretch from the Rhine Valley to Southern
Spain.
Here the climate is cooler and Sauvignon Blanc is the star. However,
it is important to taste the other varieties too.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. The Spanish Conquistadores, reluctant to go without wine, introduced European grape varieties to Mexico as early as 1530 and then to Argentina a few years later. Dutch traders planted the first vineyard in South Africa in 1653 . So, although we label these countries as “New World”, there is nothing new about their wine industries. This course is designed to help participants gain an appreciation of the wines of South Africa and the Americas. It consists of five two-hour sessions (click on session titles to see more detail):-
The past decade
has seen South Africa emerge from vineous isolation and take its place
alongside the other New World produces. The Cape has a climate that
is good for many other varieties apart from Chenin and Pinotage, and
we take a look at some of them.
California was
the first serious challenger to European wine domination. Its producers
are driven by a keen home market and classic varieties are important.
Merlot, indeed. has been elevated to cult status. However, the region's
own Zinfandel grape is in the vanguard of competition to the classics
and keeps the creative (grape) juices flowing.
As the wines
of these regions show, all that is best in the west doesn't necessarily
come from the 'Sunshine State'. Oregon is particularly notes for its
fine Pinot Noirs which do well in this relatively cool climate.
Argentina is
the 5th biggest wine producer in the world. This fact always comes
as a shock to British wine lovers, because Argentina does not have
as high a profile in the U.K. as, say Chile or Australia or New Zealand.
In the past, the emphasis was on quantity rather than quality, but
the lure of lucrative foreign markets has recently led to greatly
improved standards.
Often referred
to as a 'viticultural paradise', Chile has made the most of its natural
assets and established itself as the most forward-looking of the South
American wine producers.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided.
The Devil's Gorge, Villany, Southern Hungary At the beginning of the twentieth century, the wines of Germany and
the Austro-Hungarian Empire were as highly prized as those of France.
This reputation was lost in the devastation of two world wars and the
years of social and political upheaval that followed. Today the fight
to re-establish a standing in world markets is back on. The Germans
have laid the ghost of Liebfraumilch. The Austrians have shrugged off
the stigma of the 1970 antifreeze scandal. The vignerons of Hungary
and other old ‘Eastern Bloc’ countries are taking vineyard
land back into private ownership.
The last 20
years has seen the enhancement of Austria's wine reputation following
the wine scandals of 1985. We will look at the growth of varietal
wines, especially whites, with particular reference to 'Gruner Veltliner'
together with exciting reds like 'Zweigelt' and 'Blaufrankisch'.
A country where
consumption far outweighs local production and indigenous varietals
offer different flavours and aromatics in both white and red wines.
We will look at unusual swiss grapes as well as international varietals.
At the beginning
of the twetieth century, the wines of Hungary were as highly
regarded as any in Europe. Two world wars and fifty years of Communist
rule later, the Hungarian wine industry is making up for lost time.
The distinctive sweet wines of Tokaji were the first to re-gain international
acclaim but now it's the gently aromatic whites from around Lake
Balaton and elegant reds from the warm
southern region of Villany that are beginning to compete for medals
in the most prestigious of the wine competitions.
The wines of
the Ahr, Mosel, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz and Rheinhessen between them
offer a range of fresh crisp dry whites, delicate sweet whites and
some red wines. Complicated wine labelling and wine laws will be
explained during this session!
The dry white
wines of Franken, and the dry red and white wines of Wurttemberg
and Baden are surprisingly good. We shall taste a range of well known
varietals with interesting aromatics and flavours, attributable to
the local 'terroir'of the different regions.
A comprehensive course manual will be provided. PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE REQUIREDA basic knowledge of the different styles of wine and methods of production acquired by attending one of our introductory courses or by reading/experience. WHAT SHOULD YOU GET OUT OF THE COURSES?By the end of each course, you should have a thorough understanding of how the different styles of wine are produced in the regions covered. You will have developed your skills as a wine taster significantly and be able to assess the relative quality of wines tasted as well as spot common faults. WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO MISS A COURSE SESSION?No problem! You may either send a substitute or pick up the session missed on a subsequent course. Just let us know and we will make the arrangements. We make no charge for this and set no time limit! COURSE FEES£165 for 5 sessions. Price includes all tasting samples supplied and books or comprehensive course manuals. EQUIPMENTYou will need to bring 6 wine glasses to each session. If you really want to sharpen up your taste buds, a set of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) glasses used by the professionals is recommended (the tutor will have boxed sets of 6 crystal ISO tasting glasses on sale at £15). COURSE TUTORSSenior members of the Wine Education Service team. All are professionally qualified, have extensive lecturing experience and travel widely to keep up to date. Most are members of The Association of Wine Educators and/or The Circle of Wine Writers. | |
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