Eve's Wine 101

Odyssey Wine Academy Launches Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Certification in Healdsburg

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HEALDSBURG, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Odyssey Wine Academy has announced the upcoming launch of Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) courses at Healdsburg’s wine tasting room collective, Bacchus Landing. The Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) is globally recognized as the international standard in wine & spirits knowledge. Odyssey Wine Academy will offer Level 1 Introduction to Wine through Level 3 Advanced courses, flexible course times throughout the year during the day, evenings and weekends to accommodate wine and hospitality professionals, as well as consumers.

Julie Rothberg, President of Medlock Ames Winery, founded Odyssey Wine Academy out of a desire for those presenting wines to have a global perspective. “At Medlock Ames, I wanted our hospitality team to be certified through the WSET to broaden their understanding about wines from around the world,” says Rothberg. “An international perspective aids our team in educating guests about what makes wines from Sonoma County so unique.”

In 2021, after discovering a lack of in-person public courses available in Sonoma County for her team at Medlock Ames, she decided to develop a solution in the creation of Odyssey Wine Academy, Sonoma County’s first and only publicly available offering of WSET courses. Her vision is to make wine education accessible, fun, and interactive for the deeply curious, whether they have a career in wine, want to explore the industry, or love wine and want to learn more. As courses are open to everyone, no matter consumer’s level of wine knowledge, Rothberg anticipates the WSET courses appealing to locals who enjoy wine and those who visit wine country seeking wine-centric experiences. The Academy’s inaugural year will also aim to establish the WSET Level 1 introductory course in Spanish, available through a scholarship program for non-native English speakers who work in the vineyards or cellars.

“I’ve been shocked by the overwhelming and positive responses when I started talking about this idea,” says Julie Rothberg. “Not only did this excite wine professionals but also locals who live in the heart of wine country with careers in technology, law, and the arts and have a strong interest to learn more about wine. After working in wine for over 20-years, the goal of Odyssey Wine Academy is to offer a wine education to everyone, not just those looking to advance their careers in wine.”

With accessibility and convenience in mind, Odyssey Wine Academy’s home at Bacchus Landing, just moments from Healdsburg Square, was deemed the perfect location. Partnering with the Lopez family, founders of Bacchus Landing, the Academy will hold courses in the property’s Wine Lab.

“Our vision for Bacchus Landing from the beginning has been to create a space where people can spend the day and get an all-encompassing experience in wine country,” says Monica Lopez, General Manager of Bacchus Landing. “Adding wine education builds on that vision, allowing guests to come and taste from our seven wineries while also getting a world-class wine certification. I’m thrilled to partner with Julie and Odyssey Wine Academy to offer wine certifications this year.”

Lopez was immediately drawn to Odyssey Wine Academy’s vision upon first learning of the concept. “There is a real need and want from our community and those who come to visit one of the three major growing regions that surround Healdsburg, and there is no other option nearby,” says Lopez. “The seven wineries at Bacchus Landing represent a wide range of varietals and California regions so we’re excited for people to connect their learnings in the Wine Lab to tastings from these wineries.”

For more information or to register for a course, please visit odysseywineacademy.com.

About Odyssey Wine Academy
Odyssey Wine Academy was founded in 2021 by passionate wine leader, Julie Rothberg. Odyssey Wine Academy is singularly focused on making wine fun, approachable and accessible to all. Rooted in Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) certifications, we seek to educate our community about global styles of wines with a systematic approach to tasting, evaluating and enjoying. Currently, Odyssey Wine Academy offers courses from Introduction (Level 1) through Advanced (Level 3). We believe deeply that learning about wine is an odyssey and all are welcome on the voyage.

About Bacchus Landing
Founded by siblings Monica and Francisco Lopez, along with their parents Al and Dina, Bacchus Landing is a curated collective of wineries representing a diverse spectrum of grape varieties and winemaking styles. It is located in the heart of Healdsburg at the crossroads of three of Sonoma County’s premier wine regions. Designed to reflect the Lopez family’s deep-seated passion for hosting family and friends, Bacchus Landing welcomes guests to come and stay the day, offering a relaxing escape from everyday life. The three-acre property boasts five spacious, open-air tasting rooms, an artisanal food market serving local wine-friendly bites, a more casual green space with picnic tables and bocce courts, a central piazza with café tables, a full commercial kitchen, and a variety of spaces for corporate meetings and events.

Italian Wine Academy expands to offer (online) English-speaking blind tasting sessions

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VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – In June 2020 the Italian Wine Academy decided that to supplement their courses they would offer blind tasting sessions for students, always in English. These evenings present the students with an extra opportunity to practice not only their tasting skills, but also their language skills. At the heart of WSET courses, there is the notion of building a common vocabulary designed to aid students in communicating about wine in an international context; IWA are using the English speaking blind tasting to take this a step further. Lead by native speaker and faculty member Dr Rebecca Lawrence, students are encouraged to use the session to learn new vocabulary and express their views on the wine, its characteristics, and qualities, using clear, confident, and most importantly, correct, English.

As Stevie Kim, founder of IWA comments, “we’re privileged to have a native speaker from the UK leading these courses. The stereotypes are true, Rebecca is very strict and inflexible, but this is exactly what you need when using the SAT, and when learning to communicate at a higher level.” She goes on to say, “I saw an opportunity to give our students and WSET community in Verona that extra added value that is so often missing: more time with wines, more language practice, and transferable skill-building for their futures.”

The sessions of 30 minutes involve tasting three wines blind, often with a carefully chosen theme. This means that students cannot form assumptions about the wine ahead of time, and forces them to think on the spot when describing wines, this enhances quick reactions in a second language (the majority of attendees are Italian native speakers or have English as a second or third language), a skill that is fundamental to working and presenting wines; a sommelier or sales representative may know their wine, but not what a client will ask about it! Dr Lawrence then guides the students through her tasting note, inviting discussion. Due to the broad range of levels in the room, Lawrence first uses her note to explain how a student from Level 2 should accurately describe the wine, and then moves through, all the way to giving guidance to diploma students. This means that participants can get the support they need no matter what stage of the WSET journey they happen to be on. Feedback from the students has been resoundingly positive, in a recent anonymous survey responses said that the sessions were “very useful for both the terminology and technical tasting skills”, and many attendees commented that the tastings were not only a change to improve their language skills but to meet others and expand their English speaking network in Verona.

Details about the English Speaking Blind Tasting are released on the Italian Wine Academy social media channels and for more information please email: info@italianwineacademy.org.
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About: the Italian Wine Academy is a wine school based in Verona, and it is an Approved Programme Provider qualified to teach WSET wine courses. WSET – Wine & Spirit Education Trust is the world’s largest provider of education on wine and spirits. WSET qualifications are globally recognized as the international standard in wine and spirit knowledge for wine professionals and enthusiasts. Vinitaly International Academy hosts WSET at wine2digital, next to the headquarters of Veronafiere.

Rocky Pond Estate Winery Is Opening a New Tasting Room in Woodinville

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WOODINVILLE, Wash./PRNewswire/ — Rocky Pond Estate Winery, the Washington producer crafting wines from their breathtaking sustainably farmed riverside vineyards in the Columbia River Valley, has opened a new tasting room in the heart of downtown Woodinville at the Woodin Creek project. The Rocky Pond team will be raising the bar by adding new and exciting culinary and wine experiences.

Double D Vineyard at Rock Pond Estate Winery, Washington.

“The new Rocky Pond Tasting Room in Woodinville will take our King County offering to the next level,” stated Owners and Founders David and Michelle Dufenhorst. “Our experienced team is focused on elevating the current offerings in the region by creating exclusive wine and food pairing experiences and intimate wine dinners in a sophisticated, yet casual, setting like no other.”

The Dufenhorsts have been actively compiling quite the all-star team of wine and service professionals at Rocky Pond and have again added regional super stars to create an unparalleled wine and hospitality experience in Woodinville.

To lead the culinary program, Rocky Pond has hand-selected a veteran of the industry in Chef Douglas Setniker to be the new Director of Culinary Experiences. Chef Doug has been involved in the high-touch catering industry for nearly thirty years. Doug graduated first in his class from the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, NY. From there, his career included eight years as the Director of Catering at Microsoft and fourteen years at Guckenheimer as the Executive Chef for the Pacific Northwest.

Chef Doug will be creating a locally sourced menu to accentuate and elevate each Rocky Pond wine. Guests can expect a menu of rotating small bites, weekly chef specials, and regularly scheduled multi-course wine dinners.

Holly La Porta-Jones, no stranger to the world of fine wine, recently joined the team as the Tasting Room Manager and will be creating a welcoming, world-class hospitality experience. Holly is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and worked as a Restaurant Manager at the Four Seasons Hualalai before joining Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits as a Fine Wine Specialist. Holly holds her Level 2 Certified Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as her WSET Level 2 Certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

The new tasting room was thoughtfully designed with comfort and elegance in mind. The Dufenhorsts took cues from their popular downtown Chelan Tasting Room and have combined upscale touches with a beautiful mix of leather, metals, and stone textures throughout. Boasting a variety of comfortable seating options for private and members-only wine flights, the main room is anchored by a gorgeous custom-built bar that is perfect for walk-up tastings, bottle service, and wines by the glass. Two large outdoor patios are located on either side of the main room and offer a variety of relaxing options for wine enthusiasts looking for an intimate al fresco experience.

A large private room – perfect for small to medium sized private events – was created to host corporate functions, birthdays, wedding showers and more. This beautifully designed private space will be available for rent throughout the year with catering options.

Reserve a table today at: www.rockypondwinery.com.

Why I Go Both Ways: Enjoying Wine and Spirits

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When I first started drinking wine and decided to spend the time and money for further education and certification, I didn’t think about studying spirits as well. However, the course I wanted offered by WSET at the time, included both. (WSET stand for Wine and Spirits Education Trust. In the last few years they have split the two certifications, though they still go by the WSET name.)

L to R: Claudia Sheridan, Denise Lowe and Eve Bushman shortly after receiving out WSET pins in 2010.

It was in those classes that I got to spend time learning about a wide array of wines as well as spirits. It might have been where the bug for spirits bit me. If you were to talk to my husband he would say that his interest in single malt scotch was what swayed me. (He may be right as we cover more than one whisky event a year. That category alone includes his beloved single malt scotch as well as rye, bourbon and blended scotch whisky.)

Fast forward a few years and I found myself offered not only wine tasting opportunities but spirit tasting as well. There is one event that offers both wine and spirits, and in those my Contributing Editor Michael Perlis usually covers the wine while I do the spirits. It’s a bit different than wine tasting – the offered taste is smaller, you still sniff and taste, but spit all out as the alcohol levels are so much higher. With that said, I usually only make it halfway through a spirit tasting until my lips grow numb and I have to take a break.

From spirit tastings I moved into a little bit of mixology classes and started experimenting with making cocktails at home. We hit on a few favorites and have stuck with them over the years.

My husband, also a lover of both wine and spirits, started buying me gifts that the home bartender would need, and I returned the favor and found him some unique items as well.

We now have travel kits, three or four shakers, different measures of “shot” glasses, bar spoons, single “rock” makers, simple syrup, brown sugar, sweet and dry vermouth, Amaro, Compari and other mixers, as well as a nice array of bitters, cherries, oranges, limes and lemons at any given time.

One friend, a fellow wine writer, asked me how I could like both wine and spirits. I found the question in and of itself to be peculiar, but answered anyway, I felt – and still do feel – that there are just as many discoveries in  aromas and flavors in both. If you can detect things like fruit, nuts, botanicals, earth and wood in your wine you will be pleased to learn that some of the same aromas and flavors are in your spirits.

On hot days we often enjoy chilled Viognier, Chardonnay, Picpoul de Pinet, Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling…basically any white wine that we own. But, on some hot days we also have been known to enjoy a gin Martini, Moscow Mule, Aperol Spritz, Sazerac, Negroni, Margarita, Rob Roy, Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. Usually how it works is that we have a cocktail before (aperitif) or after (digestif) dinner, and a nice bottle of white wine with warm weather dishes such as salads, seafood, chicken and cheese plates. During the cooler days of fall and winter we often enjoy Rhônes and Bordeaux varietals with dinner, but still enjoy a cocktail before or after.

After our best meals, which usually means a beautiful sous vide filet and a red wine from our cellar, we often finish our evening not with a cocktail but with a nosing glass (aka a Glencairn) of one of our favorite single malt scotch whiskies. Then we linger over those flavors as well.

Now, how do you imbibe? Maybe it’s time to widen your taste profile a bit.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Wine House’s Monica Marin, DipWSET, Nominated as WSET Educator of the Year

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WEST LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The Wine House, named one of the world’s best wine shops by Food & Wine, is proud to announce that Monica Marin, Director of Education, is one of ten educators worldwide that have been nominated by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) as an Educator of the Year for 2019.

Monica Marin, center, flanked by her WSET students. Photo: Facebook.

“We are thrilled that the WSET is recognizing what we have known all along – that Monica Marin is a phenomenal and passionate wine educator,” said Bill Knight, Wine House President. “We have been fortunate to have Monica leading Wine House WSET programs of all levels here since 2012, and our customers have benefited greatly from her knowledge and enthusiasm.”

The Educator of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contribution of an individual or company within WSET’s network of Approved Programme Providers. The recipient will have demonstrated a significant contribution to the development of WSET, promoting its values and vision while achieving noteworthy success in their own region. The award is proudly sponsored by Riedel.

Marin started out teaching Levels 2 & 3 Award in Wines & Spirits, and she now also teaches Level 4 Diploma in Wines as well as WSET Level 1 in Wines and Level 1 in Sake courses. The Wine House teaches over 500 WSET students a year and has recently opened two satellites in the wine-growing areas of Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. Marin is also a ‘Flying Wine Educator,’ teaching several times a year in Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Panama and Mexico.

Originally from Spain, Marin teaches in English and Spanish and enjoys experiencing the different cultures as she shares her love of teaching and her students enjoy learning about wine!

“It is an incredible honor to be considered for such an award by the WSET, and I am grateful to be nominated along with other top wine educators from around the world,” said Marin.

In January 2020, The Wine House will offer WSET Level 1 in Wines, WSET Level 2 in Wines, WSET Level 3 in Wines and WSET Level 1 in Sake. More courses, including a new intake of WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines, will be offered throughout the year.

About The Wine House:

The Wine House is a family-owned independent retailer that has been serving customers from around the world for over 40 years and was named as one of the Ten Best Wine Stores in the World by Food & Wine. Our 25,000 square foot facility in West Los Angeles, CA has a vast selection of over 6,000 domestic and imported wines, spirits and beers that is one of the largest and well-curated collections in the country. With helpful and knowledgeable staff to help customers make their selection and a wide variety of events such as seminars, tastings, wine and food pairings – from casual, in-store tastings, to sit down dinners with winemakers from all over the world as well as in-depth seminars that lead to certifications – we provide a unique, exciting shopping environment for clients ranging in wine experience from the complete novice to the connoisseur. We are honored to be the First Call for customers seeking products or assistance with any of our wide variety of products.

About the Wine & Spirit Education Trust:

Set up in 1969 and celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, WSET is the largest global provider of qualifications in the field of wines and spirits.
WSET offers qualifications across four levels, from one-day beginner courses through to an expert level diploma. Courses are available in more than 15 languages and over 70 countries and are open both to industry professionals and interested enthusiasts.
WSET is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual, the English regulator of qualifications and examinations. All WSET qualifications have a strong reputation worldwide as the industry standard for knowledge.
In the last academic year (2018/19) over 100,000 candidates sat for a WSET qualification and, since 1969, WSET has awarded nearly one million individuals a WSET qualification.

For more information about WSET, please visit WSETglobal.com.

Vintage Eve Circa 3/2016: Tasting Sicily’s Nero d’Avola

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I’ve tasted Sicily’s Nero d’Avola wine before, well at least once in 2010 during my Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) course, and during annual Italian wine tasting events. These two wines below, sent for review, I had never had before and was anxious to continue my education. So, without further adieu, here is your virtual taste.

Photo credit: VinePair

2013 Stemmari Nero d’Avola, Sicily

Tasting Notes:

Dried black currant, sweet plum, tobacco, mint chocolate, red bell pepper and forest floor on the nose was followed by smooth flavors of red fruit, white pepper and black cherry with a sharp, yet lingering, dry finish. 88 Eve pts. 

About (From the tech sheet)

Prince of the enological re-birth of Sicily, the Nero d’Avola is a very important native varietal. Initially found in Siracusa, it is now found in all of the wine-making areas of the island.

PRODUCTION AREA

Sambuca di Sicilia, in the province of Agrigento, where rich, mature, and structured Nero d’Avola is obtained. It prefers clay-like terrain and is very sensitive to excessive dryness and too much exposure to sunlight. The type of farming is “Espalier”, used with an average density of planting where there are 4500 plants per 2.5 Acres.

VINIFICATION

100% Nero d’Avola. It is an average to early varietal maturing around the first week of September.
This wine is obtained from grapes that have reached perfect aromatic and polyphenolic maturation. Destemming and alcoholic fermentation with the skins occurs for 6-8 days at 22-24 degrees. Malolactic Fermentation occurs with selected bacteria, then finally maturation occurs for 6 months in French barriques.

CHARACTERISTICS

Color: Deep ruby-red with pleasant reflections of violet.
Bouquet: Intense and covered, notes of currant stick out, wild strawberries, and pomegranate. 
Flavor: Soft and velvety. Distinct characteristics of fruitiness come forth.

ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5%
 CHARACTERISTICS: 
Color: Deep ruby-red with pleasant reflections of violet.
 Bouquet: Intense and covered, notes of currant stick out, wild strawberries, and pomegranate.
Flavor: Soft and velvety. Distinct characteristics of fruitiness come forth.

2012 Tenuta Rapitala “Nuhar” Pinot Nero, Nero d’Avola

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of grape jelly, bruised red plum, cedar and mint leaves; and then in the mouth it was all about dried red currant, lush juicy raspberry, burnt toast and mushroom. 89 Eve pts.

About (From Frederick Wildman and Sons)

Nuhar, meaning flower, is sourced from parcels located in the heart of the vineyard. Here, vines grow on clay soils, sheltered from the wine, and in full sunlight. Two great varieties are planted: Nero d’Avola, which develops rich tannins and body in these conditions, and Pinot Noir, King of Burgundy, which responds well to the heat of Sicily with color, softness and depth unlike anywhere else.

Terroir: Select parcels lie at 1,800 feet above sea level are Guyot-trained on clay soil with yields of 32 quintals per acre.

Vinification: Each variety is manually harvested, first the Pinot Noir at the end of August, then the Nero d’Avola at the end of September. Each parcel is vinified in small, stainless steel tanks. Long maceration at a controlled temperature of 75-82°F allow for the extraction of only the best polyphenols. The Nero d’Avola ages in stainless steel to preserve freshness, while the Pinot Noir matures for nine months in small French barriques. Following blending, the wines are bottle refined.

Additional Information

Bright, ruby-red color and a bouquet with strong aromas of dried fruits. The palate is warm and full with a balanced acidity and elegant tannins. The finish is long and lingering and at this point, we discover again the classic aromas of a Pinot Noir ripened by the hot, Sicilian sun. Pairs well with roasted meats, game and truffle dishes.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Château de Pommard Introduces Three New Wine Experiences

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Château de Pommard is introducing three new Wine Experiences to teach consumers the professional secrets of tasting, pairing and selecting wines.
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The Tasting Experience, Climats Experience and Gourmet Experience have been created by the domain’s new Director of Wine Education, Vanessa Guébels, a Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma graduate.

25588102_1751649221553988_107555234752489892_o“Wine consumers today are passionate, not only about great regions and vintages but also about the understanding it takes to navigate the complex world of fine wine,” commented Michael Baum, CEO, and Propriétaire of Famille Carabello-Baum.  “With wine knowledge comes wine enjoyment and visitors to Burgundy are thirsty for both.” 

Guests participating in the Tasting Experience will learn, in just 45 minutes, the WSET systematic method for professional tasting and gain the confidence in describing wines using the language of professional sommeliers. The Climats Experience lasts 60 minutes, during which, the complex array of Burgundy villages and wines are explained. Guests are empowered with a grasp of the true meaning of terroir.  The Gourmet Experience offers each visitor the opportunity to travel the world and build a foundation for matching fine wines with international cuisine. This, 90-minute workshop, hosted by WSET trained Wine Advisors, was developed by Ms. Guébels and Château de Pommard’s award-winning winemakers to encourage a methodical approach to food and wine pairing.
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“The opportunity to combine the unparalleled wine knowledge in Burgundy with consumer experiences is a wine educator’s dream of a lifetime,” quipped Ms. Guébels.
“With the launch of these new Wine Experiences, when somebody leaves the domain they do so with precise knowledge about grape varietals, tasting methods and the winemaking and food pairing  techniques that professionals around the world rely upon.”

From passionate wine lovers looking to strengthen their knowledge of Burgundy to industry professionals dedicated to improving their craft, there’s a wine experience suited to all tastes and levels. These experiences are one of many forthcoming projects, both onsite and online, from Château de Pommard designed to ignite passions for wine education.

The new Wine Experiences can be reserved online, by phone or through Château de Pommard’s travel, tourism and hotel partners.

Vintage Eve Circa 6/2014: Eve’s Wine Immersion Video Reviewed by Wine Students

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Eve, here are the extra credit papers.  I think the students were very kind… almost all have never really experienced a wine course like the one I teach… so they were viewing the video and comparing it to what they have experienced in the course… with that said, I hope you enjoy reading.

Scott Richardson, MA

Associate Professor of Hospitality & Culinary Arts

Valencia College

Eve on the wine down tv showI was kind of shaking in my booties thinking about wine students watching The Wine Down – Wine Immersion for Beginners video for several reasons. At the time it was filmed, December of 2011, I knew less than I do now (still no expert), I was interviewed for a full hour by Sonja Magdevski (winemaker for Casa Dumetz Winery, co-owned by her fiancé Emilio Estevez) and co-host Brandon Bartlett (Sr. Sales Manager at Jim Beam). Luckily for me I had Contributing Editor Michael Perlis along to try to keep me in check.

The video has over 14k views, and I credit that to the minute-by-minute synopsis that was uploaded with the video, and a few websites that have chosen to share it. And, maybe to wine students viewing it over and over again…trying to make sense of it!

So, without further adieu…thanks goes out to my Twitter friend Scott Richardson for sharing my video and asking his students to do the work. This is what I learned that Scott’s students found worthwhile to learn, and that I think my wine 101ers might also like to learn:

Eladia: I really enjoyed the video, it was quite enlightening. The tasting of wine can be a spiritual pursuit and building your food around your wine is key. Taking time to think about what you are putting into your mouth is important…(and at a wine fest) wait your turn, and be cognizant of other people and the pourer and more importantly don’t go with intentions of getting drunk.

Vanessa: The video has three aspects that I believe are really relevant. The first one is the importance of taking time to enjoy and comprehend the wine while drinking it. (Secondly, at a wine event) go to the table that has less people, listen to the stories, and once again take time to enjoy the wine. (Thirdly) do one grape tasting night to help and educate the palate in the grape.

Larry: The person being interviewed is Eve Bushman, she writes articles about wine makers and wine events in a local Los Angeles magazine and she has her own website www.evewine101.com. Eve does her writing exclusively on wine education for beginners. She got started writing about wine and really got interested with learning more. The more she wrote the more she got invited to wine tastings. She has found tasting and smelling wine to be a spiritual thing. As a result, she has learned there is something good in every wine she tastes.

Eve expresses how important it is to spit when you are at a wine tasting because there could be 100`s of wines to taste.

In the chat they touched on how it is important to be polite when you are at a wine tasting. The suggestion was to, think up some good questions to ask the wine maker. It should help to get the most out of the experience. For example, ask what are you pouring today? It can be as simple as that. The wine makers appreciate it when people are not there to just get drunk. The trio also talked about how much fun it is to do blind wine tastings.

Dwayne: Eve talked about several varietals, tastings and wine events held in California…(she is) a writer who first started covering wine events around 2005 briefly, but was hooked and started to write for a local newspaper in her home area of Santa Clarita Valley…Eve believes wine is a spiritual experience. She also talked about starting her web site with only two writers (Michael Perlis and Rusty Sly). Eve also discussed the testing sheets she uses at all of the tastings she attends. They are from the WSET (Wine Spirit Education Trust)…from England.

Sharlene: The video on wine immersion was very informative…Eve spoke about wine tastings being a very good way to develop and educate your palate. Eve elaborated on how hard it can be to describe the different fruits and smells in a wine and taste them. She emphasized the importance of learning how to taste a wine and not just drink it to get drunk. I agree with her on that because I look at tasting wine in a different light now.

Juan: One of the tips that caught my attention is that when attending a wine testing is a good idea to spit the wine that you a trying even if it is a good one, you are there to learn about wine no to get drunk, there is always the place and time to do that; also was interesting to know the huge amount of testing events that California have every single week…

Larry: To enjoy wine you must be willing to take the time to use your sight, smell, sip and summarize your experience and learn to train your palate on the fruit descriptors you are experiencing. When you go to a wine tasting event some great tips given are not to get drunk, wine makers like when you take the time to get to know them and their wines everyone should show appreciation for the representatives that are donating their time and product. Wine is very subjective everyone smells and tastes are very different, the best way to learn about wines is to continue going to different events or free wine tastings in many stores.

Anonymous: Winemakers will tell you more if you show more interest (Remember winemakers (may be) paying for a table and giving out wine for free so don’t go just to get drunk but to educate yourself.) Also show respect; don’t go up to them with your cup out, chewing gum.

10 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 1 Expert of High Calibre Certified

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(PRWEB) – Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) forges ahead its Certification Course in San Francisco, USA, and welcomes 10 new Italian Wine Ambassadors and 1 Expert (the higher title). With an overall of 116 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 8 Italian Wine Experts to date, the San Francisco edition, held from October 16th to 20th, closes the third year of worldwide VIA courses organized in Europe, China, and USA, and was characterized by the high level of the candidates.

26 wine professionals from the USA and one from as far as Singapore gathered for an intense week of theory and tastings at the San Francisco Wine School. They all had one thing in common: the undeniable enthusiasm for Italian wine. All lessons were conducted by Dr. Ian D’Agata, author of Native Wine Grapes of Italy (winner of the 2015 Louis Roederer International Wine Book Awards as Book of the Year) who has been running the course since 2015. In addition to D’Agata’s groundbreaking treatise on Italian indigenous grapes, for the first time, candidates also took advantage of the new reference text Italian Wine Unplugged Grape by Grape. Available for now in ebook format on Amazon but soon to be published in print, the ebook guided VIA candidates in their learning, since everyone was ipad- and smart phone equipped and followed the lessons with the assistance of the ebook.

AAEAAQAAAAAAAAqVAAAAJDM3MzcxNWMzLTNlZDgtNDcwNC05N2E5LWViMDkzOGRkNjIzYgRepresenting the one and only opportunity for wine professionals to gain extensive knowledge on the vast subject of Italian grapes and wines, the Certification Course enables all professionals to speak of Italian wine in a unified and organized manner, with true in-depth knowledge. The new VIA Italian Wine Expert, Corinne Keddie, comments on the rigor and depth of the course: “I met Ian D’Agata two years ago, when he was a guest lecturer for the WSET Level 4 Diploma course I was taking. I did not realize it when I first started, but that course only touched on such a small number of the sheer amount of native grapes of Italy. But hearing Ian and reading his book definitely made me want to learn more. Unfortunately, many of Italy’s native grapes have little exposure internationally. The course allows us to not only learn about, but taste many of these wines. It is by far one of the most rigourous study programs I have ever taken, including my four-year Master of Architecture degree. So, I was very excited and proud to be the eighth person to have achieved the title of Italian Wine Expert. I look forward to continue this journey, through visits to producers and regions and sharing this knowledge with others, through teaching, tastings and writing.”

Among the 10 new Italian Wine Ambassadors, VIA also welcomed the Master Sommelier (MS) Brandon Tebbe, who states that the course was for him “the most in-depth study I’ve ever done, going deep into the world of all things Italian. Truly looking forward to participate in the course again and achieve the Expert title”. With Tebbe, VIA is now home to 2 MSs (the other one being Yang Lu) and to 3 MWs: Fongyee Walker from China, Sarah Heller from Hong Kong and Nicholas Paris from USA. Newly-certified VIA wine specialists will be able to support VIA in teaching the courses around the world and broadcasting the excellence of Italian wines.

This San Francisco edition concludes the third year of the VIA Certification Courses and the very first year of a world VIA tour that started in Verona, Italy, during Vinitaly in April, then continued to New York City, USA in June, and to the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing in September. Stevie Kim, the founder of Vinitaly International Academy, explains this recent development, “The reason we’ve decided to accelerate in both US and China was that America has always represented the most important market for Italian Wines and China is the most important in terms of potential growth, albeit its lackluster results as of today. In general, we simply need more, many more, Italian Wine Ambassadors to be effectively targeting these markets. There are currently 73 Italian Wine Ambassadors and Experts in US and China; we are looking to increase that number consistently until end of next year. We are currently going into our fourth edition of the VIA certification program in Verona but we also wanted to respond to the needs of those who cannot take so much time off from their commitments to travel all the way here to Vinitaly. To my surprise, some had never travelled to Italy, not to mention Vinitaly. Naturally, they will now have all the reasons to travel to Italy.” The next edition of the Certification Course will be held in Verona, Italy in April 2018. Registrations are already open: http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/certification-course/verona2018.

Full list of our 11 newly certified Italian Wine Ambassadors and Experts from the San Francisco Edition 2017

Italian Wine Expert:
Corinne Keddie, Calgary & Southern Alberta Area Representative at Opimian

Italian Wine Ambassadors:
Brandon Tebbe (MS), Wine Director at Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
Randall Bush, Retail Associate at Independent Spirits
Jahde Barasch-Grose, Sommelier at L’Amico
Phoenix Murchin, Lead Sommelier at Carnevino Italian Steakhouse (Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group)
Mark Middlebrook, National Sales Manager at PortoVino
Rose Johnson, Sommelier at Rao’s (Ceasar’s Palace)
Marin Preske, Sommelier at Mozza
Mary Beth Vierra, Manager Wine and Spirits Education at EJ Gallo
Laura Donadoni, Sommelier at La Com
Anna Bartolini, Owner of Restaurants, La Balena and Il Grillo
For more details about VIA Ambasadors and Experts see: http://www.vinitalyinternational.com/vinitaly-international-academy/expert-ambassador

About:
Veronafiere is the leading organizer of trade shows in Italy including Vinitaly (http://www.vinitaly.com), the largest wine and spirits fair in the world. During its 51th edition Vinitaly counted more than 4,270 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 128,000 visitors from 142 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers (up by 8%). The next edition of the fair will take place on 15 – 18 April 2018. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine (http://www.operawine.it) “Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers,” will unite international wine professionals on April 14th in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly International travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. VIA this year concluded the third edition of its Certification Course and today counts 116 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 8 Italian Wine Experts.