Fall 2011 Wine Series

All classes will be held at the Coral Gables Whole Foods Lifestyle Center, on San Remo Ave (near SW 57th Ave and US1). Class times are from 7pm to 9:45pm. Class fee is $295.00 per attendee, and includes all wines and food pairings. Classes are not available for individual purchase.

Session 1: Friday, Oct 7: Techniques of Tasting: The “Nose” Everyone knows that aroma plays a key part in our appreciation and enjoyment of wine; in this class, we’re going to dig in and “sniff out” why. We will focus largely on the nose, exploring the mysteries of scent. As we discover the wide range of wine’s aromas, we will challenge ourselves to identify specific bouquets in specially prepared wine samples. Then, we'll taste through the wines and see how well our palates agree. We promise that your nose (and your “knows…”) will never be the same!

Session 2: Friday, Oct 21st: Why Dry? How do you like your wine? Dry? Drier? Sweet? Sweeter? In this class, we’ll explore what makes a wine dry, how the degree of “dry” impacts our perception of the wine, and how the dryness of a wine affects the way it pairs with food. We’ll be tasting through 6 wines with varying degrees of dryness (from very dry to very sweet), to see how even a small change can make a big difference in wine taste.

Session 3: November 4th: Expensive Wine = Good Wine (right?) In this popular (and paradigm shifting) class, we’ll explore the impact of price and region on our perception of the quality of wine. Using a blind tasting format, we’ll try 3 differently priced Zinfandels from the same winery, and 3 Cabernet Sauvignons from different wine regions, to see how price and/or location impact our perceptions of quality. The results may very well surprise us.

Session 4: November 18th: The Ultimate Wine Challenge… Thanksgiving! The thought of picking wines for a Thanksgiving dinner sends many wineaux’s running for cover! The variety of foods presented at the typical Thanksgiving dinner (not to mention the typical Miami Thanksgiving dinner) is even a challenge for many of the experts. We’ll be pairing some traditional Thanksgiving dishes with wines that work with a course, or with the entire meal. After this class, you’ll be ready to entertain with élan for the holiday!

Session 5: December 9th: Champagne and Sparkling Wines for the Holidays It’s the holiday season, and that means popping corks. One of our most popular classes of the year will take you through tastings of 6 sparkling wines (including Champagne, of course) to explore the variety of flavors and feelings these wines evoke. It’s a fun, fizzy class and a great way to end the year and cement the new friendships you’ve made in our series.