I was recently asked to participate in Cork Wine Bar’s series of wine classes — Wine 101, 201 and 301, that was hosted by Stephanie and Jeff Rennells, the passionate and funny owners of Cork. At each session we tasted six wines from around the world. I found the wines to be diverse, off the beaten path and came to the realization that Stephanie and Jeff took great care to select wines that they were excited about sharing. The entire series of three diverse and fun tastings was only $115, which is the deal of the decade.
The Fundamentals of Wine Series 101 took folks through wine producing regions of the world, common varieties, how to taste wine, common flavors of wines, wine ratings and common wine terms. I was in Palo Alto for work, so I couldn’t attend this one, but the materials that were distributed looked like a great primer for beginners looking to learn more about wine.
I was able to attend Wine Series 201 where we covered New World and Old World wines. The format was casual, laid back and fun with wines that were affordable and then sold at a discount that evening. People asked plenty of questions and the knowledge of the attendees ranged from newbies to serious wine lovers. We covered how sparkling wines and champagnes are made and then tasted wines and cheeses from around the world – Spain, Austria, France and California primarily. I loved the Qupe Marsanne which had layers of caramel, butterscotch, almond and a lot of complexity. Just delicious. Other stand-outs were The Franc Cabernet France and Chateau Paul Mas Rhone. We talked wine storage, sustainable wines, tasting and Old World vs New World wines.
In the Wines Series 301 class, we focused on wines from Italy and France. They did a nice job in covering the geography of the region, which highlighted the complexities to help attendees understand the differences between the regions of Napa Valley, France (ranging from the Loire Valley to Champagne to Cotes du Rhone to Burgundy to Bordeaux. Right Bank Merlots to Left Bank Cabernets) and finally Italy. We talked about pairing food/wine as well as advanced wine terms ranging from unctuous (rich, lush and intense) to volatile (smells of vinegar as a result of a heavy amount of bacteria). And then, we had a great page of tasting notes of characteristics of red and white wines. In our tasting, I loved the Antech Cremant, the Val de Mer Petit Chablis, the Langhe Nebbiolo and the Chateau D’Aurilhac Cabernet.
I learned a lot – did you know there were more sulfites in a banana than a glass of wine? Did you know there was no official certification for natural or sustainably labeled wines? Stephanie and Jeff reinforced what I am a big believer in personally – try wines you like from lesser known regions. You’ll find a bargain and you’ll find some wines that you love.
You will walk away from this class with an understanding of wine varieties and regions, how to identify what you smell and taste, how to spot common defects in wine, how to select wine from a menu, how to read a wine label, and the basics of how wine is made. There is a lot of information that you will take away from this class, but I won’t be able to bring it all to life the way that that Stephanie and Jeff did. I highly recommend this wine class series. It fills a big need in the Dallas market that is currently not filled without taking an expensive certification class.
