In my quest for knowledge (and tastings!) of sparkling wine, I recently attended the following three seminars. I acquired a great deal of information from the different instructors, some of which I've already shared with you. Check 'em out!
Bubbles, Bubbles, Everywhere!
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| Vino-Versity Tasting Room |
With Shari Schneider at Vino-Versity
Of
the three seminars I attended, I was most pleased with my experience at
Vino-Versity. At only $33 for the class (about half that of the other venues)
it was a great value. I learned
more in this class than in the others, and the instructor was extremely knowledgeable and effective. She kept her students engaged and shared valuable information ranging from the history of
sparkling wines to how to properly open a bottle.
The
wines she selected were very tasty and at an accessible price point – I bought
three of them, including the fantastic American-made (I know, right?!) Gruet
Blanc de Noirs. We discussed the wines’ tasting notes, aromas, grapes, and
production methods, which I found incredibly helpful. I look forward to taking
other classes offered by Vino-Versity, and I highly recommend it for wine
education.
Pros: Great value, experienced and entertaining
instructor, yummy wine selection, well-structured lesson, intimate tasting room
Cons: Minimal food (only crackers) to cleanse palette
What we tasted:
Villa Jolanda “Love You” Vino Spumanti
De Bortoli Family “Emeri” Pink Moscato
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| Astor Center Tasting Room |
Sparkling Wines for Every Occasion
With Tess Rose Lampert at Astor Center
All in all this was a very
good class. I learned a lot, had a knowledgeable instructor, and enjoyed the
wines we tasted. I must admit, though, the tasting room was a little intense. It
had stadium seating (which made the room feel impersonal), and it was equipped
with light boxes for viewing the wines. The room could be considered somewhat
intimidating, but I do appreciate that it’s so professional and nice-looking.
The seminar itself was
structured well and held my interest throughout. There was a substantial basket
of bread and cheese provided, which was nice to nosh on during the dinnertime hours.
At the end of class, the instructor brought students around the corner to
the Astor Wine & Spirits Store, where they offered a discount on a few of
the wines we tasted (I bought two). I definitely recommend the Astor Center,
and thankfully it offers a huge selection of wine classes to choose from—I plan
to take quite a few!
Pros: State-of-the-art tasting room, lots of bread and cheese, knowledgeable instructor
Cons: Tasting room could be considered intimidating, impersonal atmosphere
What we tasted:
Sparkling Wine Around the World
With Christian Groon at Corkbuzz Wine Studio
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| Corkbuzz Wine Studio Tasting Table |
I
also wasn’t a fan of the selection of wines (three out of six were rosés!), so
even when the instructor opened additional bottles to drink, it wasn’t much of
a treat. Tasting notes for the wines weren’t provided or even discussed. In sum, I felt that I didn’t learn a whole lot, the wines weren’t great, and the
price was too high for what was actually offered. Needless to say, I won’t be
taking another class at Corkbuzz Studio.
Pros: Instructor served additional bottles of the wines tasted
Cons: Sub par wine selection, knowledgeable but inexperienced instructor, noisy tasting area, no food, not a good value
What we tasted:
Pros: Instructor served additional bottles of the wines tasted
Cons: Sub par wine selection, knowledgeable but inexperienced instructor, noisy tasting area, no food, not a good value
What we tasted:
Naveran Dama Espumoso Brut Cava 2011
Duc de Romet Brut Prestige NV
#sparklingwine #champagne #wineseminars #vinoversity #astorcenter #corkbuzzwine #tastingnewyork
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