Looking at doing a Wine Appreciation/Tasting Course of some sort. Novice
level

I've narrowed it down to 2 courses. (well of those I could on the internet)
Any one have any recommendations/suggestions? Both are around $200.

Thanks.

The Wine Society has one for 8 hours
It runs for 8 hours and provides you with the first step in your wine
journey of life!
Hosted by renowned Sydney Winemaster STEPHEN KNIGHT, the
Introduction to Wine course is open to both Members and Non-Members
and has always been very popular, so book now to secure your place!
TOPICS COVERED
* What is wine? * Aromas, Tastes and Textures * Assessing your wine * Do
Dollars Make A Difference?
* Wine Making * White Varieties * Red Varieties * Regions & Climates - White
& red * Sparkling Wines
* Sweet & Fortified Wines

Local Community College runs one for 14hours
Wine Appreciation
This lively and social introductory course presents an overview or basic
winemaking, red and white varieties and styles, Australian viticulture
areas, wine with food and fortified and sparkling wine production. Suitable
for both the novice and those working in the hospitality industry, the focus
of this course is on student participation as approximately forty wines are
tasted. By the end of this course you should have a greater knowledge of
wine varieties and styles, a basic technical understanding of winemaking
and a greater appreciation and ability to express you experience of wine.
Course fee includes cost of all wines tasted, student notes and a set of six
professional wine glasses.

David E wrote:
> Looking at doing a Wine Appreciation/Tasting Course of some sort. Novice
> level
>
> I've narrowed it down to 2 courses. (well of those I could on the internet)
> Any one have any recommendations/suggestions? Both are around $200.
>
> Thanks.
>
> The Wine Society has one for 8 hours
> It runs for 8 hours and provides you with the first step in your wine
> journey of life!
> Hosted by renowned Sydney Winemaster STEPHEN KNIGHT, the
> Introduction to Wine course is open to both Members and Non-Members
> and has always been very popular, so book now to secure your place!
> TOPICS COVERED
> * What is wine? * Aromas, Tastes and Textures * Assessing your wine * Do
> Dollars Make A Difference?
> * Wine Making * White Varieties * Red Varieties * Regions & Climates - White
> & red * Sparkling Wines
> * Sweet & Fortified Wines
>
> Local Community College runs one for 14hours
> Wine Appreciation
> This lively and social introductory course presents an overview or basic
> winemaking, red and white varieties and styles, Australian viticulture
> areas, wine with food and fortified and sparkling wine production. Suitable
> for both the novice and those working in the hospitality industry, the focus
> of this course is on student participation as approximately forty wines are
> tasted. By the end of this course you should have a greater knowledge of
> wine varieties and styles, a basic technical understanding of winemaking
> and a greater appreciation and ability to express you experience of wine.
> Course fee includes cost of all wines tasted, student notes and a set of six
> professional wine glasses.
>
>


Hello David,

Quite often local universities offer short courses on wine.
http://www.shortcourses.monash.edu.au/food_wine.html for example. TAFEs
[not sure if TAFE is in NSW, but sure there will be something similar]
which are technical colleges also run similar things.

To be honest I've never done one, but like anything perhaps word of
mouth is best [duh! why you're asking in here!], as I know sometimes ppl
teach well outside of their expertise. IT is a classic for
underqualified teachers in these sort of things.

You might also try the CAE http://www.cae.edu.au/ which have similar
things from time to time, probably at a local community college [duh
again!].

Also, as someone not very far ahead of you myself, I'd suggest books,
reading this newsgroup and most importantly ####drinking as much wine as
you can####, reading the labels, googling stuff like the winemaker etc.

The important thing is to enjoy what you drink, not try to impress ppl
who are probably more clueless than anyone, but manage to bluff others.

Also, I'd recommend books like "Wine" by Halliday [he puts out a book of
Oz tastings every year, with some other info], Choice, Quaff,
Drink,Drank,Drunk etc all usually good books. Which at this time of year
u can probably pick up very cheap at the little discount bookstores that
open up to sell off surplus books; DFO [direct factory outlets], Angus
and Robertson etc have them around the major shopping centres.

O, and at the moment SBS have reruns of the wine show at 3pm or
thereabouts on Friday arvos. This series is a few years old, but still
quite excellent. Also sometimes the little snippets they have on
lifestyle shows are quite helpful.


Hope that helps,

Mat.

P.S.: Just keep trying wines. I find a lot of the fun is just trying new
wines and varieties. You'll always have your favourites you can go back
to, but I love trying new exotic and not so exotic things I've never had
before.

David E wrote:
> Looking at doing a Wine Appreciation/Tasting Course of some sort. Novice
> level
>
> I've narrowed it down to 2 courses. (well of those I could on the internet)
> Any one have any recommendations/suggestions? Both are around $200.
>
> Thanks.
>
> The Wine Society has one for 8 hours
> It runs for 8 hours and provides you with the first step in your wine
> journey of life!
> Hosted by renowned Sydney Winemaster STEPHEN KNIGHT, the
> Introduction to Wine course is open to both Members and Non-Members
> and has always been very popular, so book now to secure your place!
> TOPICS COVERED
> * What is wine? * Aromas, Tastes and Textures * Assessing your wine * Do
> Dollars Make A Difference?
> * Wine Making * White Varieties * Red Varieties * Regions & Climates - White
> & red * Sparkling Wines
> * Sweet & Fortified Wines
>
> Local Community College runs one for 14hours
> Wine Appreciation
> This lively and social introductory course presents an overview or basic
> winemaking, red and white varieties and styles, Australian viticulture
> areas, wine with food and fortified and sparkling wine production. Suitable
> for both the novice and those working in the hospitality industry, the focus
> of this course is on student participation as approximately forty wines are
> tasted. By the end of this course you should have a greater knowledge of
> wine varieties and styles, a basic technical understanding of winemaking
> and a greater appreciation and ability to express you experience of wine.
> Course fee includes cost of all wines tasted, student notes and a set of six
> professional wine glasses.
>
>


Hello David,

Quite often local universities offer short courses on wine.
http://www.shortcourses.monash.edu.au/food_wine.html for example. TAFEs
[not sure if TAFE is in NSW, but sure there will be something similar]
which are technical colleges also run similar things.

To be honest I've never done one, but like anything perhaps word of
mouth is best [duh! why you're asking in here!], as I know sometimes ppl
teach well outside of their expertise. IT is a classic for
underqualified teachers in these sort of things.

You might also try the CAE http://www.cae.edu.au/ which have similar
things from time to time, probably at a local community college [duh
again!].

Also, as someone not very far ahead of you myself, I'd suggest books,
reading this newsgroup and most importantly ####drinking as much wine as
you can####, reading the labels, googling stuff like the winemaker etc.

The important thing is to enjoy what you drink, not try to impress ppl
who are probably more clueless than anyone, but manage to bluff others.

Also, I'd recommend books like "Wine" by Halliday [he puts out a book of
Oz tastings every year, with some other info], Choice, Quaff,
Drink,Drank,Drunk etc all usually good books. Which at this time of year
u can probably pick up very cheap at the little discount bookstores that
open up to sell off surplus books; DFO [direct factory outlets], Angus
and Robertson etc have them around the major shopping centres.

O, and at the moment SBS have reruns of the wine show at 3pm or
thereabouts on Friday arvos. This series is a few years old, but still
quite excellent. Also sometimes the little snippets they have on
lifestyle shows are quite helpful.


Hope that helps,

Mat.

P.S.: Just keep trying wines. I find a lot of the fun is just trying new
wines and varieties. You'll always have your favourites you can go back
to, but I love trying new exotic and not so exotic things I've never had
before.

Sorry I have been considering this one:
http://www.shortcourses.monash.edu.au/food_wine.html ;

Wine Appreciation
Taste and discuss various wine styles in a balanced tasting. You will be
taught how to read and understand a label. Information on cellaring is
provided. Four fascinating sessions cover: dry whites, reds, sweet
whites, and 'bubblies'. Very popular and convivial. Req: notepad and
pen. (8 hours)
050WINEA: Tuesdays, 6.30-8.30pm 4 sessions from 18 January
Monash students $99, Concession $115, Other $130



has anyone done this one? It's at Clayton SE of Melbourne.

Is it *very* rudimentary [one week on shiraz being dry] or is it a bit
more advanced?

Any info would be much appreciated.


Thanks,

Mat.

Thanks for that, yeah I know where you are coming from, but i wanted to get
some grounding in how wine is described, the best way to tell between
different varieties/regions, the different processes involved in making it
etc, etc.

I think having someone with you (an expert if you will) can only be
beneficial when starting out, he is standing next to you while your trying
the wines, asking for your opinions on it and asking why you think that. I
think it's a training process, he gives the pointers and you taste it and
say 'Ok I see what you mean'. If you're at home you tend not to have five
bottles of red open at the same time testing for differences in blends or
styles. But in the class room you have 10-20 people, comparing and
questioning. A course also provides a better point of focus for learning, so
you're not distracted by other things. Once I've done the course I will
probably appreciate the books/videos/etc. more.

Cheers

David E

"Mat" <Ask@me> wrote in message ...
> David E wrote:
> Also, as someone not very far ahead of you myself, I'd suggest books,
> reading this newsgroup and most importantly ####drinking as much wine as
> you can####, reading the labels, googling stuff like the winemaker etc.
>
> The important thing is to enjoy what you drink, not try to impress ppl who
> are probably more clueless than anyone, but manage to bluff others.
>
> Also, I'd recommend books like "Wine" by Halliday [he puts out a book of
> Oz tastings every year, with some other info], Choice, Quaff,
> Drink,Drank,Drunk etc all usually good books. Which at this time of year u
> can probably pick up very cheap at the little discount bookstores that
> open up to sell off surplus books; DFO [direct factory outlets], Angus and
> Robertson etc have them around the major shopping centres.
>
> O, and at the moment SBS have reruns of the wine show at 3pm or
> thereabouts on Friday arvos. This series is a few years old, but still
> quite excellent. Also sometimes the little snippets they have on lifestyle
> shows are quite helpful.
>
>
> Hope that helps,
>
> Mat.
>
> P.S.: Just keep trying wines. I find a lot of the fun is just trying new
> wines and varieties. You'll always have your favourites you can go back
> to, but I love trying new exotic and not so exotic things I've never had
> before.
>

David E wrote:

> Thanks for that, yeah I know where you are coming from, but i wanted to get
> some grounding in how wine is described, the best way to tell between
> different varieties/regions, the different processes involved in making it
> etc, etc.
>
> I think having someone with you (an expert if you will) can only be
> beneficial when starting out, he is standing next to you while your trying
> the wines, asking for your opinions on it and asking why you think that. I
> think it's a training process, he gives the pointers and you taste it and
> say 'Ok I see what you mean'. If you're at home you tend not to have five
> bottles of red open at the same time testing for differences in blends or
> styles. But in the class room you have 10-20 people, comparing and
> questioning. A course also provides a better point of focus for learning, so
> you're not distracted by other things. Once I've done the course I will
> probably appreciate the books/videos/etc. more.
>
> Cheers
>
> David E
>

They are some excellent points David.

I think that wine being such a fluid [excuse the pun] entity it is
possible to recieve the wrong grounding. For example, there is the
possibility the teacher reps for say Wolf Blass, and all he does is talk
up their wines and their anonymous labels as well as typical Wolf Blass
characteristics and being region heavy where Wolf Blass is generated.

There is a lot of that sort of thing goes on in the wine industry as in
any other industry, partisan parties pushing their own product and not
telling you why they are doing so.

Also, it is possible the teacher is not really an expert as such, more
an enthusiastic amatuer. Community colleges tend to be full of them, and
often you have to wonder why an expert is schlepping it there if they
are so good.

So they are my reservations about wine courses, plus of course there is
a huge social pressure to be a "wine expert" in such things, and no
doubt you will meet at least one person who trys to bluff you into
thinking they are an expert when they are in fact not.

I guess I am just being a sceptic as usual, and I think you are correct,
and this course will do a lot more good than harm, and will fast-track
your learning.

I personally have learnt most things vis-a-vis wine the hard way, and I
wonder if I've appreciated it more for it, or if I would have been much
better off doing an appreciation course first-up [or even now!].

Good luck anyway. Which ever one you do let us know how it goes.


Mat.