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Mad Libs for Wine!
It never fails…the first time I stand in front of a new wine class and describe a white wine as having aromas of “lemon, lime, green apple, and apricot” I get either a sea of blank stares or an...
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Flower Power
One of the most rewarding (and labor-intensive) classes I have ever taught is called “Flower Power”. I came up with the concept for my college-based wine club, “The Grapeheads,” after leading monthly...
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Week One, Day One: The Introduction to Wine Class
Next week starts a brand new semester and among the classes I’ll be teaching this block is my sentimental favorite – The Introduction to Wine Class. I offer Professional Wine Studies, Wines and the...
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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Zinfandel
Zinfandel – The Soundbyte: Zinfandel is known as “California’s Mystery Grape” and its roots are somewhat in question. An old-fashioned legend says that Zinfandel vines of the “vitis vinifera” species...
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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Syrah
Syrah – The Soundbyte: The Syrah grape, also known as the Shiraz grape, is rumored to be a native of the city of Shiraz in Iran. There’s a colorful legend about how it was brought from its Middle...
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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Gewürztraminer
The Soundbyte: Simply stated, Gewürztraminer is an enigma. It is the one wine you either love or hate. The wine has a tendency to have a flavor quite different than what is expected from its rather...
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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Sangiovese
The Soundbyte: Sangiovese literally means “blood of Jove” (Sanguis Jovis), “Jove” being the Roman god Jupiter. It is widely accepted that the grape was well-known to the winemakers of Ancient Rome,...
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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Sémillon
The Soundbyte: Sémillon is a golden-skinned white wine grape known primarily for its close association with Sauvignon Blanc, as in the Sauvignon/Sémillon blends of White Bordeaux and its many...
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Old World, New World – The “Secret Weapon” of Blind Tasting
Beaujolais…Totally Old World Whew!! Preparing this CWE Preview is really taking over my life…but it has led to some interesting blog posts as well (or so I’d like to believe…) Today while starting to...
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The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test*
A lot of the students in my introductory wine classes have a hard time coming to terms with acidity in wine. It’s like the word “acidity” reminds them of battery acid, stomach acid, or Jerry Garcia’s...
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