This summer, we are changing up the format of our virtual tasting series. They’ll be shorter, punchier and on weeknights. Let’s save the deep dive and comparison tastings for weekends in the fall and winter … this summer, it’s all about keeping our community of wine lovers in touch, sharing a few insights to help you be a more confident wine consumer, and answering some of the most pressing questions facing us in wine. There will not be a shopping guide for these classes as we won’t be doing a comparison tasting, but you are welcome to have a wine open for the discussion. I know I will. I might even broadcast from the backyard if the neighbor’s dog isn’t barking.
Classes will focus on surprising summer wines (June 2), biodynamic and organic wine (July 27), and identifying wine flaws and knowing what (if anything) you can do about them (August 17).
Below is a deeper summary of these three clinics I’ll be offering. We will also be moving them to a later start time for our friends on the Pacific coast: 9pm EST / 6pm PST. The classes will last for only 30 minutes (maybe 45 minutes if the conversation is humming). The Zoom log-in is also presented below each class, and is exclusive to subscribers, so you must be logged-in to access them.
If you cannot make any of these sessions, we’ll post the recorded versions in the virtual tasting archive.
Six Wine Flaws to Look For (And What You Can Do About Them)
Wednesday, August 17 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST
Odds are, you’ve heard of wine flaws but you might not have tasted or experienced them firsthand (or, more likely, you have but just didn’t know it). Because of this grayscale ambiguity, wines that are flawed are often described by those selling them as “simply expressing terroir,” when in fact their off-odors and uneven textures are the result of poor winemaking, bad storage or even a bad cork.
Join me for a quick, 30-minute presentation and discussion on the six most common flaws, how to identify them, and what you can do when you encounter them.
Meeting ID: 874 5649 8155
Passcode: WineFlaws
Wines to Seek Out This Summer
Thursday, June 2 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST
Ready to move on from Sauvignon Blanc, Provençal Rosé and Prosecco this summer? Join me for a quick brainstorm as we span Europe and explore some exciting wines to seek out this summer. I’ll be drinking a Txakoli from Northern Spain, and will explain some of the basic principles to keep in mind as you try to pair wine with hot temperatures, smoky barbecues and the occasional pool party. A Q&A will follow.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 819 8980 3145
Passcode: SummerWine
Biodynamic vs. Organic Wines
Wednesday, July 27 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST
What is the difference between biodynamic and organic wines? And why do they even matter? In this mini wine clinic, I’ll provide the fundamentals on what qualifies as biodynamic viticulture, how it is different from organic viticulture, and what the ramifications of these practices are on wine. A Q&A will follow.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 897 3541 9009
Passcode: BioWine
