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Looking for a Wine Job?This Thursday, Keith is hosting a one hour talk (with some wine tasting, of course) on how to get into the wine industry. Anyone interested in getting into the field, or curious about getting your feet wet, should attend.. A major focus of this talk will be how to get a job in the wine industry even if no one is hiring. The talk is titled Becoming the Next Robert Parker and seats are a recession-friendly $18. | ||
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Keith & Brian are writing the Corked & Forked book for Running Press! Come and watch these two guys in action in what have been called "the best wine & cooking classes in Philadelphia."
Join master brewer Dean Browne on a sudsy exploration into beer styles. Classes are going fast, so make sure to sign up early - very early!
The Cru Club is our super-secret club for over-the-top winos: learn more
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At the end of the day, my talking out is good for the wine world. At the end of the day, they need our graduates, so they will have to take a bit of the medicine, too. If this is popular, we are going to offer this package once or twice a month. For the first dinner and class, we are featuring the cuisine and wines of Milan and Lombardy. Read on for more details. Right now, the project is in super-extra-secret-beta right now, but you can check it out here:: www.vinxchange.com. Anyone signing up for an account will be part of our "Beta Tester" group and will be granted special privileges and bonuses once we go live. Sign up here. Have a great holiday! FYI, I will be teaching the Robert Parker class this Thursday, so sign up! There are still 8 spots available! Keith Wallace is our fearless leader at the the Wine School. He is also a contributor to Barron's 2010 edition of the Wine Lover's Companion, the creator of the Philly Uncorked show, and the wine columnist for The Daily Beast. He is currently writing a book on food and wine for Running Press. |
Keith's Holiday ListWe found the Fearless Leader's shopping list in his usual hiding spot, under the pile of paperwork on his desk (and by paperwork, we mean empty wine bottles). You know that if he is buying them for himself, they are not only great wines, but very good deals, too. We didn't have them ready for the newsletter, so make sure to keep an eye out for them in a week or so. Keep reading for Brian's wine reviews! | ||
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If you dream of jumping into the world of wine, now is the perfect time. A wine certification or even a diploma is the smartest way to launch your palate into the big leagues. Our fearless leader, Keith Wallace, will be personally teaching the winter semester programs. | ||
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The first step into the world of wine. Become a master vinologist! After taking this program, the student will be better wine taster than most sommeliers. Continue. | |
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The second step to a true understanding of wine. The entire world of wine -grapes, regions, history, terroir-is distilled into this exciting and informative program. Continue | |
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The ultimate program for the wine connoisseur. Each semester of the Advanced offers another deep insight into the world of wine. Continue | |
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The goal of many, possessed by very few. Earning the DO is a laudatory achievement, requiring at least two years of wine studies. Continue | |
Remembrance of Wines PastDecember, is seems, is both a time of reflection and anticipation. For us, of course, that primarily means looking back on the best wines we've enjoyed over the course of the past year while at the same time looking forward to the ones we haven't even yet purchased. And while some wines stand out above the rest (the Louis Latour 2002 Chateau Corton Grancy from early in the year, the surprise sparklers we'll be popping at our annual sweets and sparklers class later in the month), we're always on the lookout for the next batch of great ones. That's the beauty of wine: The search and the enjoyment never end; they just keep on building. For that, all of us here at the Wine School are very grateful indeed. | ||
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Just Like Kool and the Gang Say...The holiday season is the perfect time of year to pop the cork on those special bottles you've been holding onto. Of course, we like to point out here in our classes that everyday is the right time to open those special bottles, but sometimes, you just need a little bit of added motivation, which is what we like best about the holidays. (Also, the sweet potatoes. Can't get enough of them, especially with a nice Riesling.) So while some of these wines may be a bit more expensive than the ones you typically open, they nonetheless offer that extra jolt of wine-love that seems so appropriate this time of year. So here we go (and with sincere apologies for getting the song stuck in your head): Celebrate good times...come on! (Ouch...) Find these wines here: The Wine Finder Domaine du Cayron 2007 Gigondas - $31.99 may seem like a lot to pay for a Southern Rhone bottling that's not Chateauneuf-du-Pape (although those tend to be far more these days...), but this one, from the stellar '07 vintage, is worth it and then some. Its rich fruit makes it excellent on its own, and its Mediterranean-y spiciness scream out for food. Code: 20700. Chateau Reynella 2004 Cellar No. One Shiraz Reserve - Chateau Reynella produces one of our favorite Australian Tawnies, and now, with this deep, dramatic Shiraz, they've won us over with their dry juice, too. Some producers, it seems, just have the magic touch no matter what they make. $29.99. Code: 10538. Find these wines here: The Wine Finder Casa de la Ermita 2005 Dulce Monastrell - We've tried, but it turns out that the old adage is true: Man cannot live on Port and Sauternes alone. Luckily, this unexpected sticky from Spain is here to save the (holi)day. From fruit cake to an after-dinner cheese course to alone in the living room after everyone else is asleep, this one is perfect no matter what the situation. $17.99 for 500ml. Code: 29878. Luce 2001 Luce della Vite - 'Tis the season for the LCB, as it has in recent years, to make splits of Luce available at frankly incredibly prices. The '01, in 375ml, at least, is a mature, addictive beauty with subtle fruit notes and enough bottle-age aromatics to justify twice the price. $19.99. Code: 23604. Find these wines here: The Wine Finder Saving Money and Drinking WellOf course, sometimes you just don't want to spend any extra money on wine. From the presents to the entertaining to the gallons of Advil that the holidays require, this may be the time of year that you decide to focus on more value-oriented bottlings. Luckily, there are some spectacular deals in PA right now, as long as you know where to look. Find these wines here: The Wine Finder Langlois NV Cremant de Loire - We've mentioned this sparkler before, but it seems especially relevant this time of year, when too many people spend too much money on name-brand bubblies that deliver a fraction of what their price-tag implies. This one, though, is just right: Fresh, food-friendly, slightly exotic, and only $14.99. Code: 29413. Huber 2008 Gruner Veltliner - Celebrating Christmas with a traditional "Feast of the Seven Fishes?" Or Hanukkah with some classic potato latkes and sour cream or apple sauce? If so, this is the wine for the big family gathering: Crisp, bright, light on its feet, and only $10.99. Code: 22544. Find these wines here: The Wine Finder Disznoko 2006 Tokaji Dry Furmint - Unusual? Absolutely. But this is a wine that should be far more well-known than it is. For the time being, though, take advantage of the disparity between the price ($13.99) and the quality (stone fruit, great presence on the palate, capable of handling richer preparations at the table). Code: 27021. Vinicola del Priorat 2006 Priorat "Onix Classic" - We first sampled a different vintage of this wine at a charming restaurant in Priorat during our 2008 school trip to the region. Since then, we've been loyal fans of this spectacularly priced Priorat ($15.99!) that offers all the minerality you'd expect from the region alongside a drinkable-on-its-own sense of fruit that pretty much guarantees a bottle per person will be necessary at dinner. Code: 26115. Find these wines here: The Wine Finder
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