The Advanced and the Foundation Programs have sold out. Only a few seats remain for the Global Intermediate.

• Foundation Program: SOLD OUT
• Intermediate Program: 4 Spots
• Core Program: SOLD OUT
• Advanced Program: SOLD OUT

Begin Your Career In Wine Today

On Tuesday, February 2nd, Keith is hosting a one hour talk on how to get into the wine industry. Anyone interested in getting into the field, or curious about getting your feet wet, should attend. Seats are a recession-friendly $12.50.

NEW!

Just for our newsletter readers, we have added three more of our Four Course Italian Feast and Wine Tasting Class.

When we released the first two, they sold out in less than 48 hours. You get first dips on these seats.

Tuesday, February 23
The Food & Wine of Tuscany

Tuesday, March 2
The Food & Wine of Sicily

Wednesday, March 10
The Food & Wine of the Piedmont

More Classes:

The Wine School of Philly

The Philly Beer School

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Do wines get better with age? The answer may surprise you.

That's the promo for my new Daily Beast article. Take a look and leave me a (hopefully nice) note in the comment section.

~

Some sad news in the wine world today, the San Fran company Vinfolio has declared bankruptcy. They were an innovative company that integrated buying & selling collectible wines into a web 2.0 framework... and one of the most successful, at least on paper.

One of their earliest employees was a Wine School grad, so I have paid close attention to them. There are several groups who are looking to acquire Vinfolio's assets, and possibly rebuild the company, so all may not be lost.

~

Another win for direct-to-consumer wine shipping! The U.S. Court of Appeals struck down a Massachusetts laws that prohibited the overwhelming percentage of wineries from shipping to the state.

~

You no longer have to wonder if your favorite bottle of Canadian wine was actually made with Chilean grapes.

Apparently, there was a loop hole in Canadian wine law that permitted wineries to import grapes and sell it as "Cellared in Canada".

~

Two of Siduri's Pinot Noirs are coming into PA at great prices by the beginning of February. Siduri makes exceptional Pinot Noirs, some of the best in California, and according to our peeps in the PLCB, these bottles are going to cost about $25 apiece (about half of the retail price). Buy all you can and make sure to email Adam Lee (the winemaker) and let him know I am recommending his wines (and tell him I say "hi").

-Keith Wallace

Surviving the Dog Days of Winter
It's the new year, which means...well, pretty much the same as before the big day: Cold temps, lots of wines, and some great classes and courses coming up. We've been spending our time here devising some exciting programs for 2010, and though we're sold out through the beginning of March, there are some great options for the early springtime. (Hard to believe it's already time to start thinking about that!) So for now, check out our new classes, find a few that you like, and spend the rest of the winter with us: It's the best way to get through this time of year!

Time for Cabernet
We're not big fans of narrowing down our choices of wine to a specific grape variety, but if there is one that justifies it, and if there is a time of year that calls for it, glugging some good Cabernet Sauvignon right about now sounds pretty much perfect. With that in mind, then, we offer you our wintertime Cab rundown. Just keep in mind that there's a lot more out there than just these bottlings. They are, merely, a great place to start. And a tasty one, too.

Find these wines here: The NEW Wine Finder

Heitz 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon "Bella Oaks" - We've written about this one before, but it bears repeating here again: For $29.99, there is simply no reason to pass this one up. Classic Cali Cab--with bottle age!--is rarely this affordable. Code: 12849.

Bleasdale 2005 "Franks Potts Red" - This 89% Cab blend from the Land Down Under is rich and big and lush, but still hangs together far better than you'd expect of a $19.99 Aussie CS. The Parker 90 doesn't hurt, either. Code: 27536.

Bodegas Benegas 2005 "Libertad Red" - With 35% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc (the latter from 100+ year old vines) and the rest Merlot, this gorgeous Argentinean red is everything you'd hope for in a Bordeaux-style blend as realized in South America. Great price, too. $19.99. Code: 22174.

Frank Phelan 2003 - From the super-ripe 2003 vintage come this amazingly affordable St.-Estephe red. Rich currant fruit and judicious oak combine to make this second-label wine a standout. $23.99. Code: 21016.

Find these wines here: The NEW Wine Finder

Making Do...for Now
Sometimes, of course, all it takes to make it through the doldrums of winter is great wine, no matter what color, texture, age, or cost it is. Which is why we've compiled this list: These bottles are exactly the sort of thing to get you through the rough spots of January and beyond...and all without breaking the bank.

Nicolas Feuillatte 1997 Palmes d'Or Champagne - Is $59.99 cheap? Certainly not. But is it a crazy good deal on a bottle of bubbly that's nearly 15 years old and usually retails for approximately twice that? Mais oui! Code: 29582 (Internet only).

Selbach Oster 2007 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - From one of the greats of the Mosel, this '07 Kabinett is ready to drink right now. Good thing, too: Its summertime stone fruits and zippy acidity are impossible to resist. $24.99. Code: 26894.

d'Arenberg 2006 Roussanne "The Monkey Spider" - d'Arenberg produces some of the most dangerously drinkable white Rhone-style wines Down Under, and this one, a wonderfully affordable $19.99, is a perfect mid-winter pick-me-up. Code: 29362.

Castello di Camigliano 2007 Rosso di Montalcino - Easy-drinking both on its own or with a big bowl of pasta and gravy, this is exactly what makes good Rosso so charming, and such a good value. $21.99. Code: 24804.

Find these wines here: The NEW Wine Finder

Brian Freedman is the Director of Consumer Education at the Wine School, a contributing writer for John Mariani's Virtual Gourmet, and contributing editor for Philadelphia Style Magazine.

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/wineschool

Friend us on Facebook: facebook.com/wine.school

Connect to us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wineschool