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."

• Corked & Forked
  A Four Course Holiday Dinner
  Friday, December 18th
  
  
• Corked & Forked
  A Deluxe Winter Feast
  Friday, January 15th
  

Corked & Forked Classroom

Join master brewer Dean Browne on a sudsy exploration into beer styles. These are several of our favorite classes!

• Top Winter and Holiday Beers
  Friday, December 11th
• The Dark Beers
  Friday, January 15th
  

The Philly Beer School

The class you need to take if you are interested in jumping into the wine world. This is a special one hour introductory class. $18.

• Becoming (the next) Robert Parker
  Thursday, December 10th
  
  

The Wine School

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Damn, we did it again. My latest article in The Daily Beast has caused a major stir in the wine industry. Thanks to all of you who wrote in comments! It would have been a lot harder dealing with all those naysayers without your support. Thank you!

On to this month's news:

On the beer front, a bottle of Lowenbrau beer is expected to become the most expensive beer in the world this week. It was recovered from the ashes of the Hindenberg disaster in '37 and is coming up for auction. Expectation are that is will sell for at least $4,000.

Our fave beer lass, Suzie Woods, offers up a great defense of local brews in this week's Philadelphia Weekly.

File under "Toxic Foods." Apparently many red wine vinegars--including balsamic vinegar-- contain a significant amount of lead, according to a recent news report. Bad news for most of us, but great news for those kids who won't have to eat their salads anymore.

On to the good food news: big props to the Fountain Restaurant for becoming the only Philly restaurant to earn Five Stars in next year's Forbes Travel Guide.

Finally, the makers of Sutter Home have been named the North American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. I say nothing. What is there to say about that?

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.

The Cru Club is our super-secret club for over-the-top winos: learn more.

Do Good by Drinking Wine with Keith!

Our fearless leader is running a wine tasting for the SeniorLAW Center. The theme is Spanish wine. If enough people register, he will pull out some of his favorite bottles of Priorat.

The event is on Tuesday November 17th at 5:30pm, and is being held at One Logan Square. Tickets are $55 each or 2 tickets for $99.

Our fearless leader has been supporting the SeniorLAW Center's work for years. "All kidding aside, it's our obligation as a community to protect our most vulnerable citizens." says Keith.

For tickets or more information, call Larry Felzer at (215) 701-3203 or e-mail lfelzer@seniorlawcenter.org. Make sure to mention you heard about the event via the Wine School!

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.

No Such Thing as Bad Publicity...

At first, we felt kind of like the bullied kid in the middle-school playground. After all, when the lawyers for World Wrestling Entertainment send you a letter saying they have a problem with you--well, you tend to listen. But then we thought--collectively, as if by some sort of vinous telepathy--and this is a quote here: Cool.

In the weeks since the letter arrived, the Wine School has been name-dropped everywhere from the Inquirer to the Wine Spectator. So bring it on: We're always up for a good Smackdown. Er, Throwdown. Or, um, Steel Cage Match of Wine-y Competitiveness? Whatever: Our fearless leader is doing his push-ups and gearing up for the battle.

Muscular Reds

Since we've all been working out more here, we have found ourselves craving bigger bolder, more muscular wines. Now, this doesn't mean high-octane fruit bombs necessarily (not that there's anything wrong with them). It means, rather, the kind of rich, bold offerings that we like to drink when, say, watching wrestling. Here are a few in the state system right now that fit that bill perfectly.

Find them here: The Wine Finder

Ruffino 2006 Modus - What better wine to workout with than a Super Tuscan? This one, though still young, has enough depth to give pleasure now or 5 years on...when we'll be benching 350-lbs each. $19.99. Code: 24214.

Mollydooker 2007 Two Left Feet - Wrestling-match training followed by hydration with a rich, ripe, deeply flavored Shiraz-Cab-Merlot called "Mollydooker?" Sounds perfect to us, as does the $24.99 price tag. Code: 27280.

Goulart 2007 Malbec "The Marshall" - From Lujan de Cuyo, one of Mendoza's prime locations, comes this powerful red that works both on its own or with manly-man food like steak or short ribs. Protein! Beefcake! Price: $19.99. Code: 22147.

Niepoort 2006 "Twisted" - From one of the legends of Portuguese winemaking, this affordably priced '06 blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, and other local grape varieties has it all...except the typically higher price of Dirk's wines. We like the name, the juice, the producer--everything about it. $16.99. Code: 22204.

Find them here: The Wine Finder

Our Softer Side

Even in the midst of a battle (a smackdown, you might say...), we still have to address our collective softer side. Because in the cold weather and in the heat of battle, man cannot live on big wines alone. Plus, all those richer wines wear (paradoxically, perhaps) thin after a while, and we all need something a bit easier on the palate. Which is why we like the ones below so much.

Find them here: The Wine Finder

Cristalino NV Brut Cava - Will it change your life? Will it plumb the depths of profundity that a great Tete de Cuvee Champagne will? Probably not. But at $10.99, it's a heck of a sparkler, bright and citrus-y, and perfect for mimosas. To celebrate a victory, perhaps? Code: 06501.

Domaine Laroche 2006 Chablis "St.-Martin" - From one of our favorite Chablis producers and from a great year in the region, this is a white worthy of all seasons, even the cooler one we find ourselves in now. Think of this as 750ml of sunshine. Code: 21255.

Domaine Henry Fessy 2007 Morgon - Take everything you ever though about Beaujolais and put it aside. This Beaujolais Cru is a standout, with structure, fruit, and terroir to burn. $13.99, and a blockbuster for the price. Code: 15831.

Sattler 2006 St. Laurent - We like to think of St. Laurent as we do top-notch Beaujolais: Fruity and fun most of the time, but, like this bottling or the Morgon above, unexpectedly complex and structured. Lovely. $19.59. Code: 23035.

Find them here: The 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.

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