I don’t typically like to spend my spare time in the city when I’m not working. Unfortunately, my view of the city has been spoiled by the fact that I hike the corridor of misery from Penn Station to Times Sq. almost every day. But occasionally you can lure me to stay a few extra hours by offering drinks and/or the occasional meal.
This past Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a Wine 101 class offered by NYCwineclass.com. In a nutshell, the class was a quick (and I mean quick) opportunity to learn some basics about wine (and cheese) in the comfort of a converted apartment above Landmark Wines on 23rd Street. There were 10 wines matched with 5 cheeses in addition to some olives and as much bread as you could pile onto your plate. Our instructor breezed through each wine 1x1 while politely ignoring questions as he went along in order to adhere to the 2 hour schedule.
Without sounding overly negative, I found this class to be exactly as what it was billed…a basic introduction to wine. The average person could obtain this same knowledge from just about anywhere. The real value was in the tasting. The variety of wines paired with cheese was commendable and certainly opened my eyes to a few labels/regions that I don’t often dedicate enough attention to. If nothing else, this was a fine opportunity to sample a few items outside my preferential box. In addition, the wines are chosen so that we could taste the differences that climate, region & production have on specific varietals. Lastly, the finale consisted of a blind tasting that accentuated how less expensive wines can in fact taste better their well heeled cousins.
Below is the list of 6 wines I actually have notes on. As time wore one, my interest wavered a bit and I spent more time chatting than paying attention to what exactly was being poured into my glass. My apologies for not being more descriptive, but as I said, the class was moving along rather quickly.
Florian Mollet, Pouilly Fume, Loire Valley, France 2010 - Fresh meadow, lemon zest, grassy with hints of citrus. A cooler climate wine.
Chateau St. Jean, Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, CA 2009 - Sweeter than the Florian, tart with mineral notes that was mildly buttery and hints of smoke.
Charles Smith, Riesling, Kung Fu Girl, Columbia Valley, WA 2010 - Spritzy & sharp ripeness with a finely balanced sweetness. Flavors of pear & green apple.
E. Guigal, Cotes-du-Rhone Blanc, Rhone Valley, France 2010 - Lighter, but with more bite & acidity than the Charles smith counterpart. Better choice for pairing with spicy foods.
Gros Frere et Soeur, Hautes-Cotes-deNuits, Burgundy, France 2006 - Light, mildly acidic with a smooth leathery finish.
Saintsbury, Pinot Noir, Carneros, CA 2009 - More acidic than the Gros Frer, flush with overripe red fruits, spice & flinty mouth.
Overall review:
The (+)
- The class provided a basic introduction and understanding of wine for true beginners.
- Wines & cheeses were balanced beautifully and were delightfully different from one another.
- Solid overall variety.
- Service was polite & attentive.
The (-)
- The instructor was very quick to glance over most details & questions.
- Demeanor of the class was not very relaxed.
- Breadth of information was lacking.
- The overall content of the class was as basic as basic gets.
- I suppose a little music might have been nice.
Until next time…
Cheers,
ES
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