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Press Release – San Francisco Wine School Offers Online Program
Press Release – San Francisco Wine School Offers Online Program The San Francisco Wine School is excited to announce the launch of its first online wine education program. The California Wine Appe...
Grape Variety Profile – Sauvignon Blanc
Grape Variety Profile – Sauvignon BlancAlong with Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc is a member of the Bordeaux blanc family. They complement each other when blended together, but also make great wines on ...
Catalonia’s EspaiPriorat Tasting
Catalonia’s EspaiPriorat TastingThe second biennial EspaiPriorat tasting of wines was held May 15 to commemorate the reconstruction of major portions of Catalonia’s Escaladei monastery. 50 sommelie...
San Francisco Bay Area Summer Wine Events - 2013
San Francisco Bay Area Summer Wine EventsHere are some of the hottest summer wine events taking place around the San Francisco Bay area:
Foss Valley: Napa’s Valley Above the Fog
Foss Valley: Napa’s Valley Above the Fog The name Napa Valley AVA is somewhat misleading. Napa Valley is certainly dominant within the AVA but is far from the only valley. Some others are obvious ...
Wine for Wheelchairs on Pending Moon Mountain AVA
Wine for Wheelchairs on Pending Moon Mountain AVA I had the pleasure recently of joining the sommeliers of Redd, La Folie, and Boulevard, writers including Deborah Parker Wong of The Tasting Pa...
Which Way to Wine Education? Studying wine is endless. It is a rabbit hole with no end. Many people assume that passing the Master Sommelier (MS) or Master of Wine (MW) exam is the end of the journ...
Blanc du Bois, a Southern Belle?
Blanc du Bois, a Southern Belle? Sitting in a winery tasting room outside Fort Worth, Texas I perused the wine list. “What’s this Blanc du Bois?,” I asked. The name reminded me of Blanche DuBois fr...
How Restaurant Wine Buyers Make Their Selections (or Should)
I was a restaurant wine buyer for years before focusing exclusively on wine education. I also discuss the struggles and success of many of my friends who work in that capacity and to those who sell...
What Do You Put in Your Wine Cellar?
What Do You Put in Your Wine Cellar? I do not buy wine hoping it will increase in value to re-sell later. I will not be recommending blue chip producers or bottlings to maximize your wine collectin...
Sommeliers ZAP San Francisco’s Zinfandel Festival
Sommeliers ZAP San Francisco’s Zinfandel Festival On February 2, 2013, hundreds of press, trade, and then consumers filled San Francisco’s Concourse Pavilion for the 22nd Annual Zinfandel Advocates...
Press Release – New Certified Specialist of Wine Program
Press Release – New Certified Specialist of Wine Program San Francisco, CA, January 17, 2013- The San Francisco Wine School now offers a comprehensive preparation course for the prestigious Certifi...
TTB Approves 4 More Chateauneuf-du-Pape Varieties in USA
TTB Approves 4 More Chateauneuf-du-Pape Varieties in USA Fourteen grape varieties may be used in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.1 Many of them are bit players, used to add traces of spice or color or acidity,...
The Impact of Bottle Size on Wine Aging
The Impact of Bottle Size on Wine Aging Conventional wisdom says magnums of wine develop more slowly than 750ml bottles. The smaller the bottle, the more rapid aging is assumed to occur. We rarely ...
A Year in BurgundyIn the past few years there have been many wine movies out there that have missed the mark, but every now and then one “wows” me. I think that wine being such a detailed and seem...
Sommelier Opening Wax Sealed Wine (Video)
Sommelier Opening Wax Sealed Wine (Video) This is a follow-up to our last blog about wax seals and my video is at the end. Most wines have corks with metal or plastic capsules over them and screw ...
Restaurant Service of Wax Sealed Wine Bottles
Restaurant Service of Wax Sealed Wine Bottles A small number of wines around the world are bottled with a wax seal over the cork. Some beers, meads and spirits are sealed this way, as well. There a...
Wine Service Exams vs. the Real World
Wine Service Exams vs. the Real World I am constantly being asked for tips to prepare for the Court of Master Sommeliers’ exams. Everyone is terrified by the blind tasting exams, and the studying ...
Why Learn How To Blind Taste Wine?
Why Teach Blind Wine Tasting? The Court of Master Sommeliers tests blind tasting ability at the 2nd-4th levels of their exams as does Wine & Spirits Education Trust. The Society of Wine Educat...
Hoping for Heat After Cold, Wet Start to 2012 in the Loire Valley
Hoping for Heat After Cold, Wet Start to 2012 in the Loire Valley Residing in France for the past four months has been an amazing, enlightening experience. Plenty of traveling, both in and out of ...
When thinking about selling wine to restaurants, try to remember who the customer is. In any sales position, good service goes a long way.
Grape Variety Profile: Malbec This is the third in a series of varietal profiles by Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis, presented to aid students in preparing for blind tasting exams and gainin...
Which Wine Glass? If you think the perfect stemware is a must-have for your wine of choice, think again. Every day wines taste great in the park, or at the beach, places where ideal glassware is n...
The Cult Wine You Don’t Realize is from Oregon
The Cult Wine You Don’t Realize is from Oregon In the mid-1960’s, Oregon’s wine industry pioneers began planting grapes in the northern Willamette Valley. They focused on Pinot Noir, but also plant...