San Francisco Wine School Blog

Check out articles about San Francisco Wine School and read our latest press releases

San Francisco Wine School Debuts "Somm Essentials" On Summer Schedule

San Francisco Wine School Debuts "Somm Essentials" On Summer Schedule

San Francisco, Calif. (May 28, 2014) In San Francisco Wine School’s summer schedule, David Glancy unveils his newest certification, the highly anticipated Somm Essentials. This two-week intensive p...

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Mel Master

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Mel Master

Mel Master’s illustrious wine career began when he and his wife Janey ensconced themselves in Spain’s Sanlucar de Barrameda. She befriended a mule, Tommy, while Mel became entranced with the local ...

Blind Tasting Workshop Added to Uncorked Wine Festival

Blind Tasting Workshop Added to Uncorked Wine Festival

San Francisco, Calif. (May 13, 2014) David Glancy of San Francisco Wine School, one of only twelve people in the world to hold both a Master Sommelier diploma and the Certified Wine Educator creden...

San Francisco Wine School Announces Spring - Early Summer Schedule

San Francisco Wine School Announces Spring - Early Summer Schedule

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, May 1, 2014 – Ready to invest in your passion for wine this summer with an educational vacation or stay-cation in San Francisco? David Glancy, MS, CWE, unveils San Francisco Wine...

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford, Part 2

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford, Part 2

How is wine best distinguished between being a commodity product or an artisan’s creation? The key is consistency and predictability.

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford

Insider Interviews by David Furer – Presenting Andrew Jefford

First venturing into writing of wine with a 1988 book on Port, Andrew Jefford grew into one of the world’s most skilled and hailed communicator of it along with noted tangents into whiskey, tea, an...

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Meridith May

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Meridith May

In 2007 Meridith May had been serving as publisher/editor of California-based veteran Paterson’s Beverage Journal with Anthony Dias Blue, its ongoing columnist, when the two bought the name ‘Paters...

Sicily’s Noble Red – Nero d’Avola

Sicily’s Noble Red – Nero d’Avola

Dating from early Greek settlements here, Nero d’Avola is one of  Italy’s top five grapes and the most noble of Sicily.  It is still known as Calabrese, meaning “from Calabria”, or possibly even de...

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Gerard Basset

Insider Interviews by David Furer - Presenting Gerard Basset

France’s bi-ennial Vinisud exhibition allowed me to watch Gérard Basset presenting a range of Mediterranean wines with fellow World Champion Sommelier Paolo Basso. Most of Basset’s working hours ar...

2012 Vintage Challenging in Burgundy

2012 Vintage Challenging in Burgundy

Temperatures rose quickly in the tent at the Hotel Vitale’s Americano Restaurant last month, and not just because of the unseasonably warm San Francisco weather. Women were swooning over the charmi...

Okanagan Valley – Wines of British Columbia

Okanagan Valley – Wines of British Columbia

Wine production, quality, and tourism are booming in the Okanagan Valley, Canada’s predominant wine district of the five contained within British Columbia; the other officially­ designated viticult...

Pesticides in French Wine

I can hear a soulful Edith Piaf lamenting, “Mon Dieu”. With the French Paradox we learned that drinking wine in moderation, with even a rich meal, may be beneficial to our health and lower chances ...

Jura Wines on the Rise

Jura Wines on the Rise

Learning that the French Alpine Skiing team had their final training for the Sochi Olympics in Monts Jura (Lélex-Crozet), it seemed like a great time to provide an update on the Jura wine region. F...

Three Amazing Days for California Wine

Three Amazing Days for California Wine

The Inaugural California Wine Appellation Specialist® 3-Day in Santa Rosa. Which California AVA is the star in Mendocino for Pinot Noir and sparkling wine? 

9 Easy Ways to Improve Your Wine IQ in San Francisco

9 Easy Ways to Improve Your Wine IQ in San Francisco

If you want to learn about wine in San Francisco, take advantage of the many resources at your fingertips, plus the miles of wine country just a short drive away. Here are some tips from San Franci...

Women in Wine on the Rise

Women in Wine on the Rise

The second half of 2013 saw an upsurge in activities for women in wine in South America. In December at the Museo del Vino was the first meeting of the Asociación de Muejeres del Vino del Uruguay (...

San Francisco Wine School Offers Only California Wine Credential Program

San Francisco, CA, January 17, 2014 – San Francisco Wine School is offering the first and only formal credential relating to California wines to shape a new generation of industry-leading Californi...

My Experience at the San Francisco Wine School

My Experience at the San Francisco Wine School

California Wine Appellation Specialist ® Class 1: US/CA Wine Law and Mendocino County. The evening kicked off with a taste of Roederer Estate Brut Rose NV.

Alsace Goes Dry & Crab Is In

Alsace Goes Dry & Crab Is In

Since 2008, Alsace Rieslings have been obliged to be less than 9 g/l residual sugar, marking the interests of those who have long touted a preference for drier Rieslings. Vendanges Tardives (VT) an...

Why Study California Wine?

Why Study California Wine?

Have you tasted that amazing 98-point Cabernet from NextNewWinery? It was featured in Wine Speculator and Bob Park’s Wine No-Advertising.

Chile – The Big Freeze

Chile – The Big Freeze

On September 17th and again a week later, several of Chile’s prime agricultural zones were hit with severe frost, the worst in decades. The world will enjoy less of Chile’s fruit and wine as a result.

Champagne Fall Release Report

Champagne is going green. The CIVC has approved a new bottle (2 oz total weight) reducing the region’s CO2 output by 8,000 metric tons.

Fall  Release Report – Spain

Fall Release Report – Spain

Cava is always a bargain, but the elegant, lemony and slightly yeasty Anna de Cordoniu Cava Brut nv $15 is especially a good deal. Ideal for showcasing delicate seafood and shellfish dishes, it als...

Moon Mountain AVA

Moon Mountain AVA

Moon Mountain adds to the list of Sonoma’s AVAs, now making it 16. Born October 1, 2013, it may be a mere infant in terms of recognition but plenty of winemakers and viticulturists have long known ...