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Click here to learn more about: Our philosophy, How to register, What our classes are like, Our credit policy, and much more...
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Wine 101 One Night |
| Saturday, Sept 11 (Wine 101) |
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| Thursday, Sept 16 (Wine 101) |
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| Saturday, Oct 9 (Wine 101) |
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Special Food & Wine Seminars |
| Pairing Cheese & Wine - The Basics (Sept 25) |
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| Napa vs. Bordeaux (Oct 8) |
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| A Focus on Reds (Oct 16) |
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Regional Wine Explorations |
| France - Making Sense of it All (Sept 18) |
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| Spain & Portugal - Big, Bold Reds (Sept 30) |
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| Spain & Portugal - Big, Bold Reds (Nov 12) |
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16 Wines, 8 Cheeses, 1 Night |
| Saturday, Aug 28 (16.8) |
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| Friday, Sept 17 (16.8) |
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| Saturday, Oct 23 (16.8) |
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Gifts & Promotions |
| Any Class Anytime - $90 |
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| Any 4 Classes Anytime - $275 |
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Wine 101 One Night
The Wine 101 class promises, at a minimum, you will taste a dozen unique wines, sample artisanal cheeses from Murray's Cheese, and leave with a keen sense of what makes wines different along with a better understanding of what you like. While that may seem sufficient for two hours, we aim for more. In this, one of our most popular offerings, we hope you will develop a newfound admiration for this incredible product of nature while tasting the differences in body, tannin, and sweetness of wines.
Wine has been with us for millennia, and while it can seem a daunting subject, it should not be. We will explore numerous regions of the world as well as briefly discuss how grapes grow and how wine is made (the most exciting part of the class, honestly). We believe that wine should be enjoyed by all on a regular basis.
Saturday, Sept 11 (Wine 101)
Date: Saturday, September 11
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Price: $90
Thursday, Sept 16 (Wine 101)
Date: Thursday, September 16
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: $90
Saturday, Oct 9 (Wine 101)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Price: $90
Special Food & Wine Seminars
These classes typically focus on the wines and culinary contributions of one specific country or region. We discuss the history and importance of the wines and talk about how to pair them with various types of cuisine.
Pairing Cheese & Wine - The Basics (Sept 25)
Date: Saturday, September 25
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Price: $90
Guest Speaker: Traci Donaldson Lee
The last few years have witnessed the touting of cheese and wine as the couple to emulate; the hottest duo around. Yet while their cohabitation of the table may be de rigueur in other parts of the world, it is only recently that, as a nation, we have begun to explore in earnest the myriad combinations of food and wine available to us, and for this we should celebrate. With a basic understanding of wine fundamentals (detecting sweetness, acid, and tannins) and cheese types (washed-rind, bloomy-rind, etc...), and knowing how they interact, you will learn how to play matchmaker with these two consumables so as to ignite flavor explosions nearly every night of the week.
We will taste white wines, from dry and minerally to rich and creamy, along with reds, some rustic and earthy, others bold and dramatic. Most importantly, none of the participants demand the spotlight, yet they are able to collectively heighten each other's flavors, showing them off in a veritable quid pro quo. In short, all you wanted to know about the art and science of successfully pairing cheese with wine will be discussed (and tasted) in this much-anticipated evening. Ultimately, you decide what works when pairing wine and food, and if it tastes good, that is the principle aim, yet grasping a few rules can't hurt, even if simply for the chance to break them.
NB -This course will be led by Traci Donaldson Lee (her second time due to popular demand), a fearless member of the NYCwinecompany staff. She does a little of everything around here, and she has been involved in the wine & cheese community for over ten years now, having previously worked at both Murray's Cheese as well as Bottlerocket Wines & Spirits. I'll be joining her to simply add a brief talk on wine fundamentals and properties, while the course design and pairings are all her. We hope you can join us!
Napa vs. Bordeaux (Oct 8)
Date: Friday, October 8
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: $90
Both grow Cabernet Sauvignon, both are fiercely loyal to their region, and both create intense, complex, long-lived wines. Yet they are not the same. Bordeaux, with its centuries of history and ornate chateaux, claims restraint and finesse as well as power, yet by a judicious hand. The wines of Pauillac, Margaux, Graves, St Julien, Pomerol, St Emilion and St Estephe are all possible appearances.
As for Napa, they too have a rich history, yet it is one more of rags to riches than of landed gentry. Here, with their all too reliable sunshine and rainless summers, they craft wines that display purity of fruit, seamless tannins, soft mid-palates, and simply put, gobs of flavor. Both locales, however, offer up many exceptions to these stereotypes, leaving one to consider the producer and not the region alone.
We will taste a number of wines blind so you can decide without the label which you prefer. We will also sample wines of different price points to determine if the higher priced bottles are actually worth the added cost. Older vintages will also play a role with bottle prices for the tasting ranging from $20 to $50, possibly higher. We will accompany the wines with a number of perfectly aged cheeses, some French, some American.
A Focus on Reds (Oct 16)
Date: Saturday, October 16
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Price: $90
Even though white wines can be as "serious" and as complex as their counterparts in rouge, reds beckon to us in ways whites often do not, and I, too, fall prey as much as anyone to this call. If you welcome the bite of winter solely to find guilt-free solace in a rich, peppery Shiraz, or if you can find succor in a glass of red at day's end, never mind the season nor the forecast, this class is a must.
During this one evening seminar we will explore the basics of red wine production as well as highlight the qualities of the major red grape varieties. By understanding how Pinot Noir differs from Cabernet Sauvignon or from Nebbiolo, one begins to understand why the wines taste as they do and why they each exhibit such telltale personalities.
Furthermore, while we can only explore a specific number of regions and grapes in one evening, you will leave this class with a key understanding of why, for example, wines from Oregon and other cooler areas often taste as they do and why they tend to grow certain grapes over others. You will also taste and become familiar with some of the distinct flavors commonly noted in certain grapes such as the green pepper of Cabernet Franc, or the strawberry of Gamay, or the violets of Dolcetto.
And not to be left out...tannins. We will taste and discuss the role of tannins, how to detect them in wines, and how to begin the journey of knowing when to age, and when it's best to pull the cork. You can count on learning as much as we can possibly fit into one evening about red wines, their component parts, and the enormous variety they offer.
Regional Wine Explorations
Whether it is one of our always-popular-classes featuring Italy or France, or a never held before seminar on the wines grown in Hungary or South Africa, these classes focus on regions and therefore highlight wines that speak of place, and of course, the people who make them.
France - Making Sense of it All (Sept 18)
Date: Saturday, September 18
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Price: $90
French wines ooze intimidation; the language, no grape listed anywhere in sight, countless vineyards and producers, and all this at often exorbitant prices. Yet even in the face of these apparent obstacles, France is worthy of our attention. Why? Simply because they still continue to create so many of the world’s most intriguing, exotic, and individualistic wines.
France is the birthplace of most noble grape varieties we know today; Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and others. We will taste many of these grapes which have all been grown in their respective regions in France such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and others. The French classification system, based largely on the concept of regional identity, is actually a blessing once you understand the ideology behind it. If, for example, you taste Sancerre, or Hermitage, or Chambolle-Musigny, and you like the wine, then you can feel confident in buying other bottlings from that region, even if the producer or vintage is different from the one originally tasted. (maybe you will like it even better).
You are bound to fall in love with at least one of these wine-producing areas, especially after discovering the rich history and culture that are so much a part of what makes these wines unique. Of equal importance, we will address the basics of reading labels and other essentials in order to give you a deeper, more inherent understanding of these delicious products of nature. French artisanal cheeses and pate de compagne will also make a definite appearance.
Spain & Portugal - Big, Bold Reds (Sept 30)
Date: Thursday, September 30
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: $90
See complete class description on the Nov 12 listing. Thank You!
Spain & Portugal - Big, Bold Reds (Nov 12)
Date: Friday, November 12
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Price: $90
You could sample a new Spanish wine every night of the year and still not experience all the variety that this country produces. Each region has their own specialty. Rioja creates smoky, earthy, subtle reds with the Tempranillo grape, while the Priorat region makes rich, dense, powerful reds from the Garnacha variety. The Ribera del Duero also employs the Tempranillo grape, yielding wines bigger and more powerful than those of Rioja. And this is just a few of the reds we will try.
As for whites, Spain may not spring to mind, but it should. Whether it's the crisp, aromatic Albarino grape of Galicia, or the lemony & spritzy apertif wines from the Basque region's Txacoli zone, Spain has countless inimitable bottlings, with many at extremely favorable prices.
Spain alone easily fills an evening, yet Portugal, its neighbor, is equally deserving of attention. Here you will taste many full-bodied wines made from varieties both familiar and unknown. While often a bit more 'old world' in style, they offer an interesting counterpoint to Spain's offerings.
Since we're talking about neighbors, it would be unfair to leave Andorra out of the mix. This tiny mountainous principality creates a few unique wines all their own. Growing at high elevations offers unique challenges, yet the resulting wines tend to show rich flavors wrapped up in well balanced wines that eschew excessive tannins and body in favor of creating a food-friendly beverage.
We will feast upon a cornucopia of Spanish meats, Marcona Almonds, Arbequina Olives, and some of the Iberian peninsula's most distinctive cheeses. We individually plate the evening's selection of cheeses for each guest. They are designed to complement the wines and we will discuss food and wine pairing, some rules, some traditions, and how to step outside them whenever you care to.
16 Wines, 8 Cheeses, 1 Night
This event used to be called 20 Wines, 10 Cheeses, 1 Night. Numerous runs of this course, however, proved that this was simply overkill, more so for the students than for us. Fear not, the spirit of it is the same, and it is an exciting event to attend. In this class, we serve eight pairs of wines, a number of which will be from up-and-coming areas around the world such as South Africa, South America, Australia, Spain, and New Zealand. Each pair will contain wines from either the same region or same grape. The two wines will be similar yet with at least one differentiating factor to distinguish them. I will briefly highlight the grapes used, the climate, and the production method for each wine served.
Through this you will learn about what makes wines different while also discovering your own preferences. And yes, maybe you will like both wines in each pair, maybe neither, that is part of the journey that is this class. Along with each wine poured we will discuss wines that are similar to the one tasted and are readily available in most stores. You will then have a list of wines that you know will either offer pleasure or should be avoided. In addition, each pair of wines will be accompanied by an artisanal cheese chosen specifically for its compatibility with the wines. Through this you can learn about new and interesting cheeses as well as how to pair them with wines that you like. We really hope you can make it to this unique and exciting tasting forum.
Saturday, Aug 28 (16.8)
Date: Saturday, August 28
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Price: $90
Please scroll up for course description. Thank you!
*** Class Full ***
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Friday, Sept 17 (16.8)
Date: Friday, September 17
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:45 PM
Price: $90
Please scroll up for course description. Thank you!
Saturday, Oct 23 (16.8)
Date: Saturday, October 23
Location: 167 West 23rd Street
Time: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Price: $90
Please scroll up for course description. Thank you!
Gifts & Promotions
You know the situation - You need a gift for someone about whom you know very little, you're annoyed at spending cash on a gift that provides a 50/50 chance, at best, that they'll like it. Without a choice, you shop, and shop, and shop, until you surrender to Sephora, convincing yourself, "I think they said they needed face creme and essential bath oils." Give them a wine class and they'll thank you time and again. It's the gift that keeps giving.
Any Class Anytime - $90
Price: $90
If you would like to offer wine classes as a gift, yet the recipient's life is decided by strategically placed post-it notes and putting out fires, then we propose our open-ended certificate. It can be used anytime for any class we offer (up to $90 and assuming availability) and it's good for two years. Better yet they can reserve date(s) then change them last minute if they need to for another class. Classes are offered year round and we add new classes about once a month.
We can signify a specific date or class topic if you like, yet even in that event, the certificate is still valid for any class they choose if they call to change it. Thank you for your consideration!
Any 4 Classes Anytime - $275
Price: $275
The owner has lost his mind. When you buy this 4-pack, you save $85 off the regular price. Wow. Use the savings however you wish, bring home a bucket of wings from The Wing Wagon, or maybe a case of paper from Staples.
The 4 classes can be used in any combination you desire, 4 people to one class, two people to two, or be selfish, and go solo to four classes. Valid for two years and for all classes up to $90.
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