MUSINGS MONTHLY WINE TASTING EVENTS

All 2010 Wine Tastings

Wines of the Rhone
Rhone Valley in France is one of the most diverse wine making regions in the world with some of the oldest vineyards in France. The area is home to some of the most well-known appellations, like Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Côtes du Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape and produces wine in every imaginable style. The area has also been blessed with a near-perfect string of exceptional vintages, starting with 1998 and running through the highly-touted 2007 vintage. At this event we will taste a wide-range of wines from the Rhone Valley in many different styles and colors.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Italy on a Budget
I have long lamented the fact that Italian wine is no longer the value that it once was, but what I have found is that the values in Italy just come from a different set of unexpected regions. Over the last few decades, the focus of Italian wine makers has been more towards quality, not quantity. This “shift in philosophy” combined with a string of great vintages has slowly driven the cost of well-known Italian wines up. The situation is further exacerbated by the weak dollar. The silver lining, though, is that wines from lesser-known regions have greatly improved in quality, but the price escalation is not as steep. At this event we will taste a number of Italian wines that represent a good value ($10 - $15 range), some from lesser known regions and some from the usual players.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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The Essential Wine Cellar
In my classes I am often asked to name the wine list that would be part of any person’s “essential wine cellar.” At first, it seems fairly easy, but when you try to keep budget and space in mind, the exercise gets far more difficult. At this event we will examine a number of wines from around the world in the hopes of pulling together the Essential Wine Cellar.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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1970 Bordeaux
Bordeaux are largely considered royalty amongst collectors. The region is perhaps one of the most famous regions in the world with a winemaking tradition that goes back more than 700 years. The Bordelaise can boast that their wines are one of only a handful of true wine investments with a robust futures market that has returned double-digit income for nearly 400 years. Great vintages in Bordeaux become landmark events that are remembered and recalled by wine connoisseurs around the globe. Truly exceptional vintages are even more treasured. In the Twentieth Century Bordeaux saw fewer than a dozen truly exceptional vintages, 1970 being among them. At this event we will taste a number of Bordeaux wines from the 1970 vintage. With forty years of bottle age on these wines, this event promises to be an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The cost:$100
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Wines of Germany & Austria
Germany has a centuries-old winemaking tradition that produces magnificent wines that are often misunderstood. Some of the misunderstanding comes from the hard-to-read wine labels and highly-complex wine laws, as well as bad memories of the cloyingly sweet Liebfraumilches Blue Nun and BlackTower. Autrian wine has not faired much better, mired in scandal in the mid-1980’s and making a come back with a grape that no one ever heard of (Grüner Veltliner). At this event we will taste a number of German and Austrian wines that represent some of the finest wine produced today and we will (hopefully) clear up some of the confusion and misgivings that shroud these great winemaking regions.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Summer Sippers
Summer is a time for easy drinking, high-value wines that require very little thought or demand even less contemplation. The wines of summer should be light and refreshing, pairing well with the usually light repasts or foods from the grill. At this event we will examine several wines, both white and red that are light, refreshing and represent good value.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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A History of Spain in Ten Glasses
Spain has a rich and ancient history that has touched or influenced many civilizations around the globe. As a powerful nation, rich in culture, Spain has given much to the world, not the least of which is the gift of wine. In this class we will take a trip through Spanish history, linking each major milestone to wines of particular meaning or significance. We'll sample ten Spanish wines that help tell the story of the country's storied past, including reds, whites, sparklers, and sweet dessert wines. A collection of appetizers honoring the diversity and richness that is Spain will accompany our wines.

The cost:$75
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Focus on Cheese
Attendees of my classes have heard me quote an old French proverb: Buy on apples, sell on cheese; and most have witnessed first had what the proverb means. Cheese is the natural accompaniment to wine and for that reason, why not spend some time focusing on the synergies created when truly great wine gets together with simply amazing cheese. At this event we will sample a wide range of artisanal/specialty cheeses with a slate of worthy wines.

The cost:$100
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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I Bet You Never Tasted...
Most of the time when I’m teaching about wine I try to stick with the “representative” wines of a particular country/region. Every so often I’ll mix it up and put an unusual wine in a flight. At this event we will taste nothing but unusual wines, all from regions that folks probably don’t know a whole lot about, but they should…

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Malbec
I’m not conducting this event because Argentinean Malbec is this year’s Pinot Noir, or Merlot. No, I’m conducting this event because folks should know that Malbec achieved fame a long time ago in its native country of France in the regions of Cahors, the Loire and Bordeaux. At this event we will taste a selection of Malbec-based wines, some from the new world and some from the old, but all delicious.

The cost:$50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Art of the Cocktail|
It is believed that the cocktail was invented in the US sometime early in the 19th century.  Largely thought of as the sporting crowd’s answer to fruit laden punches of the day, the classic cocktail has little in common with today’s Slippery Nipple.  The classic cocktail is little more than spirits, bitters, sometimes a mixer and sometimes ice, but in the correct combinations, these elements can yield “a quite serviceable concoction.” At this event we will practice the art of mixing the classic cocktail – from the Sidecar to the Old Fashioned.

The cost: $50
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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Champagne
Holiday celebrations would somehow be diminished without the inclusion of fine Champagne. In the past, we’ve looked at the overall category of sparkling wines, all very nice. However, sometimes there is nothing like the real thing to set one’s heart aflutter. At this tasting we will sample several wines from Champagne, including many vintage and tête du cuvee bottles.

The cost:$100
Location: Wrentham, Massachusetts
Time: 3:00pm
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