Wine Classes at the Museo!

We are pleased to announce the first wine classes at the Museo! Each class will include a short lesson followed by a tasting and discussion of five or six wines. The emphasis will be on increasing your enjoyment of wine and encouraging you to explore new areas of the wine world. The classes are appropriate for both newcomers with a budding interest in wine and devoted wine lovers wishing to hone their tasting skills or try something new. To allow the sort of atmosphere best suited to the study of wine, classes are limited to ten people. The cost is $125 for each four-week session.

There are two classes to choose from:

The Tasting Class: Thursdays - 6:30pm - 8:30pm - February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2009

Learn the wine tasting techniques taught in professional courses in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The grape varieties behind Europe's great wines will be discussed and typical examples from the world's most famous regions will be tasted. Basic winemaking concepts will be covered with the goal of understanding the factors influencing price and quality (and why the two don't always coincide). We will also talk about why certain wines improve with age as well as learning, and partaking in, some classic food pairings. The tastings in this class are designed to demonstrate how the various components of wine affect its taste and you will learn to describe the wines in the vocabulary used by the trade.

The Traveling Class: Fridays - 6:30pm - 8:30pm - March 6, 13, 20, 27, 2009

The Traveling Class embraces the cultural and geographical aspects of wine. Each week the class will explore the wines and winemaking traditions of a single wine region. Tastings in this class will feature wines that are often skipped over in more general tastings in addition to the old favorites. The purpose is to give each region the sort of up-close look it would receive were you to visit it. Lessons will focus on the geography, vine growing and winemaking techniques of the region. Local food pairings will be discussed and when practical, enjoyed as well. Naturally these classes will begin with the great regions of Italy.

The regions covered in the first class will be: Veneto, Piedmont, Campania and Sicily

About the instructor: Zach Zito is a graduate and member of the International Sommelier Guild and has worked in the wine business as a retail clerk, importer representative, and cellar organizer.