Celebration Wine Academy

WSET Level 3 - REGISTRATION CLOSES APRIL 1!

Our next WSET Level 3 course runs Mondays, April 13-June 29, 6-9pm!

REGISTER TODAY >> https://celebrationwineacademy.com/course-catalogue/ols/products/wset-level-3-in-wines-in-person

The WSET Level 3 Award in Wines is an advanced and highly respected qualification. WSET Level 3 is designed to give a thorough, in-depth understanding of the factors that account for the style, quality and price of the principal still, sparkling and fortified wines of the world. You will learn all major grape varieties and wine styles produced around the world. This course is not easy, but we will set you up for success! This course includes tasting 70 different, carefully selected wines from around the world.

Finally back in the US and will be posting all about Rioja this week!

🇪🇸 Why was I in Rioja? 🇪🇸
The Rioja Consejo Regulador runs a program called the Rioja Wine Academy for industry professionals to learn all about the new and dynamic things happening in the region so we can spread the word!

🍷Traditional Rioja 🍷
Many of us are familiar with traditional red wines of Rioja - mainly Tempranillo-based blends from grapes sourced throughout the region, barrel aged in lots of new American oak: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. These wines are long-lived and distinctive, but based on winemaking (mainly oak aging). Don't worry - this style is not going away, but lots of new things are happening!

The New Rioja!
🍋 Fresh, fruity white wines being made from local grape varieties (Garnacha Blanca, Viura, Malvasia, etc.) 🍋‍🟩
🍍 New white grape varieties being discovered in the region that can't be found anywhere else (Tempranillo Blanco) 🍑
🥂Sparkling wines being made using the same method as Champagne 🍏
🍇 "Unblending" - distinctive single-varietal red wines rather than mainly Tempranillo blends (Maturana Tinta, Garnacha, Graciano, etc.) 🍷
🌿A focus on "terroir" - wines with unique character from specific villages and vineyards, rather than regional blends
🪨A significantly reduced use of new American oak in favor of more subtle French oak, old oak, concrete and amphorae to better express rather than hide the fruit and terroir

All of these exciting changes are bringing Rioja into the future and making it one of the most dynamic regions in the wine world today! So follow me all week while we dive a little deeper into Rioja - the traditional and the modern - to see there is something here for everyone!

After a very long travel day I finally made it to Rioja! Ready to kick off Day 1 with quite a number of producer visits and wine tastings. I was invited here to become a certified Rioja Wine Educator sponsored by the Rioja Consejo Regulador (regulatory authority). They want the world to know how dynamic Rioja is today - way more than the traditional styles they’ve been known for. Stay tuned for all the geeky wine details!

WSET Level 1 Class - Dec 8, 9am-4pm
EARN YOUR BEGINNER WINE CERTIFICATION IN ONE DAY!
Nov 24th Registration Deadline
https://celebrationwineacademy.com/course-catalogue/ols/products/wset-level-1-in-wines-in-person

Are you ready to embark on a delightful journey through the world of wine? Whether you’re aiming to impress at your next dinner party or simply want to learn more about what’s in your glass, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses are the perfect first step!

Designed for beginner wine enthusiasts, WSET Level 1 offers a comprehensive foundation in wine appreciation. You will learn about essential grape varieties, wine styles, principal wine regions of the world, wine tasting techniques, and food and wine pairing. You will be taught by an expert instructor using a mix of theory and practical tasting sessions, where you will taste and assess 10 different wines!

WSET Level 2 - REGISTRATION CLOSES SEPTEMBER 28!

Our next WSET Level 2 course runs Mondays, Oct 6 - Nov 10, 6-9pm!

REGISTER TODAY >> https://celebrationwineacademy.com/course-catalogue/ols/products/wset-level-2-in-wines-in-person

WSET Level 2 is for those new to wine or with some base wine knowledge and ready for something more. Whether you completed Level 1 or want to skip it and move straight into Level 2, you are welcome in this course! Here you will gain knowledge of the principal and regionally important grape varieties of the world, the regions in which they are grown, and the styles of wine they produce. You will also learn to read wine labels from the main wine-producing regions of the world. You will taste 40 different wines from around the world and learn how to describe these wines with confidence!

I just learned this morning that I was accepted as a Master of Wine student - now the real work begins! Master of Wine is one of the most difficult programs in the world with only 425 MWs globally - 56 in the US, of which only 24 are women. The program can take as little as 3 years to complete but for many, it can take a decade or sometimes longer. This is pretty much going to be my full time job for a while, in addition to teaching WSET classes, of course. Wish me luck!!

This week I took some of my WSET students to the James Suckling Great Wines of the World event in NYC. With 300+ producers and thousands of wines to taste, I led them on a curated tour of the event. We had so much fun!!! And I think they learned some great stuff along the way. My students are the best!

Chenin Blanc is often described as having aromas of quince. How many of you out there have ever had a quince? I know I haven’t! Quince originated in the Caucasus and Central Asia. In the US it is mainly grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley. So what is a wine student to do when one lacks the experience with a common aroma descriptor? Buy it on Amazon, of course!

I purchased 1/2 dozen fresh quince. What I learned is that it is a very dense and dry fruit, making it pretty terrible to eat raw due to texture more than flavor. Rather it is best when cooked or made into jams. When ripe, quince has sweet yellow orchard fruit aroma (sort of a cross between apples and pears). And lo and behold, is very similar to the smell of Chenin Blanc!

So whenever you are faced with a wine descriptor that you are unfamiliar with, do some shopping and find that item to experience it for yourself!

Would you drink a glass of wine with this stuff floating in it?! I would!!!

What is that stuff you may find floating in your wine that looks like shards of glass? Those are tartrate crystals, also known as "wine diamonds". They are completely harmless and flavorless deposits of potassium bitartrate, a byproduct of the winemaking process. They form in wine when tartaric acid and potassium bind together during fermentation, aging, or when wine is exposed to cold temperatures.

Very commonly, winemakers will chill their wines before bottling (called cold stabilization) to form the crystals and then filter them out of the wine, so consumers never see them. However, some winemakers choose to avoid lots of fining and filtering of their wines because these processes can also strip some flavor and aroma.

When I see tartrate crystals in my wine, it tells me the winemaker is dedicated to preserving as much character and complexity as possible by minimizing processing of their wines.

Fun Fact: Tartrate crystals are the same substance used to make cream of tartar, a baking ingredient.

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