Due to low interest and my co-instructor getting sick, we are cancelling the dessert wine pairing class that would have been held tomorrow.
Pick up again next month with Be Your Own Critic, details to follow.
Rosenblum fans out there, dessert wine lovers, sweet tooth addicts, have I got a class for you. Our next wine seminar is coming up quickly, and there are still a few spots left.
EDIT: class cancelled!
So often, people fill up on dinner and neglect to save room for dessert. We think that’s a shame but realize that it does happen. However, don’t be scared to think outside the box. Have you ever thought about having dessert wine with dinner? One of the most classic pairings, and one that I adored when I finally got the chance to taste it, is foie gras with the decadently rich Sauternes. While we don’t have that kind of budget for this class (both are super expensive), we do have some pretty tasty dessert wines here at Rosenblum Cellars. And they’re quite affordable ($16-$18 per bottle). We’re going to show you how to pair them with both savory and sweet items. It’s a whole new world over here in Alameda, and we want you to help us explore!
When: Wednesday, April 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: the reserve room at Rosenblum Cellars (check in at the tasting room)
What: learn about dessert wines and what to pair with them, tasting your way through the lesson
How much: $40 per person, with a $5 discount for wine club members
Who: you… and a friend…or maybe even a date (I know I’d be impressed!)
How to reserve a spot: Call Samantha at 510-995-4100 before it’s too late
Hope to see you there.
dessert wine with dinner, wine classes in the East Bay, dessert wine pairing class, fun things to do in Alameda
This coming Wednesday evening will find Sean and myself in front of another class, after being in the kitchen all day. The food and wine pairings seminar will be our fourth in a line of very successful attempts, so far. Being that I love to cook and that I adore picking the right wines for the meal (and vice versa), this class is right up my alley.
I’ve been researching and scouring through several books such as The Perfect Match: Pairing Delicious Recipes with Great Wine and The Wine Lover’s Cookbook to get ideas for tips and specific combinations. Right now, I’m thinking of maybe making pork satay, BBQ chicken pizza, and peppered flank steak to go with several of our wines. The one thing I’m really sad about, though, is that we don’t have a sparkling—as that’s such a perfect partner for so many cocktail party classics. Ah…oh, well.
The details are as follows… (more…)
With tonight being Open That Bottle Night, I think it’s as good a time as any to say how our To Age or Not To Age wine seminar went. Smashingly, thank you for asking. I have to say, I was a little worried about this one going into it. What if people wanted definitive answers? What if the information was too dry?
Not to worry….everyone had a grand time and said they learned a lot. Not only did we present a variety of suggestions for how to decide if aged wine is your style, we gave the class a run-down on how to cellar wine, what to avoid, and some quick-fix ideas.
The wines we tasted provided some fun comparisons. (more…)
Our third wine seminar is coming up in approximately two weeks. To Age or Not To Age will take place Wednesday, February 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 at the winery in Alameda. Sean and I will address ways to decide whether you should hold on to certain bottles or if they’re ready to drink now. We’ll do tastings of Rosenblum wines that tend to take more time to become accessible, including some wines from the library. (Always a treat to pull those out!) I will also discuss one of my favorite wine-related events: Open That Bottle Night, created by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, and will give attendees a chance to participate in the celebration which takes place the following Saturday, February 23.
Speaking of… (more…)
Everyone seemed to have a grand time at last week’s wine seminar, the second in our series. Sean and I were joined this time by Kevin, our enologist who’s been at Rosenblum for ten years. He explained the specifics of Rosenblum’s vineyard management and winemaking techniques and how the two can affect the profile of wine specific to our style. Sean discussed components and the aspects of tasting wine, while I addressed the myth of the tongue map and issues of taste and smell and how the two are combined. I even conducted a fun experiment, courtesy of Jancis Robinson, to demonstrate how important the sense of smell is.
Of course, there was tasting: a span of six Rosenblum wines, while we passed out samples of different fruits, spices, and other components common to our wine.
Another full house, I think this one may have been even better than the Zinfandel History and Tasting
Tonight is our Component Analysis seminar, and I’m hard at work this morning getting things ready. Boiling, chopping, smashing, grating, and washing items to analyze. I’m super excited about this one. Not only are we going to discuss tasting techniques, but we’re going to get down and dirty (ok, not really) with experiments and putting our noses to good use. The class will get a chance to see what aromas and flavors they can pick out in six different Rosenblum wines. No pressure, just fun.
And here’s a tip for a class like this and for any winetasting excursion: don’t wear perfume, oils, or cologne. You don’t want competing aromas to distract from those in the wine and make your nose work that much harder. Trust me, I love perfume, and it pains me to not be able to wear it to work, but I know how difficult it is when customers come in who seem to have doused themselves in the stuff. It’s hard to breathe in such close quarters, much less smell the wine.
By the way, this seminar is full, but here’s a heads up for the next one: Feb.20–To Age or Not To Age, more details to follow.
Component Analysis seminar, winetasting etiquette, wine classes
Sean and I are hosting our second wine seminar, along with Kevin Wiens, our hard-working enologist.
The topic is Component Analysis, where we’ll wake up our senses and figure out just what the heck is in that wine. We’ll see, sniff, and sip our way through different flavors. I even ordered a special treat for everyone to take home and assist in further studies.
It’s next Wednesday, January 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 in the reserve room at the winery. I believe there are only 4 slots left, so don’t wait. Call Sam at 510-995-4100 to reserve a spot for only $40 or $35 if you’re in our wine club.
It looks to be another good one, so I hope to see you there.
This site is your go-to for answers about wine, courtesy of someone in the business. Firsthand knowledge and hours of research logged each week provide informed and impassioned suggestions for what wine to serve with meals (sometimes with recipes), places to go for education or fun, and what to buy or not buy. Wine Outlook is where you go when you’ve had too much to drink or not enough.
Wine Outlook Author(s)
» Farley
