Take a wine class

“My husband was going to grad school and I decided I wanted to take a class, so what better class than one where I can learn and drink? And I was totally hooked…I became a wine geek almost overnight. I took took a 6 week class at the Washington Wine Academy. It was described as being for beginners who liked to drink wine, but knew nothing about it…so I figured that was perfect for me. The class ended up being far more detailed than I expected…talking about soil types, climates for growing particular grapes. I hadn’t really thought about the science of viticulture before, and I was fascinated. Plus, there was the tasting six wines a night.”

“I can now say that I’ve been formally introduced to the beginning and intricate chapters of wine through my first class. [...] We then moved toward the Wine Tasting experience, which throws the senses into overdrive. Sight, smell and taste are the three steps to experiencing a glass of wine effectively. It allows for you to digest an array of thoughts and feelings that are expressed in adjectives. [...] One fascinating moment was during the sight portion of the experience. When swishing the wine around in the glass, we learned that water and alcohol have the legs to leave tears and hold onto the glass. [...] The Reds section seen in the Still category were an interesting topic of discussion as we talked about the power of the tannins and what wines exhibit them the most. It was said that Cabernet Sauvignon is the most powerful, and there was no doubt about that as we tried a sample from Estancia. The finish had a powerful hold on the palate, and definitely would have required a heavier meal to balance it out.”