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Wine snobs might not want you to know this, but learning to appreciate a fine vintage is something anyone (over 18) can enjoy. In just three hours, this course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the theory – and more excitingly, the practice – of tasting and analysing wine.
Expert tutor Christopher Cooper has been a head sommelier at the Connaught, Savoy Grill and Soho House Group among others. Well known in the industry for eschewing flowery prose in favour of plain-English descriptions of the qualities of a wine, he's the perfect guide for your first steps into this formerly mysterious world. This course aims to introduce wine appreciation novices to the basic principles of how to taste wine, with advice on decoding what to look at; what you're smelling, and what you can taste.
Perfectly accessible for beginners, but suitable for more established enthusiasts, this egalitarian evening demystifies the language and rituals of this exclusive domain to enable anyone to cultivate an informed appreciation for – and opinion of – wine. To help you develop your palate for future wine tastings, Christopher will provide tailored feedback throughout the evening, discussing both your tasting notes and tasting ability to help you build on your new skills. You'll also learn the basics of where wine comes from, how it's made and why it tastes the way it does, as well as elements of food and wine matching, which should make poring over the restaurant wine list a lot more rewarding.
Wines for the event will be supplied courtesy of Lea & Sandeman
This course is for you if...
- You enjoy drinking wine and would like to enhance your knowledge of its history, culture, aromas, textures and flavours
- You have found a previous wine tasting session off-putting or intimidating
Course description
This informal three-hour course covers the theoretical and practical aspects of tasting wine, and teaches you how to analyse its merits and/or faults. There will be an extensive tasting session, plus plenty of time for discussion and Q&A with Christopher Cooper. Topics covered at the event include:
- A brief history of wine
- The basics of wine – what is it and how is it made?
- Why does wine taste like it does?
- The flavour game – what should we be expecting?
- How to taste and analyse wine
- Tasting notes explained
- The tasting session
- Drawing your own conclusions
Tutor profile
Christopher Cooper is London's fresh and revitalising wine and drinks consultant, providing refreshing guidance and commentary for hospitality, the drinks industry and the media. Chris' quirky and witty approach to wine and the broader spectrum of consumable liquids is well respected within the industry. The former group wine buyer for the Soho House Group, he has also worked as head sommelier of Connaught, Savoy Grill, Wolseley and Clos Maggiore. More recently, Chris set up Drinkonomics Limited. Read more about Christopher on his website.
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Details
Date: Wednesday 15 April 2015
Times: 6.30pm-9.30pm. Check-in begins 30 minutes before the start time.
Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU
Price: £99 (includes VAT, booking fee and drinks)
Event capacity: 24
To contact us, click here. Terms and conditions can be found here.
Returns policy
Tickets may be refunded if you contact us at least 14 days before the course start date. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
