Wine Education Program 2008

Fenton's Wine Merchants would love to share their wine appreciation knowledge with you. Therefore, Fenton's is proud to present a series of seminars and wine courses aimed at tasters of all levels of experience... We will be covering a wide range of topics, such as tastings, wine etiquette, vineyards, grape varieties. wine regions of the world, and many of today's best wine values-just to name a few. There is something here for everyone, whether a beginner, or a seasoned wine veteran!

Have a look at the courses we are offering to see which suit(s) you best. If you are interested in registering for any of these seminars, come down to Fenton's Wine Merchants, and fill out a registration form.

Space is very limited in all our courses, and registration is done on a first come - first serve basis. All courses and seminars are offered in the Forks Market Atrium and start at 7:00 pm sharp.

Course Descriptions

The Fundamentals of Wine Tasting (A comprehensive wine appreciation knowledge course)

A comprehensive wine course designed to extract the most enjoyment from tasting wine. A very informal atmosphere helps the wine lover learn the fundamentals in a relaxed setting. The mystique, and yes, the snobbery, will be removed. This is a course for the inquisitive mind. We will cover proper stemware, the ABC's of the order for tasting different wines, the major wine producing countries and grapes, and much more.

This is a 17 1/2 hour course scheduled in 7 evenings which will be offered once this spring and twice again this fall. Classes will be held from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. The fee is $100 per person, including all printed handouts, and the many wines tasted during the course. You will obtain a certificate of graduation, too!

Sessions:

1. February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 4, 11, and 18
2. September 4, 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, and 16
3. October 14, 21, 28, November 4, 13, 18, and 25

The Great Wine Regions of the World (Seminar Series)

Eight two and a half-hour seminars will be presented over a period of four weeks. Seminars are held from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, and the fee for each seminar is $20 per person, including printed handouts, and the many wines tasted during the seminars.

Bordeaux - Classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc reds, Semillion/ Sauvignon Blanc whites, and Sauternes. - May 1

Burgundy - Home of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Beaujolais - May 6

Loire Valley, Rhone Valley, and Alsace - A kaleidoscope of wine varieties possibly France's least known, and most under appreciated wines. - May 8

Rhine, Mosel - Home of Riesling & Liebfraumilch, Trocken & Trockenbeerenauslese! - May 13

Piedmont - Beautiful Barolo, Barbaresco & Barbera, and home of Asti. - May 15

Tuscany - Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and oh those Vini da Tavolas! - May 20

Rioja, Catalonia, Jerez - Classic Reds from Rioja and Catalonia- wonderful Cava sparklers and Sherries Galore! - May 22

California - Home of the world's largest winery and adopted home of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel. - May 27

Regional Wine Appreciation Knowledge Course:

Includes the 8 classes listed above. Register in this course and receive all 8 seminars for only $150! You will also receive a regional course certificate of graduation if you take all 8 classes.

The Great Wine Grapes of the World (Seminar Series)

Five seminars will provide a very thorough exploration of the grape varieties of the world. Each individual seminar is $20, and will last from 7:00 until 9:30pm. In addition there are four complex tastings for $30 each.

Rieslings from around the World - History of the grape; German roots - September 3

Shiraz vs. Syrah: Australian and Rhone Reds - Historic sites (Persia, Cote Rotie, Hermitage) - September 10

Classic Cabernet: Bordeaux vs. the World - Classified growth Bordeaux, Cabernets from Napa/Sonoma, Australia, Italy, Chile - September 17 

Chardonnays to Drool Over - The best from France- Cote d'Or & Chablis vs. California, Australia, Canada? (yes!) - September 24

Pinot Noir - Classic Cote d'Or, USA (Oregon, too) - October 1

Great Ports, Dessert and Aperitif Wines - Various classes, LBV, ruby, vintage character, crusted, tawny, white, Colheita, vintage.  

Sherries - 

Late Harvests -  

Champagnes - The best wine for celebration - the world's finest sparkling wine - October 9 (Also available March 11 and November 18)

Cognac, Armagnac and Other Distilled Brandies - October 16 (Also available March 18 and November 25)

Pairing Wine and Cheese - How can we most enjoy the 2 noblest delicacies? An exciting cross tasting - October 23

Cooking with Wine - Theoretical exploration of the subject combined with a cross tasting of wines with elegant Pates which were cooked with various wines. - October 30

Advanced Wine Appreciation Knowledge Course: