An Interesting Intro
To Wine
An 8 week wine course in Oxford
Learn more about wine, understand what you like and why, and start buying wine for more reasons than just a cool label.
Do you secretly mostly choose wine that is:
a) as close to £10.99 as possible and
b) has a cool label with a nice font?
There’s lots of great wine for £10.99 (or whatever your usual price point is – no judgement here!) and we love a nice bit of graphic design as much as anyone else.
But maybe – just putting this out there – it’s possible to have a little bit more to go on when you hit the wine section in the supermarket?
So let’s fix this together. Join us for An Interesting Intro to Wine, a fun way to find out a bit more about what’s in your glass, learn how to choose wine you’ll love, and meet new people along the way.
An Interesting Intro To Wine
An 8 week wine course in Oxford that will give you a practical and entertaining introduction to wine.
You don’t need any previous experience at all, just an interest in wine.
Over 8 weeks – and through more than 50 bottles! – we will learn how to understand what is in a bottle of wine, why it tastes the way it does, and how to choose something you’ll like in a wine shop or restaurant.
(With some wine scandal, fraud and adventure along the way, because there are some GREAT stories in the wine world.)
An Interesting Intro To Wine
Here’s What We’re Going To Cover
Week 1: Basics of Winemaking
In the first week we’re going to look at HOW wine is made, because a basic understanding of winemaking will help you read the back of a bottle and have an idea of what the wine is going to taste like. For example, you’ll learn why some white wine tastes “bready” and some wine tastes like smoke, or just fruit.
Week 2: Fashions in Wine
Wine trends might not move quite as fast as ASOS, but knowing that heavily-oaked Rioja is going out of style in some places and that natural wines are on the way up will give you a bit more insight when faced with a wine list, and help you be a little more daring when picking your Tuesday night bottle.
Week 3: When It’s Hot
How do warm climates and climate change affect wine? Rather than splitting the material covered into countries, or red and white wines, we’re going to look at wines from hot climates first, and what qualities you’ll notice when a wine comes from baking sunshine and low rainfall.
Week 4: When It’s Cold
So naturally it follows that in our fourth week we’ll be looking at wines from cooler climates and lower temperatures. Are they different? Do winemakers have different strategies for dealing with the cold, and how does this affect what you end up drinking?
Week 5: When It Sparkles
Sparkling wine means parties and celebration, right? But there’s more to sparkling wine than Champagne (or cheap Asti!). We’re going to talk about the different ways sparkling wine is made, how to understand what you like and why, and how to find those qualities without paying extra for a big name.
Week 6: When It’s Strong or Sweet
Like sparkling wine, because we don’t usally drink a lot of fortified or sweet wines, we often don’t confidently know the differences between them – or how to have a preference. From a drier than dry Fino Sherry to a syrupy sweet Sauternes, we’re going to get to grips with this delicious set of wines.
Week 7: The Science In Your Glass
Now that we know how wine is made, how it is affected by temperature and some different winemaking techniques, let’s take a closer look at some of the scientific reasons wine tastes the way it does (and when it shouldn’t taste that way at all!).
Week 8: Blind Tasting
What does wine taste like when you haven’t got any information to give you some direction? How can you tell what you’re drinking with just a casual sip? In our last week together we’ll see what flavours and wine-making methods we can spot by aroma and taste alone!
What You Will Come Away With
A clear understanding of a wide range of the world’s wine varieties, how wine is made, and how to choose wines that you like and will enjoy.
The ability to taste and assess wine, and identify the aromas and flavours that tell you how and where it was made, and even what grapes have been used.
Practical experience of tasting and comparing wine from many of the world’s major wine regions, with over 50 wines to help you hone your palate.
Familiarity with major varieties such as:
- Pinot Noir
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chenin Blanc
- Nebbiolo
- Syrah
- Grenache
- Viognier
- Riesling
- Chardonnay and more.
And maybe most importantly, you will meet lots of new people who share your curiosity and interest in wine.
Unlock a whole new world of wine for 2023!
Choose Your Session:
Our Spring sessions are now complete and we will be running this program again in September, October and November, so we will see you then!
An Interesting Intro To Wine: Gift Certificate
Order one, two or more places as a gift, and we will send a personalised gift certificate in an envelope for you to give to the lucky future wine pro!
Gift certificates can be redeemed on any upcoming course with availability within the next 12 months.
Start Date: Any
Location: Jericho, Oxford
