I had an opportunity last week to give a California Wine seminar to a local culinary school. It was a very entry level class dealing with the history, varietals, basic labeling rules and tasting of wines from a few of the main wine regions of California. It went very well and was extremely well received by the wide-eyed and intrigued group of students. None of them had much of a wine background, though they were very aware that wine would become an important part of their chosen profession as they moved forward. As usual, some had tried White Zinfandels  and the occasional Moscato here and there, but none had moved past those to more sophisticated wine choices. It wasn’t that they didn’t like these wines, it was just that they has not been introduced to them. So I took them under my wing, showed them the proper way to taste wine and offered them a bit of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. To the surprise of most all of them, they liked the experience very much and said they would be much more pro-active in expanding their knowledge of wine, especially in its relationship to food. Chef Philip, the culinary instructor, was very happy and I would say a little surprised at how open they all were to further pursuing their wine education. I will continue to put on the occasional seminar that will deal with other wine regions and they are eager to take part in some of our local wine events demonstrating their new-found talents for matching wine and food.

So often at our wine tastings people will dismiss wine for no other reason than that they have never really given it a try. As with these students, sometimes it just takes the right time and place for people to give something new a chance. Hopefully this will lead to many years of wine appreciating and help bolster their budding culinary careers. At our tastings, our wine staff, winery reps (and oftentimes the winemakers themselves) are available to answer questions, make suggestions, and offer you the opportunity to taste something new. Most tastings offer upward of 50 (often around 75 or even more) wines to taste from--no excuse to stick only with what you already know you like! And with dozens of tastings statewide every month (admission is only $10), there are lots of chances for you to explore. You can check our current calendar here: www.abcfws.com#events.

Ken Amendola

Wine Supervisor, North Florida