New England Wine Academy is thrilled to be able to offer the brand new WSET Beer Certification program. This newly released Awards program has only just been rolled out as of February 2024, and we are one of the first in the country to bring this course to beer enthusiasts.

The Level 1 Beer Certificate provides a great intro to the world of beer. You will learn through sight, smell and taste, you’ll become familiar with a range of beer styles and how they are made. If you work with beer, you’ll be able to answer customer queries with confidence and provide helpful recommendations. If you’re learning for fun, you’ll feel inspired to explore new styles and know how to get the most out of every glass.

As with all WSET certifications, the Beer program has been developed to meet the highest level of educational needs and expectations by the drinks industry as well as global educational standards. Building on a base of theory and understanding from the ground up is key to the programs, and allows students to progress through the levels with a comprehensive foundation that complements practical tasting as well as theoretical knowledge.

Current offerings are delivered via the Canvas online educational platform, and allow students to learn at their own pace over the four weeks and six modules involved in each starting date. Students will learn how beer is made, all about the base material for making beer, including hops and yeast, and then work through modules on various beer styles and understanding their characteristics, and then round out the learning process with some tips on storage and proper service of beer. Level 1 delivers a solid foundation that will allow students to progress to higher levels.

Classes start every two weeks through the academic calendar. Please contact New England Wine Academy with any questions, and see our enrollment page using this link.

​Beer 1 Online Course dates are outlined below.
Course enrollment deadlines are highlighted in red.
Mar 11, 2024 > Apr7, 2024 (Mar 3)
Mar 25, 2024 > Apr 21, 2024 (Mar 17)
Apr 8, 2024 > May 5, 2024 (Mar 31)
Apr 22, 2024 > May 19, 2024 (Apr 14)
May 6, 2024 > Jun 2, 2024 (Apr 28)
May 20, 2024 > Jun 16, 2024 (May 12)
Jun 3, 2024 > Jun 30, 2024 (May 26)
Jun 17, 2024 > Jul 14, 2024 (Jun 9)
Jun  1, 2024 > Jul 28, 2024 (Jun 23)
Jul 15, 2024 > Aug 11, 2024 (Jul 7)
Jul 29, 2024 > Aug 25, 2024 (Jul 21)

February is always an interesting time of the year for me. It's a short month so there is always pressure to get a lot accomplished in what seems even less time than a normal month - I think it has to do with Valentine's Day, which for those of us in the restaurant industry always puts a big mark in the middle of the month. It's a lot of prep and planning as well as marketing and then finally the execution to maximize sales.

Beyond this, February always is loaded with a lot of things, including my birthday and my daughter's birthday. Swim meets to attend. Workshops to host. And then of course the weather is starting to make us think of Spring and warmer days and more sunshine - the 10 darkest weeks of the year are behind us! And for me, this means fending off the lure of leaving the keyboard and sneaking out for a ride in the woods.

This year has shaped up to be pretty much all of the same. I am a little behind in my monthly newsletter, but already this month, aside from the birthdays and great weather, I have also had a college reunion, been to NYC (see notes below), had 7 full supplier presentations, hosted a major wine gala, planned something like 16 dinner and tasting events - executing 6 already this month, and on and on. So apologies if this is a few days late, but here are the upcoming reminders and notes from NEWA to keep in mind for your planning and educational needs...

Feb 10 - Level 3 Wine Workshop
Hartford 9:30 - 3:00 pm.
This is the quarterly workshop I host for all Level 3 candidates. It is the best opportunity to get to taste and learn with me directly for this course. We cover multiple flights of wine all designed to help you calibrate to the WSET tasting style as well as give you a primer on the exam and what to expect for this. We also cover some theory as it relates to tasting. Open to all students currently enrolled in a Level 3 course, or anyone wishing to experience the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach To Tasting. We always have extra room. Use this link to sign up if you are not already attending. Next workshop will be May 4.

Enrollment Deadlines
Please use this link to find access to the enrollment pages for each of the classes listed below

WSET Level 1 Wine
Class running Feb 19, 2024 > Mar 17, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 11)
Class running Mar 4, 2024 > Mar 31, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 24)

WSET Level 2 Wine
Class running Feb 19, 2024 > Mar 24, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 11)
Class running Mar 4, 2024 > Apr 7, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 24)

WSET Level 3 Wine
Class starting Feb 19, 2024 > Apr 21, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 11)
Class starting Mar 11, 2024 > May 12, 2024 (enrollment deadline Mar 2)

WSET Level 1 Spirits
Class starting Mar 4, 2024 > Mar 31, 2024 (enrollment deadline Feb 24)

WSET Level 2 Spirits
Class starting Mar 18, 2024 > Apr 21, 2024 (enrollment deadline Mar 9)

WSET Level 3 Spirits
Class starting Apr 8, 2024 > Jun 9, 2024 (enrollment deadline Mar 30)

Dinner last night at Eleven Madison Park. 
Had the full tasting menu with standard wines pairings.
Every dish was deeply layered with aromas, flavors, and textures that pulled you in.

I really tried not to take (too many) pictures, but we did write notes and attempted to keep track as best as possible to the descriptions. Often there were just too many ingredients or references to catch on the first run-downs by the service persons. I wanted to enjoy the experience without being too concerned with reporting, but sometimes I can't help myself. Anyway...

The highlight for us may have been the opening “tea” (I believe called - A Celebration of Onion) which was so concentrated with onions, leeks, rice, jalapeño, and a few other ingredients. I could have just had this all night. And from there through the dessert it was a series of dishes that were as visually pleasing as they were on the palate.

The wines for the most part were spot on. Selections from Italy, Spain, France (Champagne and Loire), everything was for the most part subtle and well considered. I found one course was not entirely to my taste from a pairing point of view, as the wine and the dish were independently delicious, but together they sort of clashed and the components canceled each other a bit. Elio Altare Barbera d’Alba is just a massive example of this grape - despite the Somm's insistence that it was "very juicy". There is acidity in this wine, but the spices and bitter aspects in the dish compounded against the tannin (yes tannin) in the Barbera and made each taste stiff and angular, and quite frankly dull, when in combination. Being picky here, but after the food cleared our palates the wine shined again. A simpler wine might have accomplished the goal.

Oh, and I did get served one wine that was corked and had to return. It was kind of a shocking little lapse of service to put that wine out, especially considering the fact that our entire meal was monitored by an army of highly trained and attentive service pros. Minor bumps in an altogether fantastic evening. 

My afterthoughts on the food were a little mixed. Everything was outstanding - not a question on that front. But sometimes I think you can overwork the "art" and overwork things that were perhaps best left a bit simpler. I thought some of the dishes just had one or two, too many elements. Many dishes combined cuisines or ingredient inspirations from varied cultural influences, and on a couple of occasions this simply fell a little flat for me. Just one or two ingredients in the dish. As a whole concept, though, this was an extraordinary experience with too many ingredients to keep track of.

PS: the bread service is better than they say. So good we had it twice.

One of the handicaps that I have with working in the wine business, is that I know what the wines are and what they cost. So when I went to EMP, I was expecting to be wowed by the wine pairings (we had the standard pairing, not the reserve), and I think in general, I was simply pleased. No real surprises, just very good wines. As mentioned above, the wines were well considered especially with the style of the food, but when I did the math, there is a fair amount of serious profit in the wine pairing flights per the charge ($145pp), especially when you take into account the ~ 2oz pours. Don't get me wrong, the pour volumes were spot on and there are no complaints about that. All I am saying is that for the amount poured, there was a lot of margin. But that is to be expected, I suppose. The regular wine list is 229 pages, so feel free to order bottles if you like.

The top tasting wine of the flight for me was the first served - Gatinois Champagne, a very good mid-priced Champagne made from GC vineyards in Aÿ. Absolutely delish.

By the way, EMP is entirely vegan, if you were not aware.
​We need more restaurants of this nature in the world.

This past week Enrique Olmedo joined me for an event and helped to host a luncheon featuring the wines from Bodegas Manzanos, which is located in Rioja, Spain. Selected wines from several of the properties or labels under the Manzanos labels were featured.

There is a long history with Bodegas Manzanos (see the website for full details) with the original winery being founded in 1801. The group now has estates, vineyards and holdings across Rioja and Navarra (located just to the east of Rioja), and in general produce many wines of very traditional styling. One of the things I learned from Enrique in our conversation was that they currently have vintages of Gran Reserva dating back to 1947 - yeah - 77 years! I have said many times that I believe Gran Reserva Rioja to be one of the singular best value wine categories in the entire wine world. You can routinely find current and  library vintages that are not expensive - like seriously not expensive - especially when you take into account the age, the drinkability, and general fantastic style of these wines. Gran Reservas are aged a minimum of 5 years in a combination of wood and bottle prior to release, but this is only a minimum. The current Manzanos Gran Reserva is from 2015, and is delicious - but retail on this 9 year old wine is about $35. You don't get that from California, Bordeaux, Italy - anywhere really. Pro tip - get some Rioja Gran Reserva.

As a side note, we tasted wines at the event from Navarra under the Las Campanas label, and from Rioja under the Bercero and Manzanos labels. At the conclusion of the event I sat with Enrique and he was kind enough to give me a few minutes to answer 5 Questions...

Before we get started, tell me how you got your start in the wine business...

EO
Actually, my first job in the wine business was as an intern working in Warsaw, Poland for the Spanish Embassy, there, and I was in charge of the Food and Beverage Department. We were in the embassy in the Economic Chamber. It was helping Spanish companies to make business in Poland, in general. I was in charge of food and beverage, and it was mostly wine. We organized a lot of wine tastings and trade shows for Spanish wineries in Poland. So that was my first experience in the wine business. Then I went to Chile, and then later I started working for Manzanos - they wanted people to work in the U.S. 
Ok, that is the first time I have ever had someone tell me they started in the wine business in Poland - that's interesting.

Have you had any formal wine training, such as WSET, Masters of Wine courses, or similar - or have you just learned as you have worked?

EO
Not really. I just learned along the way. I was passionate since I was pretty young and I learned by myself.

Did you ever work in restaurants or wine shops or anything connected to the wine business before going to Poland and working that government internship?

EO
Not really. I had worked very occasionally in my home town but it was really in the tastings in Poland that I learned about wines and then along the way.

Outside of Rioja, where you/your winery is based, is there a style or type of wine that you like personally?

EO
Outside of Rioja, I really like Jumilla in southeast Spain. Also, I like Priorat.
Anything outside of Spain?
I really like Malbecs. Chilean wines such as good Carménère. I was living there so I became fond of them. 
So Malbec and Carménère are interesting because they are not super mainstream, at least here in the U.S. Obviously Malbec is more popular and we sell a good amount, but with Carménère we sell less by far. What do you like about Carménère? Is it something you can relate back to wines from Spain or is it because of a unique identity?
So, it is very unique, and to be honest I really like the story of how they thought is was extinct, but then they realized a lot of their Merlot was actually Carménère.

Thinking of your personal tastes, outside of your portfolio, on a Tuesday night - what do you like to drink?

EO
I don't want to sound too nationalistic, but to be honest I really like to stick with what is grown in Spain. Any region really. Depending on my mood, I like wines sometimes from Ribera del Duero, Priorat, Jumilla, as I said before. 
You have a lot of great wines in Spain - you don't have to apologize...
Not much is available in the U.S., but Granada wines (DOP in the south of Spain in the region of Andalusia) I really go for. High altitude wines and they are delicious local production. If you can find one they are really delicious. 
How about cocktails? Spain is famous for cocktails - do you go for them, ever?
Yeah, I stick with classics. My cocktail go-to would be a gin and tonic. Now. I am getting used to the espresso martinis (you and everybody else) here in the U.S.

So not the Tuesday night wine, but in the past six months or so, what is the most memorable wine you have tasted? Anything stand out for being exceptional, rare, older, or just unique?

EO
Yeah, yeah...we have wines from Manzanos from 1947 to 1989. Not every vintage, of course, but we have many older vintages. All in the Gran Reserva category.
You sell those? I'd like to get that list...
Yes, we even submitted the 1961 to Wine Enthusiast and receive 96 point, so that gives you a reference. 
So, you have tasted some of these?
Yes, I tasted that one - the 1961. Phenomenal.
So at this point that would be 63 years old - that is pretty cool to get to taste something that old and from a completely different era.
Yes, pretty amazing.

Ok, that's it - thank you very much.
I really appreciate you taking some time and giving me a chance to learn about you and the wines, as well as attending the event today.

https://bodegasmanzanos.com


As a side note, a few facts about the wines from Granada, or as they are officially referred to...
D.O Vinos de Calidad de Granada

• 5 million bottles of wine produced annually
• Located in the very south of Spain - very hot region, but with some coastline on the Mediterranean
• Tons of sunlight
• Devastated as a region by phylloxera in the late 1800s, the wine industry did not begin to recover until about the 1990s
• Vines are grown at altitude. Average 1200m2 above sea level

Authorized varieties for DOP Granada Wine:
White Varieties:

• Vijiriega
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Moscatel de Alejandría
• Moscatel de Grano Menudo – Morisca
• Pedro Ximénez
• Baladí Verdejo
• Palomino
• Torrontés

​Red Varieties

• Tempranillo
• Garnacha
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cabernet Franc
• Merlot
• Syrah
• Pinot Noir
• Monastrell
• Romé
• Petit Verdot

Sparkling and dessert wines are also produced in the region, but rarely seen in the U.S.