 We have a level 3 Wine student that is coordinating a tasting group in the Hartford area. My understanding is that they plan to meet in West Hartford Center on Mondays, with occasional meet-ups in Glastonbury.
The focus here will primarily be WSET Level 3, but there will also be some students in the CMS programs participating, so the tasting protocols will most likely follow both camps and tasting grids. This is obviously a great way to learn and get some tasting experience as well as share some costs on wine samples. If you or anyone you know is interested in joining this group, please contact me and I will put you in touch with the organizer.
0 Comments
I have had a few requests to both give some challenging study questions or to give some examples of what might appear on the more advanced level exams as questions. There have also been a few conversations with other students regarding how I study for advanced level questions. I thought I would bundle these together in one single initial article and then continue on with a series each time I post. I will answer these questions here, but in the future I will simply post the question(s) initially and then follow up the following time with answers. This will give those who are studying a chance to answer on their own, and then we can discuss as needed. So here goes, and remember these are fairly advanced level questions...answers are on the bottom if you want to challenge yourself at first.
1 - Name three Chateaux from the Cantenac commune which were classified in 1855 and state there classification. 2 - Name four wards in the Stellenbosch district of South Africa. 3 - For which grape variety is Ull de Llebra a synonym? 4 - Name three Grand Cru villages of the Cote de Blancs. 5 - What is the maximum sugar content allowed for Brut style Champagne? (answer in grams per liter) 6 - Name 6 sub-districts of the Willamette Valley. 7 - What is the maximum permitted alcoholic strength of a distillate from the second distillation in the Cognac region? 8 - What is the main flavoring ingredient in Suze? 9 - Which house produces Quinta de Terre Feita Port? Ok, so first a little about how I study, and how I study specifically for certain styles of questions. To begin, it is necessary to know what style of questions you will be tasked with on a certification exam. For those studying the introductory levels of WSET, the questions are in the format of multiple choice answers. One piece of advice I often give students is that they should be prepared for questions that are asked with multiple option answers (1 and 2 only, 1-2-3, all of the above). The Brits are big fans of layering the question answer options, so it is absolutely necessary to have a good understanding of the theoretical material in order to answer correctly. You cannot just guess at many of the questions. There are also a lot of questions that are asked in a double-negative or slightly twisty way. Again, the best advise is to read the whole questions and understand what is being asked. This is the same for upper level exams where the answers are in written response. For those studying WSET Level 3 or Diploma, as well as CMS Advanced and MW candidates, almost all of the questions responses will be in written format. The best tip I ever received in this process was to make sure I read the question, understood exactly what is being asked and then only answered the question. Don't get caught in doing a brain dump of facts you think are related to the question, as this may not really answer the question. Practice writing long-form answers or mini essays is the best practice you can employ for this. Getting yourself familiar with writing, writing under pressure and timed, will be a critical asset for being successful in any of these exams. Writing a longer answer out also forces you to look at more material and a broader scope of resources, which will help build your theoretical knowledge base. Ok, so once I know what type of questions and exam format I will be facing, it is important to study properly. As stated, I like to answer questions in long form, and this means knowing a lot of material across a spectrum of concepts and study areas. For me this helps to build a solid foundation of base knowledge, and it forces me to be able to think across topics and then pull these ideas together in a focused answer. Keep in mind, some answers may simply be a regurgitation of facts, while others will task you to pull in multiple layers of answers to get the answer. Some of the tactics I employ in studying include the following:
This is just a taste of what and how I study. It is a layered approach and is generally designed for a more advanced certification goal. But, anyone can take pieces of this and make it work for them. I study in my way, though, so what works for me is not always going to be the best for you. The single best thing for anyone though, is to make a plan and stick with it. ANSWERS!!! 1 - Name three Chateaux from the Cantenac commune which were classified in 1855, and state their classification. So for this question you need to know what the 1855 Classification was, where it was, and what Cantenac is. The 1855 Classification was done for the Paris Exposition, and ranked the Chateau of Bordeaux's left bank and Sauternes based on their common selling price, at the time. It was assumed that the higher the market was willing to pay for a wine, the better it must be. Cantenac is part of the Margaux commune, and is often referred to as Cantenac-Margaux. Wines in the classification were sorted in a ranking of growths or "crus" from 1st to 5th. The Chateau that could be used to answer this question are:
2 - Name four wards in the Stellenbosch district of South Africa. This answer could include the following wards of Stellenbosch: Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch and Vlottenburg 3 - For which grape variety is Ull de Llebra a synonym? This is one of the many names for Tempranillo, Ull de Llebre is used frequently in the Peñedes region of northeastern Spain. 4 - Name three Grand Cru villages of the Cote de Blancs. The Côte des Blancs includes six villages classified as grand cru. One way to remember them is using "CA COOL"
5 - What is the maximum sugar content allowed for Brut style Champagne? (answer in grams per liter) The maximum amount allowed today is 12 grams of sugar per litre for a Champagne Brut. 6 - Name 6 sub-districts of the Willamette Valley. There are actually 9 AVAs, currently, in the Willamette Valley, these include...
7 - What is the maximum permitted alcoholic strength of a distillate from the second distillation in the Cognac region? The alcoholic strength of the newly made spirit from the second distillation in Cognac, also known as the bonne chauffe, may not exceed 72.4% abv. 8 - What is the main flavoring ingredient in Suze? The main ingredient is gentian root, specifically the species gentiana lutea (Great Yellow Gentian), which imparts the bitter, vegetal flavors the drink is known for. 9 - Which house produces Quinta de Terra Feita Port? Taylor-Fladgate owns and produces wine from this property, which is located on the west bank of the River Pinhão. Well, it's has been a few months since I have had the opportunity to sit down and write anything other than emails and data-codes, which is not really what wine guys do (except now we do!), but here it is. Mid-July, and its either raining or hot as blazes; welcome to the new, tropical version of the New England summer (thank you climate change!).
So, what have I been doing? Well, to start, a lot of things in both the work life and in the personal life. In the past few months I/we have...
The first thing to note is that we have loaded a bunch of new courses up for the new WSET Academic year, which begins August 1. If you are looking for dates to enroll in new classes for either late summer or early fall, all of the course pages have been added for the online classes through October. We will complete the rest of the class links in the next week or two, but the next few months are currently available. For the moment the classes will remain exclusively in the online format. Getting space to teach is still challenging, but also the availability of the online classes seems to appeal to most of the students I communicate with. The biggest benefit is the flexible schedule of the courses and assignments. It really is an advantage to be able to log on when you are available rather than having to sit a class at a specific time. If we were in a larger market with a greater pool of student-candidates, then we might look to adding more in-person sessions, but for the time being the online courses seem to be the way to go. This also allows us to keep operating expenses down, and therefore offer courses at a very competitive price. Speaking of which... There were price increase from WSET to the APP's for the new academic year starting August 1. These included increases on course registrations, material fees, and exam fees. But at NEWA we decided to hold our 2020/21 prices through the end of the calendar year, at least. This may change if the British Pound gets any stronger against the dollar, but for now WE ARE NOT INCREASING OUR PRICES. Hopefully this resonates as there have been price increases almost entirely across the board in our world. NEWA is doing its part to hold back inflation, though - at least for the moment. Hopefully everyone is having a great summer, and is able to find a few minutes to get some time with family and friends, or simply to yourself to enjoy the weather (when it's not raining), some wine, or a cocktail. For my part, I will be making sure I find the time to post more tasting notes, interesting articles, and announcements on current study opportunities. Cheers - BMitch  New England Wine Academy is please to host April's monthly Academy class: Get Your Gamay On, which of course focuses on a single grape from multiple regions in Central France - Gamay.
Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais, but is also the grape of parts of the Loire and elsewhere. Having a well-deserved renaissance, Gamay is a cultivar that has been maligned and heralded depending on where you look in history and who you ask. But for this class Brian Mitchell will dive deep into the wine, discuss the regions, styles and why it should be in your glass. We have once again partnered with our friends at the Wise Old Dog to offer a tasting kit to go along with the class. You can purchase the kit at this link. Six Bottle Sampler: 'Up Your Gamay' ($100) And for more info and to register for the Academy class on April 21 (FOR JUST $10) - follow this link. Thanks and see you on the 21st. Here is just a friendly reminder about some key courses and registration dates for anyone looking to enroll in certain classes. I mention these as a few of the courses are only offered on a limited basis, and as we approach the latter part of the WSET Academic Calendar (ends July 31), it is important to keep these in mind if you wish to participate. Please keep in mind that all registrations must be made 8 days prior to the start date of the course. You can find full details by clicking on the "Classes" tab on the website. Also keep in mind that NEWA offers returning student discounts on Levels 2 and 3, corporate rates for groups of 10 or more, and a free 1 year access to the Brainscape study site with each enrollment.  WSET Level 1 SAKE This course has two options before the end of July:
 WSET LEvel 1 WINE This course has three options before the end of July:
 WSET Level 2 Wine This course has multiple dates still available, but the next classes are:
Click here to view the course page and register  WSET Level 3 WINE Four sessions remain in this academic year:
 WSET Level 2 SPIRITS
There are just two sessions left for this course:
Yes, sometimes I do talk about things other than wine...and a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of speaking with Sean Lawson of Lawson Finest Liquids in Vermont, and we discussed his extraordinary beers among other things. All this was in conjunction with an event that I participated in, and we were fortunate enough to have some fantastic seasonal additions to our line-up as well as a few of the classics.
The one thing I will mention about these beers is that I (along with a lot of other folks) are often fatigued by the over-hopped and thick-hazy IPA styles that seem to be everywhere. Interesting to taste, but often tough to drink. I know there is a lot of popularity in these beers, but sometimes you just need something with more balance rather than just being in your face. Lawson's has this balance factor across the range of styles. Sean and I discuss this in the videos below, but I think it is a key factor in his success and the lasting popularity of his beers They are balanced and very drinkable - even above 8% abv, which means you can have more than one, and people will come back for them again, and again. I broke the discussion into two parts: first part focuses on the back-story and general knowledge of Lawson's, and the second part dives into some of the beers as we taste a selection. Enjoy.
Speaking Session Part 1 with Sean Lawson
Speaking Session Part 2 with Sean Lawson
It was not that long ago (about 15 years in fact) that Australian wines dominated the shelves of American wine shops. So what happened? Well, a couple things...
First, critter labels. This is the category of wines known for the animals on the labels rather than the actual producer. Many of these labels became popular in the early 2000s, mimicking and following the big driver brands coming out of Australia at the time. Unfortunately, many of these wines were not only low in price but tended to be low in quality as well. Easy drinking and popular (some would say trendy) but their abundance started to shift with the Australian's focus on other markets - but more on that in a minute. The other things that changed in the early 2000s, was that Americans had been enamoured with Shiraz in the late 90s for a period of time, but then Sideways the movie came out, and not only put a slow knife in the back of Merlot, but it also had a ripple effect on other grapes, as well. Pinot Noir has dominated shelves for years (and I am not arguing about this too much as I love Pinot Noir), but it has resulted in a lot of Americans thinking that Pinot Noir should taste more like Cab Sauv rather than elegant Pinot Noir. A lot of this has to do with the fact that many large commercial producers tend to add grapes (like all that leftover Syrah and Merlot out there) to their Pinot Noir in order to build up the color, tannins and body (all things good quality Pinot Noir tends to not have too much of), in order to satisfy a middle ground of styles and consumer interest. Blah The other big thing that happened was that the Australians took their eye off the American market for a minute. China became a massive market for the Australians and life was good for a number of years. Then a couple of things happened: climate change induced fires, and some dumb-ass Aussie politician blaming Covid on the Chinese. Massive wildfires over a number of years, caused by an increase in temps and a lack of water, has severely damaged the output of Australian vineyards the past decade. They still make wine, and plenty of it, but the fight for increasingly precious water resources has put an immense amount of pressure on the high volume producers in marginal areas of production. Oh, and then there was that politician, whose comments basically cut the Chinese pipe-line off overnight. Countless containers of Australian wine were exported to China for years, and there were expensive campaigns to promote Australian wine across China - much of paid for by the Australian Wine Bureau. But, essentially that ended as a comment-turned-insult has led to a change in attitude among the Chinese drinking public. Today, we are seeing a slow shift back in attention back to Australian wine, and why not? They have great vineyards, many of which are very old and produce extraordinary wine. The value of the wine is relatively stable and on par with our own wine costs, if not better. And the wines taste like what Americans like to drink. Personally, I think a whole generation of young wine professionals has missed out on the opportunity to really explore what Australia has to offer and take advantage of offering their clients and guests some fantastic wines. Unfortunately this is due to the fact that the Australians shifted their focus away from the US market for a long time, and so they have themselves to blame, in part. But, we as a drinking community and as a professional wine community really owe it to ourselves to revisit Australian wines and (re)discover the beauty and depth that is achievable in the country. They do have some of the oldest vines on the planet, diverse climatic regions, easy to understand labels, and all the grapes we like to drink - and then some (hello Semillon!) Here is my short list of what you can do this weekend to become better acquainted with Australian wines... 1 - Watch this video
2 - Listen to this Podcast
3 - Go to your local wine shop and have them order in some Vasse Felix Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River Region in Western Australia. There are several levels to choose from. You can get the Filius range for about $20-25, or step to the Premier range for about $35-40, per bottle. Either way these wines are fantastic. Well made and from a region that is literally at the end of the Earth. The Margaret River is located at the cross-roads of the Indian and Southern Oceans, have ancient soils and historical vines. Their chief winemaker is Virginia Willcock who has been at the winery for 29 years, and really knows the terroir, the vines, and how to make the best of these elements translate to extraordinary wine. Take advantage of this and enjoy something different, yet familiar.
5 Irish Whiskeys for St. Paddy’s DayBy Julia Menn With Saint Patrick’s Day fast approaching, you may be on the hunt for some excellent Irish whiskeys to appropriately celebrate the day! Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of 5 delicious Irish Whiskeys ranging all price points and styles. Try one or try them all - you’ll be glad you did!   Slane A blended whiskey made from malt and grain whiskeys, Slane Irish Whiskey undergoes a unique triple cask maturation process which really dials up the flavour. A robust whiskey, the nose is brimming with banana bread, marshmallow, and spice cake, while the palate delivers those sweet notes along with baking spices and rich dried fruits. Retail $30  Jameson Caskmates Stout Live the best of whiskey and beer with this special Caskmates edition from Jameson. Their triple distilled, blended whiskey has been aged in a local brewery’s stout barrels, resulting in a dram whose nose is light with hay, pear, green apple, and chocolate, where the palate deepens with sweet pot still character spice, hops, and cocoa from the stout. The long finish is full of dark chocolate notes. Retail $40  Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength Ireland is renowned for their Pot Still whiskey - made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley distilled in copper pot stills. Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength showcases the complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey. Matured in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, this cask strength whiskey has aromas of exotic fruit and spice, along with dried apricots, and toasted wood. The palate is rich and round, with luscious fruit, sweet vanilla, spice, and oak. A satisfying and sophisticated whiskey, indeed! Retail $85  Dingle Single Malt Batch 4 A small, independent distillery located in the seaside village of Dingle in County Kerry, Dingle Distillery focuses on quality over quantity. Rather unique in the Irish Whiskey sector by producing Single Malts, this whiskey is worth a mention! Made from 100% malted barley aged in sherry, bourbon, and Port casks, this whiskey is full of flavour and balances the sweet and creamy vanilla from the bourbon barrels with the rich fruit flavours from the wine casks. Retail $100  Yellow Spot Known as “The Dubliner’s Tipple of Choice”, Yellow Spot is a Pot Still Whiskey aged for 12 years. The name comes from how barrels used to be marked, with the colour of the paint indicating the age of the whiskey. Aged in ex-Malaga casks, Yellow Spot is complex and sophisticated, showcasing aromas of hay, black pepper, nutmeg, and green tea. Flavours range from red apples and toasted oak to coffee, milk chocolate, and Crème Brûlée. The finish is long with sweetness throughout. Retail $120 Sláinte WSET Servers Get Hit By Fire We hear about and use "The Cloud" everyday, but we rarely think about what or where the cloud really is. In fact The Cloud is a massive number of servers in various places around the globe, and a lot of attention is placed on making sure these are in stable and secure locations. Occasionally though, shit happens. Last week the main email servers for WSET were affected by a fire at just such a location in France. While nothing really dramatic happened on the student side of things, email communications were down for about 5 days for those of us on the backside of the business. Fire Destroys OVHCloud Servers in Strasbourg  Check Out All of the New Drinks Articles By New England Wine Academy on FLIPBOARD For years, now, New England Wine Academy has been consolidating Drinks articles into Magazines on the Flipboard platform. You can access these articles and all of the magazines using the link on the logo to the right. Ranging from up-to-date wine, beer and cocktail news, to more broadly related topics such as cannabis news and travel links. Lots of great info, curated each week. Enjoy!  Jacob was just blown away by my tasting skills. It was a warm, bright, sunny, almost-Spring morning, and we were tasting Gamay in the backyard. What could be better? Nothing. But what exactly is Gamay? Well, to begin with it is the bastard child of Burgundy. Banished from the golden slopes in 1395 by Philip the Bold (and then again in 1459 by Philip the Good), so that to this day, Gamay is not to be found mingling with the illustrious Pinot of Bourgogne. Or sort of. Gamay is an old grape. In fact, it is a crossing of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, which itself is a wild grape that has parentage to many of the wines we know today. The style of Gamay shares some characteristics with Pinot Noir – lots of delicate fruit, soft tannins and an ability to age when made by the right hands. But Gamay is not Pinot Noir. It is a little more on the wild side. It is a bit less finicky to grow and as such can be a good cropping grape, albeit with slightly less concentrated juice if allowed to grow too wild, which is why farmers like it but also why it was banned from Burgundy. Throughout central France, Gamay plays a role in many wine regions, but in general the best come from Beaujolais, as well as certain areas of the Loire. Many would agree that the granite slopes of the northern part of the Beaujolais district is where Gamay shines brightest; it loves the pink granite soils and the rolling hills of the area, which is France’s hilliest wine region, BTW. The Gamay here is pure, rich, and almost cult-like in a way. The farmers of the villages of Morgon and Fleurie and Moulin-a-Vent make some of the most dramatic wines – all from Gamay; be warned though, these are not your 1990s Nouveau. Here we find, even demand, serious, old vine, fruit driven but textural wines that are perfectly suited for food. Shift a little to the north and Gamay has a number of home appellations along the Loire (aka Le Jardin du France), where produces will often use it to blend with a few other grapes, most notably Pinot Noir. The variety of soils and cooler climates makes for more consistent wines year in and year out if your Pinot doesn’t quite ripen but your Gamay does. Plus – it just tastes good. Our tasting pack includes selections from each of these regions, and includes some of the region’s top producers. It was tough to limit ourselves to just six, but these are our favorites for the moment, and these will help you up your Gamay game, big time. A quick note on vintages: 2018, 2019 In a nut shell: Get in My Belly! These are spectacular vintages, period. Buy, drink, enjoy. Rinse your glasses and repeat. 2019 was a smaller cropped vintage, but the wines from across Europe are delicious, and the Gamay below are no exception. Bursting with fruit and concentration, the wines are fresh and beautiful. Do Not Miss Them. 2018 is a Cru year. These are drinking so well now, but the top Crus can be set aside for a few years and will shine as good as the best in Burgundy. Slightly lower alcohols, good acidity, and a concentrated purity that is rare.  This six-pack will Up Your Gamay, Baby! Wines Tasted
We split the wines up by region, but in the end did a quick ranking by preference and the wines ended up being mixed, which only proves that you can get great Gamay from both the Loire and the Beaujolais regions. Notes below are in the original tasting order, but please don’t ask us to reveal the final order – it can easily change if we did this tasting again. Domaine Les Hautes Noëlles Gamay Vin de Pays du Val de Loire, 2019 Super bright, just basically explodes with fruit on the palate. I called this the raspberry Starburst wine because it had so much lovely red fruit on the palate, backed by lush acidity that carried the flavors on an on. Young as can be, which is a good thing. 12%abv. François Cazin Cheverny Rouge Vendanges Manuelles, 2019 This is one of the BIG DOGS of the Loire, and this tasting. Right away you notice the color – it is beautifully saturated in the glass. The aromas are mellow but complex with an underlying intensity that pulls through the long finish, which include soft tannins that do not quit. This wine gets better after being open for a bit and was easily a favorite. 2/3 Pinot Noir, 1/3 Gamay. 13.8% abv Domaine Des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais Le Ronsay, 2019 And the other Big Dog, Brun is an icon in the Beaujolais. This wine comes from younger vines in the southern part of the region, and is meant to showcase the fresh, youthful side of the grape. To me there was an abundance of raspberry and cinnamon, mixed with some tart cranberry and lush acidity. Fermented all in concrete and sees no oak (yes, that is a thing), it has beautiful texture through the finish. Lovely wine for any night of the week. 13% abv Domaine du Clos du Fief (Michel & Sylvian Tete) Juliénas, 2019 This wine has great fruit on the nose, and is perhaps the most well-balanced wine of the group. Dusty tannins, smooth in texture and the red fruit just goes on and on. A very lifted style of wine with complexity. 14.5% abv Domaine des Marrans Beaujolais-Villages, 2018 This is a family estate located in Fleurie, with holdings essentially only in Crus. This is actually older vines from those Crus, and the wine shows its pristine pedigree wonderfully. Round, juicy, super smooth and very complex for a “simple” Beaujolais-Villages. Don’t get fooled – you are drinking The Villages in this wine. 13% abv Domaine Des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Morgon, 2018 BOOM. Brun. (Mic drop, please.) Here you go. And then some. Wonderful wine. The essence of what Cru Beaujolais is meant to be; what it can be; why Burgundy should be shaking in their muddy-boots. Brings everything together: huge nose, super polished style, loads of fruit on the palate, super well integrated tannins. Blackberry leaf, plum, bramble, savory, earthy – just get some. (I read a review for this wine that recommended it is best from 2023-2055+. What will you be doing in 2055? Drinking Beaujolais, baby!) |
ABOUT THE Author
Brian Mitchell runs The New England Wine Academy, and is responsible for the content of this blog. With over 25 years of drinks industry experience, Brian has learned a few things, but everyday he is learning more. This blog helps to bring that knowledge to you. Archives
December 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Copyright 2018 > 2022 by New England Wine Academy, LLC