New England Wine Academy is very pleased to announce a new partnership with Julia Menn, as an associate educator. Julia will be guiding students through Levels 1 and 2 Wine Awards, with class set-up and delivered as hybrid sessions. What is a Hybrid session? Glad you asked...

Hybrid sessions are classes that are offered with the delivery being done online via a webinar format. The real difference here is that during the class sessions you will have facetime with a real instructor. The WSET Online model is a great format, but the only small drawback is that you are not in a live session with an instructor. And while the instructors are great at getting back to students with answers to questions, and tasting note feedback, there is really nothing like having a person answer your questions and give you all the information needed, right then and there.
 
Julia has earned her Level 3 in Wine, works in the wine industry, and even teaches classes on her own. You can read her bio by clicking here.

We are pleased to offer two WSET wine levels, initially, starting in February and March, with Julia as your guide and instructor. Click on the buttons below for full details, and do not be afraid to ask us questions. Cheers

We are working hard here at The Academy, and we have updated all course descriptions and schedules for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year, as well as into 2021. Please refer to the "Classes" tab above for full descriptions, or click on "Shop" to go directly to the class list. We have also added options for anyone needing to resit an exam - this is for Levels 1, 2, and 3 - wine, and Level 1 or 2 in spirits. Once you book a resit then a date will be coordinated with you depending on the schedule needed.

This past week, WSET added several more options for online wine courses at Levels 1, 2, and 3. These dates have been added due to demand. Additional classes are scheduled to begin throughout the remainder of 2020, and well into 2021. Class registration deadline is generally 7 days prior to the course date.

With the year drawing to a close (thank goodness!), we are offering a number of end-of-year courses at discount. 
All Level 1 Wine courses are currently on sale with added discounts for the last few 2020 start dates getting even more aggressive. These are the ever-popular introductory course, and are designed to build a foundation for further learning.​ 

The last Level 2 Wine course for 2020 online, is also being offered at a 10% discount off the regular low-low price. Take advantage of this one as it is a great price for this course, which is one of the most popular offered by WSET. ​

The question is...
What type of wine is Port?

1. Fortified
2. Sparkling red
3. Sparkling white
4. Still

 
The answer is 1. Fortified wine

So what exactly is a fortified wine? This is a wine that has had alcohol added during the production process. This addition of alcohol is called "fortification" as it increases the alcohol level by volume and thus helps to protect, or fortify, the wine for aging, travel, or whatever might cause harm to the wine. This is an old process used since at least the 1600s, when it was discovered that casks holding a bit of left over spirit/alcohol helped to preserve wine when it was added to the barrel. Plus the wine had a bit more "kick", which was always considered a good thing.

Wines such as Port, Sherry, Marsala and a whole host of other dessert-style wines rely on fortification for their particular style. Ports have a bit of residual sugar (therefore they are sweet) due to the fortification happening before fermentation is complete (this leaves residual sugar in the wine = sweetness).

With colder weather settling in, this presents an opportunity for anyone looking for a nice tipple to finish a meal or enjoy by the fire. Some great values that are on my favorites list include a core groupe of wines, such as the following:

Taylor-Fladgate 20 year Tawny port - a delicious and top selling port with flavors of toffee, hazelnut, and caramel.

Warre's Otima 10 year Tawny port - slightly more ruby in color than the Taylor 20, this wine has a generous red fruit and brown sugar feel to it, and people love the style.

Ramos Pinot Reserve Ruby Port The Collector - a great introductory port, filled with ripe, youthful black fruits

Fonseca Bin 27 Late Bottled Vintage port - a step up in seriousness from the standard ruby, this wine is all from one vintage, aged between 4 and 6 years to soften the tannins and allow the wine to come together. This is one of the best values for quality in the wine world, and Fonseca is a top producer.

Ports come in two over-all styles: Ruby and Tawny.

The ruby ports are rich and fruity as they have not been aged in casks for an extended period of time, thus retaining a lot of the natural fruit and deep color from the grape. These go very well with fruit, nut and chocolate oriented desserts.

Tawny ports on the other hand have been aged for an extended period of time in casks, and during this process shed some color, while the flavors take on more toffee, nut and caramel tones. Usually offered in 10 year, 20 year and sometimes 30 or 40 year versions, these are delicious values and go very well with pastry and cake style desserts, or anything with caramel, vanilla and similar flavors.
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​As of today (September 7, 2020), New England Wine Academy has updated all course descriptions and schedules for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year, and beyond. Please refer to the "Classes" tab above for full descriptions, or click on "Shop" to go directly to the class list.

This past week, WSET added several more options for online wine courses at Level 1. These dates have been added due to demand for this entry level course. Additional classes are scheduled to begin on September 28, and October 19. Class registration deadline is generally 7 days prior to the course date.

Levels 1 and 2 in wine and spirits have quickly becomes some of the most in-demand courses with WSET, as there is a huge interest among the drinks industry as well as non-industry enthusiasts. We do know that cocktails are in full swing among younger drinkers as well as favorites of older audiences, so this makes complete sense. Take a look at the courses available from NEWA for Spirits certification and career growth through better knowledge.