For student looking to source samples wine to use for study purposes, you will find a general list of wines to shop with. It should be noted that not all wines are available in all markets, but I have taken care to create this list with items that are widely distributed on a national basis.
The goal of this particular list is to source a starter list of wines that will help understand a few basic principles in taste calibration. Specially, comparing an unoaked and an oaked wines, as well as comparing youthful and developed or fully developed wines. As a reminder, it is important to always try and taste wines is comparison flights as this will give you the best opportunity to see, smell and taste the differences between styles and components. Flight 1
For the neutral white example it is best to source a style that is traditionally made with no oak, such as a Muscadet from the western coast of france. A great pairing for seafood, the Muscadet is made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne, but this is not Burgundy. The grape has a fairly neutral aspect in its aroma/flavor profile, making it a great wine to use in this case. There are many producers, so any muscadet that carries hge appellation Muscadet de Sevre et Maine is acceptable. Should cost about $15 or less. Other neutral white examples can be a delle Venezie Pinot Grigio from Italy. Contrast this with an oak influenced white such as a California Chardonnay that has been barrel fermented and/or barrel aged. The more oak the better. The small caution her is that many lower priced wines might say they have oak aromas, but often do not actually see a barrel but rather are made with oak chips, or worse, oak extract. Get a great bottle of oaked chardonnay and enjoy. Examples from the Jackson Family of wines can often be found, just stay away from Kendall Jackson Reserve Chard. Opt for a wine from the line of La Crema or Hendry Chardonnay. These wines may be a little more costly as the oak is expensive, but many wines from Napa and Sonoma are barrel fermented and or aged. Just check the notes to see how much. In this case more is better. The thing to note when tasting is the vanilla, toast, cedar, spice notes in the oaked chard, and compare that to the absolute lack of these notes in the neutral white. Texturally the oaked wine should be much more round on the palate, longer in the finish, and most likely lower in acidity than than the neutral white. The Muscadet will also be categorized as youthful, while the oaked white could be youthful, but by definition it has seen some oak if it has spent time in barrel, so as long as it is a recent vintage then this wine will often be categorized as developing. Flight 2
The Beaujolais is made from a grape called Gamay and these wines are typically going to be fruit forward with loads of vibrant red and blue fruits, have soft tannins as the grape is fairly thin skinned and grows in a cooler climate. As stated above, maceration times for basic Beaujolais is relatively short, so the extraction of thing slike tannin is minimized. The focus here for the wine is youthful, fruity aromas and a smooth texture on the palate. They are fruity, just not sweet - there is a difference. Mostly focused on Primary aromas, you might get a bit of secondary as some older and large oak can be used in production, but this is somewhat rare. Color here is also of note, as the Beaujolais will often be a vibrant ruby - even purple - and could go to deep although I find most to be medium. Look for a Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Village from producers such as Louis Jadot or Duboef. A Cru is not necessary in this flight. Get the most recent vintage as you can, but stay away from wines that are more than 3 years old or are Nouveau (unless it's Thanksgiving). For the Rioja, sourcing a Gran Reserva that is of about 8-10 years is often the best option. These are also some fantastic wines to drink on a regular basis as they are tremendous values in the wine world. For the tasting comparison, we are looking for a wine that can display color that is impacted by long periods in wood. So a Ruby core with some garnet fade to the edge is often the case. The core color could also be moving to garnet, and in some cases you may even find wines that have definite amber edges. On the nose we will find primary, secondary and tertiary notes. ANd this is key as it is important to being able to identify the notes derived from extended aging. More dried fruits, forest and savoy spects are often key here. Contrast this with the very youthful and primary notes in the Beaujolais and it should be easy to see what is meant. On the plate the wine will have very soft tannins, depending on the wine. Remember these wines have been aged in combination of wood and bottle for a minimum of 5 years, but they are also designed to last for years and even decades upon release, so you could get an 10 year wine that is still fairly young in overall development. The point is that we will see the oak influence in the color, the spices and aroma/flavor characters and on the finish. I am fond of producers such as Faustino, CUNE and Riscal. You can also add another wine to the flight and see an aspect of oak influence but also with youthful and very ripe tannins. A Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from a recent vintage will often fill this listing. Just expect to pay a bit more. Honig Winery makes an exceptional Cab at a more moderate price point for this region. Also are family owned and a great people to support.
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This week, I had a Level 3 Wines student contact me because he was frustrated and looking for advice on the wines he should be sourcing and sampling for his studies. Going to wine and package stores in his area and trying to get wines that lined up with the curriculum - especially accurate wines for calibrating to the WSET format with regard to the core components in wine - Sugar, Acid, Tannin, Alcohol as well as understanding the impact of wood on wine - was not as easy for him as it should be. Either running into store employees who were lacking the proper knowledge in the basics of wine - or even the opposite in running into people who were qualified but with the unfortunate dismissive attitude of this was not worth their time - was what he was facing.
So he reached out to me for guidance. Now, I have published lists of wines for sourcing, but it should be noted that it is challenging to put out lists with brand names as not all wines are available in all markets, and wine styles change over time. But I do my best to maintain this list and make accurate recommendations on what wines to source. Please source wines as best as you can, but take a look at things like abv, which could be an indicator of sweetness levels (lower abv might suggest a sweeter wine), and read shelf-talkers or notes to get a feel for the wine style. The other thing that is really important to note is the when sourcing wines to taste for study and exam conditions, it is not always the most expensive or highest scoring wines that need to be tasted. In fact it is necessary to taste wines that sit at the acceptable and good point on the quality scale so that we can understand what is the difference when a wine with attributes for very good or outstanding quality level come across our palate. Generally speaking I like to use 'standard' wines for study purposes. Meaning, wines that are reasonably priced, show good varietal character, and are representational of the goal of the study assignment. For instance, when looking at tannin, it is important to taste a wine with a lot of tannin to get that experience and calibration, but in the glass next to it you should have a wine with medium or low tannin, as an accurate comparison. Which brings me to my last point. WSET students need to taste wine in flights and compare the differences between styles, aroma/flavors, faults, and components. By having the immediate side-by-side comparison it becomes so much easier to understand the differences. So to that point, I am producing four short posts that I will post above and permalink on the L3W Student resource page for the following topics: calibrating for tannin, acid, sugar, wood/maturation. Additionally, I am working on complimentary posts for understanding Body and Intensity (color, aroma, flavor). These will all include some guidance for sample brands to source in many locations. I am also working with a local retail package store in my area to develop WSET study kits that can be picked up or ordered for delivery, where legal. All this coming at you shortly, if not already. Cheers, BMitch Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with an associate. They texted me about a wine that a friend had enjoyed. She asked if I could source if for them, and I said yes - it would be about $40 per bottle.
Her reply was, "that's all! - that's so cheap - and my friend actually loved it." Now, in my world I am very lucky because I get to taste wines of all different styles, and from all kinds of regions, and have even had the opportunity to travel and visit some fantastic wine regions and people. But, in my world, I also understand that at $40 a bottle, not everyone's reaction would be that that is a cheap wine. My response was simply, well it depends on your perspective, and that price isn't necessarily indicative of quality. She replied to me, "well we are taught to assume that wine is only good if its expensive and not everyone is a Sommelier like you." I have had this conversation happen before, and people often simply assume that you have to pay a lot in order to get a great bottle, or be an educated wine snob to know what is good. I replied to my associate that you don't have to be Sommelier to be a connoisseur, and that we are all connoisseurs of what we put in our mouths. Meaning, we select the things we like to taste, as well as select out the things we do not like to taste. Obviously there are factors that can influence our decision making - price point being one of them - but it is not the only factor. At least it shouldn't be in my opinion. So here is the thing, I have learned to taste for what is in the glass, not what is on the label. Yes, I may select a wine to drink based on grape, region, or producer, but if I am assessing a wine for consideration to buy, either for my personal enjoyment or especially for one of the wine lists I curate, then I am going to assess that wine firstly for its inherent quality. I then take the other factors into consideration before making a final decision. How do I do this? Well, I have learned through training and practiced qualifications to break down a wine's traits and characteristics and understand them from a theoretical point of view. This is done using a basic system to evaluate the balance, length, intensity, complexity, and even expressiveness of the style or grape. By understanding and evaluating these factors I can then make an educated decision as to whether the wine is worth the price being asked or if it is not up to the standard I consider to be fair. A $40 bottle of wine can be a great bargain, just as a $10 or $100 bottle can be. Each have factors that contribute to their style and substance, and if you like the wine - which is the biggest factor - then the price can be irrelevant. But, if you want to learn to buy and assess a wine on its merits and what is in the glass like a professional then learning about wine from a theoretical point of view can be a great tool to have. Wine qualifications will provide an avenue to understanding. Whether for yourself or for that wine snob-wannabe in your life, taking a wine qualification (or spirits qualification) can be fun and entertaining. It's a learning process that can pay you back over a lifetime. We have classes on offer throughout the year, and there are Gift Certificates in various denominations available, too. Click here to take a browse through our shop of courses and gift certificate options. Cheers, BMitch In December of 2018, we set the plan in motion, went through the process of establishing New England Wine Academy as an Approved Program Provider, and took on our first students for WSET education. In the 5 years since then, hundreds and hundreds of students have successfully worked through the various wine, spirits, sake (and soon beer) programs offered by WSET, as well as a number of ‘Academy’ courses that we have put out. Working through the Covid period and after, we have offered many options for study, including online and virtual as well as in-person courses. With a focus on the drinks trade we also work with many corporate clients from Maine to California. Having worked for many years and gaining experience and expertise in the drinks industry we have become established as a serious connection to the academic side of drinks study as we are able to integrate real-world experience and application to the education experience. We are also please to welcome former students into the teaching fold as we introduce Susannah Marchese as an associate educator for in-person Spirits education this coming January 2024. I just want to thank everyone who has enrolled and participated in courses with us over these past five years. We look forward to continuing to serve you and future student candidates seeking to further their drinks knowledge and experience, whether for personal enjoyment or professional advancement. Cheers, Brian and Christine I get this question fairly regularly. There is a lot of interest in becoming a teacher, especially with WSET, and people simply want to know how I got to where I am in the wine and drinks industry and how I came to run NEWA. Since i took the opportunity to write an extended email response to a potential student this past week, plus I found myself telling the story several times on top of that, I thought I would simply share the story for anyone interested. Below is simply a slightly edited version of the email I sent out last week explaining a bit about myself and my WSET / teacher journey. Please let me know if you have any question. L3Sp is in my opinion the hardest and most content-heavy course in WSET world. The exam is not like the L3W exam, in that the quality assessment in tasting is a written justification for the assessment, not simply a statement as it is in L3W. There are also a significant number of options in the spirits world with still types, many raw materials, and other applications, including all the Asian spirits, that add to the level of knowledge. You will learn a lot, but its a great course - especially if you are industry.
My personal journey with the drinks industry and WSET began a long time ago. I was bartending and working in restaurants after college and had my first bar manager job in 1993, had to run the wine list so that's where I really started to learn about wine. I also worked in a retail shop for a bit and then in 1995 went to work for a fine wine wholesaler - and stayed there until 2011. I started taking courses and teaching wine classes in the early 2000s, I guess. First with SWE and then really with WSET. I finished my Diploma in 2011. This was all really before or just early on with the internet and wide-open access to information. Everything was paper-based and book studies. I intended to start an APP at some point but in 2011 I changed jobs to my current position (I work for a restaurant group as the corporate beverage director - we have 12 locations) and with kids and work and life my studies and progress took a little back seat. In 2017, I was accepted to the MW year 1 program and spent the next year studying for that exam, scheduled for June 2018. The little situation that occurred was that my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in May of 2018, about 1 month before my exam, and went into the hospital about 2 weeks before my exam - not the best set-up for taking a huge exam. I went to San Fran and took the exam. Results came back in mid-July, and I had passed theory but missed on tasting. I had to make a decision to continue and redo year 1 by Aug 1, 2018, but my mother had a very difficult summer and by the beginning of August, we were ready for Hospice. It was too much up in the air as to what would happen and just decided that I would not repeat it at that point. But, I am happy to say that my mother is still alive (last last-minute younger doctor stepped in and suggested immunotherapy as a treatment and it literally took only a few weeks to go from making funeral arrangements to the cancer retreating). By October she was definitely doing well, and I decided to change course a bit. Instead of spending loads of hours studying and more importantly loads of money (I think MW year 1 cost me 500+ hours of study and in the area of about $7-8000), I would use my qualifications to make some money. I chose two tracts: the first was to get the WSET APP done, and the second was Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced (I did Certified a year or two before and liked it, plus I work in restaurants and it seemed to fit better). In December 2018, the WSET APP / ETP was offered in Hartford, right where I live, so I took a week off and knocked that out nice and cheap with no travel and no hotels. This gave me the ability to go through the process of opening an APP - much paper-work still to come though - and also got me the Certified level for Wine. The same week, I applied for and passed the entry to CMS Advanced course which I attended in Dallas in the spring of 2019. Simultaneously I created the LLC and opened the NEWA APP with a corporate client as my first student group. I was originally supposed to take the Advanced exam in Oct 2019, but punted as I did not feel prepared, and moved it to March of 2020. Well, some things happened in Mar of 2020 and that never happened. But, in the Spring of 2020, WSET, which had already been beta testing an online delivery option for most courses, fast-tracked the program and intro'd it right in time for Covid delivery - we were off to the races during Covid and had many students working via remote option. I went back in the winter of 2021 (Queens, NY, this time) and took the ETP for Spirits L2 (L3 was not offered quite yet), and added L1 and L2 Spirits to my offerings for courses. Working through the Covid period, I eventually got my Court Advanced exam in Oct 2021 in St Louis and passed on the first attempt. One of only 3 Advanced in the State of CT. As a study aid during my run to the Advanced exam, I took and passed WSET Sake 1 and Spirits 3, simultaneously, passing both. In November 2021, I had to take the Spirits 3 ETP (Educator Training Program) as a top-up in order to offer L3Sp in my APP. So here we are a few years later and I offer all wine, all spirits, and no longer offer Sake (no one takes that class), and am working on the new Beer qualification. The difference between the Certified Educator and a Registered Educator is that a Certified can offer classes in their APP and have Registered Educators teach under them. Certified still has to be in an APP but they can be their own APP, like me. So if you want to run classes in your part of New York, we can create a partnership and you get registered as an educator and run it under NEWA. That would save you the $6000 needed to become an APP, and relieve you of all of the administrative hassles in running an APP. You can also run remote classes with an APP, and therefore have a broader audience. (I am actually serious on this front - I have a former student who is teaching L1Sp classes, and she is Registered in order to do so.) So there you go- my life in an email. It's expensive to become an APP. They do not offer training sessions that often so it's difficult to get it coordinated, sometimes. And you have to hustle to make some money at it. I still run this as a side-gig because my market is kind of small, I work a full-time job, and I primarily offer online courses. But, I am one of a handful that does offer L3Sp, so I have a lot of business from that. I also have strong relationships in the industry and when I do in-person sessions, it's almost always for distributor groups. I have several national teams working on it right now. Do orange wines sell?
That was the question I had in mind the other night due to the fact that a couple of my managers in one location were asking to do a dinner in the new year featuring the "hot, new wine category" called Orange Wines. Now, I did not want to be dismissive of this enthusiasm, but at the same time I've been around the block with orange wines and know they are not really for everyone. In fact, unless you are in a restaurant or bar with some very knowledgeable staff who can guide you accordingly - this category can be a bit of a minefield and many of these wines are not for everyone. I would like to point out that I do not hate this category at all. But, I generally try to avoid them from a business point of view. Mostly because the restaurant wine lists I manage do not have guests who are seeking these wines or these style out on a regular basis. To be blunt, I have never had an inquiry from a guest in the 13 years I have managed these lists. Granted, the locations I work for are in suburban areas where steady habits tend to reign. I will say in my defense a little, though, that I do not create wine lists which are bought and paid for by the big companies (I actually take no deals whatsoever). I am located in what is called independent markets, with no SG, RNDC, etc., and I tend to stay clear of the very mass produced labels from some of the biggest players who dominate many suburban wine lists and store shelves - much to my staff's annoyance. I actually go out of my way to not list these wines. Although, I have selections that satisfy my guests' style, I am not one to simply buy from the list of top selling wines - this actually kind of drives my reps crazy, too, as they are so used to automatically placing the most popular selections, everywhere. I want to represent wines that are from a place and a producer that matters and I can see the uniqueness of their product. Sometimes these are bigger producers and sometimes they are very small producers. I try to balance the line - I am in the suburbs after all, and I have to read the room. When I got hired in this position, my boss said, "In 6 months you won't care what you are selling". Well, I do care and I still buy with some principles in mind and I am here 13 years later. Anyway, I posted the question below and the answers were somewhat predictable (about 80% of the responses were basically "NO" - which I expected. Some people questioned why I was asking in relation to suburban restaurants (as if these are the benchmark of elevated wine buying - to which my response is of course not - but we sell a shit-ton of wine, and not all of it is grocery store level selections). Plenty of respondents got the question - meaning, with no support from a Somm and a buying public that is happy drinking standard Cabs and Chards (What's your oakiest Chardonnay?), it is nearly impossible for this niche category that covers a wide spectrum of styles, to really catch on. I also pointed out to my guys that this "new" category of wine is actually the oldest category of wine, but that in the modern era these wines had a moment about 7 years ago - right between the hot runs of interest in wines from Greece, then Georgia, then Armenia, and the Czech Republic - and let's not forget Volcanic Wines! (although I do tend to like a lot of wine grown on basalt). And unless you are in Brooklyn, or another dense cosmopolitan area with a Somm on every corner, these wines simply are not successful sellers to the broader public. I will also add that I admire and appreciate the fact that there are seriously passionate folks out there who earnestly list and sell these wines and other similarly off-the-beaten-path selections. The wine world would be fucking boring if all we listed was Cab, Chard, SB and Pinot Noir (although I can personally get buy with only PN, if I had to!) I also spoke with a good friend that operates a boutique wine import/distribution company selling geeky wines from all over the place and he admitted to basically staying away from this category. He also operates a wine shop, and in that shop they conversely admits to having success with this category, but also admits its not a huge selling section. So - here is the question and below are some responses (with the names removed to protect the innocent)... Do Orange Wines Sell? I mean, do they actually sell to the general public off of wine lists in suburban restaurants with no Somm on the floor? Is the average guest picking these wines in any quantity that justifies placing them on a list, let alone an entire section dedicated to them? And just for reference, I have never seen any sizeable interest by the general public other than occasional interest because of an article or mention in the media. Almost always the orange wines I encounter are pushed by the trade, in very specialized on-premise locations (usually in diverse urban areas), and attentive wine shops with educated staff making a recommendation. I am not opposed to these wines, I just don't see any pull by the average wine drinker, yet I have staff that insists these are super hot right now. Most successful I’ve seen is doing a section of “Skin Contact” wine that includes rosé and orange. With no Somm or knowledgeable staff though? It’s an almost guarantee you’re dumping 3/4 of every bottle. Additional Reply >>> I was going to say this is probably the best method if you want to try it out. Just make sure to get something inexpensive and easy to enjoy _______________ They require hand selling, so if you have a Somm, or trained staff, sure. But if you just put a few on your list in order to have a representation of the category, with no push from the restaurant staff, not likely. _______________ Selling 2 cs a month BTG at a Suburban ATL Steakhouse. Joseph Cattin Orange Pinot Gris. with an add on response >>> And 2 cs a week at another Suburban ATL wine bar. But then an add on response to that >>> someone is hand selling those, I almost guarantee it. A wine savvy crowd coupled with at least a few more-than-wine-savvy waiters, and it’s possible, but they aren’t “people off the street.” ________________ Nope not at all. Unless you’re available to handselling every table and bottle and have a true passion for selling them, it’s not really worth the space on a program. 99.9% of the people who drink wine have no clue or general interest in such a small market. Most people would be none the wiser for it missing in your program. With several responses >>> I don’t agree. Again, if it ain’t on ya list. It ain’t bought. There are many orange wines that taste great! And your line of”many won’t be the wiser” is poop. In that case have ya list bought and printed by big distributors. Who cares about the wine list at that account. It’s usually filled with Josh. I realize I am buzzed after the saints game so I will be quiet and enjoy one week of being in 1st. I can’t even believe I’m pressing send. I do well with them in Nola…if ya don’t like em., Don’t play with em. I don’t understand the hate for them. If it ain’t on ya list, it will not be bought. People may be curious. There are some that have training wheels…some are pretty fuckin serious. Either way, do ya thing! ______________ I do really well with the orange wines in my portfolio, but “natural” wine is definitely trending here (Tampa Bay). But in suburban restaurants without knowledgeable staff hand selling, they probably won’t move. _______________ And then there is this rascally response... Suburban wine lists with no somm are also big on Caymus, Santa Margherita, & Meiomi. What's your point? and he added later... Are we gauging anything off of suburban wine lists with no somm? I mean credibility is selectively being given to a market that makes up 90% of the memes here? To which my response is >>> I list none of those wines - again, to my staff's annoyance - but I refuse. Just because we are in the burbs doesn't mean we have to sell that stuff, and as I pointed out above there are a lot of restaurants in the suburbs selling a lot of wine. _____________ Depends on the market. Oakland, Austin, Portland, Brooklyn. They dominate _____________ They don’t sell _____________ I can’t keep mine in stock _____________ The last restaurant list I put together had them on there sporadically. People would absolutely ask for orange wine because they heard about it, but it was often in a style they didn’t enjoy once the bottle was open. We had a bunch of skin contact stuff from Oregon that was juicy & delicious (not oxidative at all) and that usually worked the best. In Philly, you see a lot of orange wine btg that I assume someone is drinking. Maybe they just weren’t my clientele. _____________ In large on-trend cities. Maybe. In my 58 suburban locations across 20 states. No. They don’t even know what it is. Sell to your audience. All about the guests. _____________ And it went on and on with all kinds of replies. I really do appreciate the feedback and sharing of experiences. The wine market is so diverse in the US and its really hard to know what is trending as it takes a while to get from one place to another. I mean, I can be in Brooklyn 2 hours out of my driveway, but it takes 5 years for a wine or spirit trend to get here. I am wondering if there are certain media outlets and writers who are speaking about this category, regularly? It really seems that there is a younger audience attention to this, but it doesn't seem to be coming from experience but rather inquiry - like I read about and oh, yeah, you have some so I'll try it. I don't know. Either way, I will be going back around on this and probably testing the waters a bit. And I guess I'll have to give my guys a bit of slack to see if they can come up with a creative menu to work with the wines we select. This is a reminder that if you are enrolled in a Level 3 Wine course, our next scheduled Exam Prep & Tasting Workshop is coming up this Saturday, 11 November. Anyone currently enrolled in L3W and who has not taken their exam yet may attend as part of your enrollment package. If you could simply confirm your attendance ahead of time, please. This meeting will take place in Hartford from 9:30am to approximately 3pm. The location is NOT at the Thomas Hooker Brewery (our normal location) - that room is booked for the day - but rather at Max Downtown Restaurant located at 185 Asylum St, Hartford, CT 06103 - and is in the City Place Building on the first floor. The room we will be hosting the class is in one of the private dining rooms which faces Haynes Street directly across from the entrance to the Goodwin Hotel. This is a quick left turn just after the main entrance to Max Downtown on Asylum Street. There is a side door on Haynes Street and this is where I would prefer you enter the building, as the front door to the restaurant will be closed and locked at this hour. There is plenty of free street parking in Hartford on the weekends. If you have any issues when you arrive, please give me a call (my cell number is on the website). You should bring notes and study material as well as snacks and drinking water. We will break for a quick lunch. There are a few shops in the area but Hartford can be kind of quiet on the weekends. Maybe bring a lunch as well. I also offer the ability for anyone who is thinking about enrolling in a Level 3 course, requires a refresher (ie: for a resit exam prep), or is simply wine curious, to attend this session and learn to taste in the WSET format. Please use this link to register and enroll in the workshop. I look forward to seeing you this weekend, please let me know if you have any questions. This is a reminder that if you are enrolled in a Level 3 Spirits course, our next scheduled Exam Prep & Tasting Workshop is coming up a week from this Saturday (Nov 17). Anyone currently enrolled in L3 Spirits and who has not taken their exam yet may attend as part of your enrollment package. I just ask that you please confirm your attendance in this workshop, ahead of time. This meeting will take place in East Hartford from 9:30am to approximately 3pm. The location is NOT at the Thomas Hooker Brewery (our normal space) - as that room is booked for the day - but rather at the Fruitful Mixology facility located at 36 Cedar St, East Hartford, CT 06108. It is an industrial area and the building is a warehouse-style building, but we will have plenty of space inside and plenty of parking outside. If you have any issues when you arrive, please give me a call (my number is on the website). You should bring notes and study material as well as snacks and drinking water. We will break for a quick lunch. There are a few shops in the area but this part of East Hartford can be kind of quiet on the weekends. Maybe bring a lunch as well. I also offer the ability for anyone who is thinking about enrolling in a Level 3 course, requires a refresher (ie: for a resit exam prep), or is simply spirits curious, to attend this session and learn to taste in the WSET format. Please use this link to register and enroll in the workshop. I look forward to seeing you next weekend, please let me know if you have any questions. As a reminder, there is a lot of extra study material on my website in the Resources tab. If you have not accessed this area, well, I might suggest taking a look... A quick reminder that the Level 3 Wine Tasting and Exam Prep Workshop associated with WSET Level 3 Wine course will be held on August 5, 2023, from 9:30 am to approx 3:30 pm.
The location of this workshop is at the Thomas Hooker Brewery at the Colt building in Hartford (not the T Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield). If you are attending, please plan to arrive at 9:15, there is plenty of parking. The tasting workshop is offered to all current NEWA Level 3 students as part of their course enrollment, and there is no additional fee to attend this session for these students. This workshop is offered once per calendar quarter. We will cover the exam and what to expect when you sit, as well as work through the SAT and multiple flights of wine to help you become more familiar with and calibrate your tasting ability in the WSET format. There will be a break for lunch, so please feel free to bring water, snacks, lunch, etc., as well as your workbooks and notes. There is also limited space available in the workshop for anyone who may be interested in pursuing Level 3 or is simply looking to enhance their tasting skills and wine experience. If you have colleagues, employees, or friends that may be interested in attending, please forward them the link below to book their seats. Click Here for the WSET Level 3 Tasting Workshop Booking Link Please confirm your attendance on this date and let us know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I will see you on Aug 5. Cheers
This past weekend, I ran our latest quarterly Level 3 Wine Tasting workshop. This study session is offered to Level 3 and aspiring Level 3 students as an introduction to the Level 3 Wine exam, as well as focus on the Level 3 Wine tasting technique. The exam at Level 3 involves a tasting component, with an expectation for accurate notes to be written for two blind samples. Students have 30 minutes to complete this portion of the exam before taking on the theoretical sections.
During the tasting workshop, we work through multiple flights of wine samples, as well as focus on the impact of climate and other aspects of winemaking to to the wine style and ultimately quality level. The point of tasting blind - and really to studying the WSET Level 3 and other blind tasting skills - is to learn to remove the known variable of a wine, such as producer, grape, region, price - and simply focus on what is in the glass. The goal is to use our theoretical knowledge of winemaking and other related concepts to better understand the sample in the glass. In the examination process, students are expected to give a response of the perceived quality and drinkability/age-ability of the wine. I am often left with a number of sample bottles that might otherwise go to waste (I can only drink so much!), but I do put them to good use. I have found that recording a video for my students to use and follow the process of blind-tasting can be quite useful in their approach to studying. When I was studying for advanced qualifications in any of the disciplines (WSET, MW and CMS), I found it very helpful to do "Mind-Tastings". This is a form of study where I would watch or listen to others blind-taste and use the information given by the other candidate to formulate an impression of the wine in my mind. Using the clues in the note to build my understanding of the sample, and then draw a conclusion to the identify from them. This forces you to use theoretical knowledge and understanding of grapes, growing regions, winemaking and a whole host of other points to build a profile image of the wine. Its quite fun and I found it to be extremely useful in building my understanding of a variety of wine types. I have consolidated the wine notes from this past weekend's samples into a series of videos where I walk through the WSET Level 3 approach to tasting. At the end of each video I share the identity of each wine. These are listed below and each video has a link to the SAT notes for each wine so students can see how I would write an actual tasting grid in conjunction with the video of each wine. Use these videos to conduct your own mind-tasting, and see how well you can taste wines. These notes are designed for Level 3, but aspiring Level 3 students can also benefit from watching them.
Mind-tasting sample #1
Mind-tasting sample #2
Mind-tasting sample #3
Mind-tasting sample #4
Mind-tasting sample #5
Mind-tasting sample #6
Mind-tasting sample #7
Mind-tasting sample #8
Mind-tasting sample #9
Mind-tasting sample #10
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ABOUT THE Author
Brian Mitchell runs The New England Wine Academy, and is responsible for the content of this blog. With 30 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
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