This Month at NEWA (Feb 2024)

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)