Grape Expectations: Understanding Wine Grapes (4 Thursdays)

Smart wine makers will tell you that it's all about the grape, and that great wine is made in the vineyard. Once they harvest the grapes, more than anything else, what they're trying to do is not screw it up!

In this class, we go back to the grape itself to start understanding and talking about wine. Week one is about the classic wine grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. From there, we'll taste contemporary wines whose grapes have long histories, like Riesling, Merlot, Italian Vernaccia from the 13th century, and Syrah (today's Shiraz) from ancient Greco-Roman times. Finally, call will taste into the future, samplin what wine lovers in the next decades will be drinking: post-modern favorites like Aussie Shiraz, Chilean Carmenere, and California Zinfandel, a grape that's both old and new at the same time.