Marketview Liquor School of Wine
Course Syllabus
WINE101: Getting to know 10 classic styles/regions of wine
Fall 2014: September 1 – September 12, 2014
Section 1: Monday – Friday (September 1 – September 5)
In-Store Tasting Thursday, September 4th: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
A tasting of the first 5 wines from Section 1
Section 2: Monday – Friday (September 8 – September 12)
In-Store Tasting Thursday, September 11th: 4:00pm – 7:00pm
A tasting of the last 5 wines from Section 2
Course Code & No. – Section: WINE101 – Section 1 & Section 2
Course Title: Getting to know 10 classic styles/regions of wine
Course Ref. No.: W101
Instructor: Mike Martin
Phone: 888-427-2480
Emails: [email protected]
Office: 1100 Jefferson Rd. Rochester, NY 14623
Office Hours: Monday – Saturday: 9:00am – 9:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm – 6:00 pm
Prerequisites: Interest in wine
Course Description:
This section is in part and in conjunction with the Wine 100 level courses. In this particular section (101) we delve into 10 traditionally produced wines from 10 classic regions. Regions include: Nemea, Greece. Loire Valley, France. Burgundy, France. Bordeaux, France. Rhone, France. Mosel, Germany. Tuscany, Italy. Rioja, Spain. Sonoma County, California. Finger Lakes, New York. Coursework will include a variety of readings about the wines and their given regions. Also opening and consuming of the wines so that the contents can be studied, as well as understood in order to provide the key concepts of these traditional wine regions.
Previous Lessons: Lesson One, Lesson Two, Lesson Three, Lesson Four, Lesson Five, Lesson Six, Lesson Seven
Lesson Eight
Our eighth wine takes us back to France for the fourth time. Thus far in France we have been to the regions of Loire Valley, Bordeaux, and Rhone. The fourth wine takes us to Burgundy, France (Bourgogne in French). Burgundy is in Eastern France with evidence to viticulture dating back to the Second Century AD. The climate here can vary greatly with colder winters and hotter summers, this can lead to vastly different wines vintage to vintage. Besides the unruly climate the terroir is a huge focus in the region and for that reason oenophiles pay close attention to specific origins of the wine. AOC law comes into play here basically to control the point of origin for a wine. The strict laws focus on two main levels of quality, Premier Crus and the higher level Grand Crus. Of course not all quality wines come from one of the Crus, but they are usually the more generic wines of Burgundy. Burgundy is synonymous with Pinot Noir, Which is a fickle grape to grow especially with difficult weather and terroir. Although when everything is in harmony it can make for the most impressive bottle of wine.
Maison Roche De Bellene Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes comes from a well-known and highly regarded winemaker in Burgundy, Nicolas Potel. This is 100% Pinot Noir and comes from terroir of limestone and clay. The grapes come from old vines, (vieilles vignes in French) that are 56-88 years in age. The grapes are harvested by hand. They are then aged in French Oak barrels for 15 months, 80% is in matured barrels, 15% of which is new oak and the remainder is done in stainless steel, 7,916 cases produced. All this maintains a pure style with bright fruit and a fine texture. Wonderful fresh structured berries and earthy tones are present on the nose. The palate has lively and lush bright cherries, strawberries and blackberries. This wine’s finish is balanced with complexity that lingers on. Bacon stuffed mushrooms or roasted duck breast dishes go hand in hand with this bottle of Pinot Noir. This truly is a fantastic entry level to the region of Burgundy.
Maison Roche De Bellene Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes – $15.99 a bottle
*Receive free shipping on all wines featured in Wine 101 – Minimum 6+ bottle purchases (mix/match).