“It’s gotta be fun!” is the best advice I received from my mentor Kevin Zraly, who, as founder of The Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, knows something about wine education. So, I feel as though I’m doing something right when my guests at The Chopping Block wine classes tell me “I can’t believe I had so much fun learning about something so complicated!”
Autumn is a great time to attend a wine class. You’ll taste new wines to jazz up your holidays. You’ll experience proven wine and food tips for your entertaining. A wine class can be a taste of wine country for upcoming travel, a unique way to entertain friends and family and, with our gift cards, a wine class makes much-appreciated gifts!
The Chopping Block makes wine savvy easy by offering wine classes four ways:
For New Wine Drinkers to Certified Cork Dorks
In our standard 90-minute wine classes, we taste five wines complemented with wine-friendly noshes. Classes such as “Unlock the Secrets of Wine” (see below) cover wine in general; others, like “The Italian Renaissance of Wine” focus on specific winelands or styles. 90-minute classes are typically offered on alternate Fridays at 6:30pm and include:
Unlock the Secrets of Wine (will be offered in December 2023)
Learn the tasting techniques that wine pro’s use to get the most enjoyment from every sip. We’ll taste 5 international wines, revealing the wine’s face, nose, palate and finish as we go, learn wine vocabulary that you, your sommelier and wine merchant can understand and discuss wine and food pairing. Seminar also includes complementary noshes. While this seminar is a step up from the basics (see “How to Bluff Your Way through Wine”), no prerequisite is required.
On Friday November 17, please join us for A Toast to the Holidays: A Celebration of Champagne and Bubbles: Thanksgiving is second only to New Year’s Eve as America’s favorite bubbly occasion! Champagne is the international symbol of festivity and fortune, but all that sparkles isn’t Champagne. We’ll discuss “the night they invented Champagne” and production of the world’s other fine sparkling wines, tasting Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Prosecco, Cava Rosè and Moscato (which may surprise you!) as well as the historic French 75 cocktail.
A Deep Dive into Wine
In January, we invite you to journey thru The World of Wine: A Tasting Series: As the U.S. continues our streak as the world’s #1 wine consumer, we’re offered more wines and more ways of buying it than ever before. But choice comes with questions: How do I keep up with unique grapes, emerging regions and ground-breaking techniques? Why does one wine taste (and cost!) different than another? What’s a delicious wine for entertaining, to pair with dinner, for a quiet evening at home? We’ll answer these questions and much more during World of Wine: A Tasting Series.
In four, two-hour sessions, we explore the world’s primary grapes and regions, tasting eight hand-crafted wines every class, accompanied by substantial appetizers and a graduation dinner! World of Wine builds an informed foundation for entry-level wine lovers, takes intermediate wine knowledge to the next level and provides a solid review (and insider tips) for seasoned aficionados.
For Anyone Who Likes to Eat and Drink
If you’d like to test the rules of wine and food and decide on rules of your own, join us for a two-hour wine and food class, such as “Spanish Wine and Tapas” or “Culinary Heaven.”
On Friday November 3, we journey to Culinary Heaven: Wine & Cheese Pairing: The marriage of wine and cheese is one of our most exciting taste sensations, from easy appetizers to an elegant cheese board, even Mac ‘n Cheese. Learn the secrets of successful wine and cheese pairing in this tasting of five prominent cheese styles mixed-&-matched with 5 wines. This is an exceptional taste sensation and sells out quickly!
The Best Wine Deal in Town: Raise Your Glass
If you prefer a taste of wine education before committing to a full class, Raise a Glass is for you! On alternate Fridays from 5pm to 6pm, we taste three wines accompanied by a simple wine nosh, discuss wine basics along with any-and-all wine questions you may have. Raise a Glass is a easy introduction to wine and makes a fun beginning to your weekend, whether you’re headed out to a special occasion or towards the comforts of home. In Raise a Glass, you receive more than half the wine and two-thirds the time of our standard classes, for only $25 per person!
Here are upcoming Raise a Glass dates you won't want to miss:
