WINE CLASSES

NEW WINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Premier Cru Certificate Requirements

Grand Cru Certificate Requirements*

Tuesdays, February 16-23, 7-9 PM

or Saturdays, March 20-27, 7-9 PM

or Sundays, April 11-18, 7-9 PM

or Tuesdays, May 11-18, 7-9 PM

This class, crafted by ICE’s resident sommelier Richard Vayda, is tailored to the wine novice who wants a quick, fun and basic introduction to the world of the grape. You’ll learn the fundamentals of wine, wine tasting and appreciation, which will start you on the road to critically judging wine color, aroma, flavor, and body. You’ll discover the meaning of such wine concepts as dryness, acidity, fruitiness, tannins, varietals, vintages, and more. Participants interested in continuing their exploration of wine are encouraged to go on to Wine Essentials.

Thursdays, February 4-March 11, 7-9 PM

or Fridays, February 19-March 26, 7-9 PM

or Wednesdays, March 10-April 14, 7-9 PM

or Fridays, April 9-May 14, 7-9 PM

or Wednesdays, April 21-May 26, 7-9 PM

This six-week course, created by ICE’s Director of Wine Studies Richard Vayda, uses grape varietals as well as wine making regions, as a key to understanding the full wine spectrum. You will receive a thorough introduction to wine making, tasting, laws and labeling, as you learn about wine components and taste some of the world’s most celebrated wines. Limited to 32 students.

Session 1: Wine Making and Tasting Basics
Session 2: France: The wines and grapes of Burgundy and Bordeaux
Session 3: The Major Wines and Varietals of Italy
Session 4: Spanish and Warm Climate Wines
Session 5: West Coast and New World Wines
Session 6: A Tour of Sparkling Wine

Monday, March 22, 7-9 PM

Does a high price really imply high quality? You will examine this and other questions about the value and cost of wine in this fascinating class. You’ll taste a selection of terrific wines on the lower end of the price scale, as well as some fabulous wines from the higher end. Then, in a fun blind-tasting format, you will be the ultimate judge of quality.

Thursday, January 28, 7-9 PM

This course covers the extraordinary variety of wines that prevail in Bordeaux, from the great châteaux of the Médoc to the older and lesser-known production from smaller regions. You’ll learn about wines from the areas in the west and south of Bordeaux that produce magnificent wines that often sell at a fraction of the price of their more illustrious neighbors.

$90 • 1 sessions

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Friday, February 12, 7-9 PM

$80 • 1 sessions

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Saturday, February 20, 7-9 PM

Mondays, February 22-March 15, 7-9 PM

or Thursdays, April 15-May 6, 7-9 PM

This four-week continuation of the Wine Essentials I series offers in-depth exploration and tastings of some of the world’s more interesting and unusual wines. Studies will include an expanded array of lesser known varietals and wines, as each class concentrates on one wine category and delves into the wines’ production, characteristics, and uses, including discussions of food and wine pairing.

Session 1: Advanced White Wines: Side-by-Side Tasting of Interesting Aromatic and Fruity Wines
Session 2: Advanced Red Wines: In-Depth Comparison of Selected Wines from Old and New World Regions
Session 3: Off Dry to Sweet: Exploration of Elegant Rieslings to Cru Class Sauternes
Session 4: Fortified and Aromatized Wines with Wine Service: Fascinating Wines from Vermouths and Sherries to Madeiras and Portos - Prerequisite: Wine Essentials I

Wednesday, February 24, 7-9 PM

This course will familiarize participants with the essentials of Italian wine, including the effect of geography on wine production and the Italian wine classification system. You’ll discover some little known, but truly marvelous Italian wines and learn how to pair them with food. You will emerge from this class with enough knowledge and confidence to stand undaunted before the Italian section of a wine list or wine shop.

Saturday, February 27, 7-9 PM

Corks and packaging are two of the biggest topics of discussion in the global wine market today, thanks to the myriad new toppers and alternatives to glass that have appeared in recent years. Is the bottle of wine closed with a cork destined to become an endangered species? Does wine from a box actually taste good? What’s the deal with screw caps and with those cool glass stoppers from Germany? Wine educator Jane Brock will address these questions nad lead you through the mine field of bulk and alternative packaging, turning you on to some terrific eco-friendly and economical wines.

Wednesday, March 3, 7-9 PM

Nothing is more daunting than having a wine list the size of a phonebook, swimming with incomprehensible foreign terms, dumped into your lap while you’re trying to enjoy a night out. Never fear, this class will help you navigate those perilous shoals. Using samples from contemporary wine lists, Director of Wine Studies Richard Vayda will explain the meaning behind the various terms and categories on the typical wine list, and illustrate each by pouring you a sample to enjoy. By evening’s end, you will have a firm grasp of the subject and enough background to make intelligent choices—and actually have fun while doing it!

Saturday, March 13, 7-9 PM

ICE’s resident sommelier, Richard Vayda, opens up the cellar for a spectacular tasting of selected premium wines. You will enjoy Cru Burgundies and Bordeaux, aged Pinots, Cabernets, and other gems in a side-by-side tasting. The evening will start with a Tête de Cuvée Champagne and end, of course, with decanted Porto. You will also enjoy fine cheeses and other nibbles. Limited to 18 participants.

Thursday, March 18, 7-9 PM

Burgundy has a long and honored wine tradition, having been the site of vine cultivation since the 3rd century. In this class, you will learn about the rich history of the region’s viniculture, while exploring the many local appellations and tasting a range of the region’s spectacular production. You will finish the class with a more clear understanding of what many consider one of the most complicated wine regions of the world, but surely one of the world’s finest as well.

Tuesday, April 6, 7-9 PM

The heartland of Venetian winemaking is called the Veneto—a green, fertile, undulating countryside, reclining just behind the gilded city of Venice. This generous garden has offered the region’s winemakers all they could possibly desire in the way of raw materials for the last three millennia. This tasting will include celebrated wines like Prosecco, Soave, Bardolino, Valpolicella, Amarone, Recioto di Amarone, Torcolato, and others, as you tour this historic and varied wine region.

Thursday, April 8, 7-9 PM

In a single session, you’ll get an in-depth look at France’s major wine-producing regions. Although this subject can sometimes seem daunting, this class will provide a clear foundation so that you’ll no longer have any trouble differentiating a Pouilly Fuissé from a Pouilly Fumé. Pairing with food will also be discussed, offering a better understanding of what to serve with Cabernet Sauvignon, and what marries with a Pinot Noir. Representative wines from each of the major grape-growing regions will be tasted.

Saturday, April 10, 7-9 PM

Each year, the wine regions of the Western United States—covering California, Oregon, Washington, and more—acquire ever-greater status among wine lovers throughout the world. This course will explore the reasons for the area's spectacular success. Students will be introduced to the geography and climate of the various wine regions, and to the innovators who have made it all possible. Students will taste and analyze representative wines so that they will be able to choose appropriate wines with confidence. You'll taste a selection of red, white, sparkling, rosé, port and dessert wines.

The quickest way to get up to speed on the wine scene is to grab hold of the latest wine trends. W. R. Tish—New York’s leading corporate wine-event planner—will lead you through a range that is both trendy and delicious, from dry Riesling and “groovy” Gruner Veltliner to “splendid blendeds,” offbeat southern hemisphere reds, and even a French upstart so good you won’t believe it came from a box. And in the spirit that nothing is trendier than maximum bang-for-your-buck, Tish will also clue you in to the best values on wine lists, and the best values in wine stores.

Monday, April 26, 7-9 PM

Most wine authorities agree (in spite of the protests of Chardonnay lovers) that the greatest white-wine grape in the world is Riesling, a varietal indigenous to the Rhine Valley and its tributaries, apparently dating back to Roman times. Unusually, the grape is able to retain its acidity as it ripens and appears to be impervious to cold weather, so that even those picked late in the season will show a pleasing balance between sugar and acid. The resulting wines are traditionally described as possessing a flowery, fragrant aroma and a special fruity acidity; and can range from light and delicate to full and ripe. These wines can be paired with an incredible assortment of foods. This tasting will offer a surprising collection of excellent Rieslings accumulated not only from the famous regions of the Rhineland, but also from those areas of the New World that have recently become famous for their renditions of this fabulous grape.

Shiraz is just English for Syrah, the French name for this ancient, full bodied grape known for its floral, smoky, black fruit and herbal characteristics. Many different regions around the world produce varying styles of fantastic wine from this grape, so it is not always easy to pick one. This class will clear up all of the confusion, as you taste Syrah from the Rhone Valley of France, where the grape has its true roots, Shiraz from Australia, where they do shiraz true justice, and several other fine examples from California, South Africa, and South America.

Saturday, May 8, 7-9 PM

Serious red wine lovers are instantly aroused by the name Nebbiolo, the grape that produces the famous Barolos and Barbarescos of Italy’s Piedmont region. Nebbiolo is part of the distinguished trinity of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sirah that produces the most elegant, complex and long-lasting reds of the world. This course will introduce you to the region, which has been called the Bordeaux of Italy, and explain why it holds its eminent position among the fabled wine zones of the world. But this survey extends far beyond the glories of Barolo and Barbaresco, for the region itself is the home of an incredible number of varietals, such as Cortese, Moscato Asti, Barbara, Brachetto, Dolcetto, and Freisa. Each of these grapes is a story in itself, which you will discover over the course of the evening.