All About Wine

Wine Appreciation And Food Matching

Learn to maximise your appreciation of wine. Paula offers both a full day course and a four evening course which can be suited to any type of occasion or level of knowledge. Conducted in a fun, informal environment, these courses allow participants to test their wine appreciation skills with delicious wine and food. Every detail is catered for and courses are conducted by an expert wine promoter and educator with 25 years Experience.

Topics include:

• Australian Wine Regions - History, Development and Processing Methods
• Identification of major red and white grape varieties
• Identification of different flavour characteristics
• Learning about the appreciation of wine
• Identification of quality levels in wines
• Learning to decipher wine labels
• Fortified Wines - How and when to serve them
• Matching Wine with Food
• All about Sparkling Wines

Learn to appreciate wine in a fun and informal environment. Paula will enrich your knowledge and provide you with a pleasant evening of wine and food.

Full Day With Gourmet Dinner plus Wine & Food Matching Workshop

An informative and enjoyable day suited to those who have tasted many wines but would like to unlock the secrets of how to identify quality and recognise value for money.

The course covers topics ranging from the magnificent seven; top Australian wine growing regions; how wine is made; deciphering the label and identifying quality to help you get value for money with your wine purchases.

Course includes a wine education book, afternoon tea, wine & food matching workshop, 26 - 30 wines and a two course dinner chef prepared gourmet dinner. All wines tasted are masked and Attendees have the opportunity to test their skills and win a prize with a team Options Quiz.

Program & Menu

11:45am
Registration, books etc

12:00noon
Course Begins
- What is wine? Taste Red & White Table and Sparkling Wine & Rosè
- Identify Characteristics Exercise in:
Taste: Maleolactic & Carbonic Maceration
Smell: Aroma Examples
- How wine is made? The process...The Winemakers Intervention...The Vineyard...The Growing Cycle...The Winery.
- The Individual Characteristics 

2:00pm
FRESHLY BREWED COFFEE & TEA WITH GOURMET COOKIES
- Bracket of eight White Varietal Wines, The Classic Wine Styles...The Quality Guidelines...Judging Wines...White Wine Cellaring & Storage. 

4:30pm White Wine & Food Matching
- CRUMBED BARRAMUNDI GOUJONS AND TARTARE SAUCE
- TRUFFLE SCRAMBLED EGGS & SMOKED SALMON
- Three different White Wines are scored on a characteristic form to identify which food flavours best match different wine characters

- Bracket of eight Red Varietal Wines, Closures...Oak...Cellaring...Service and Purchase...History and the Wine Industry 

6:00pm Red Wine Food Matching
- PINE NUT & SPINACH LAMB BALLS
- DUCK LIVER PATE WITH RED ONION CONFIT
- Three different Red Varietals with canapès to identify the best matches 

6:20pm Options Game
- One White and Two Red Wines are identified as part of a game. A prize is awarded to the person with the most correct answers. 

7:15pm Dining - Chefs Restaurant
- CHAR GRILLED RIB FILLET ON DUKKAH SPICED SWEET POTATO CRISPS, CAFE DE PARIS BUTTER AND SEEDED MUSTARD JUS or
- CHICKEN BREAST FILLED WITH CAMEMBERT ON POTATO, BACON ROSTIS AND RED WINE JUS

8:20pm Dessert with Sweet Table Wine and Fortified Wines
- TANGY LEMON TART WITH CITRUS SALAD, FRESH CREAM AND ORANGE CULLE
- Botrytis, Cane Cut & Ice Wine Styles
- PROFITEROLES FILLED WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE AND KAHLUA WITH WARM FUDGE SAUCE
- Vintage Shiraz, Maderia, Sherry, Liqueur Muscat and Topaque

FOUR EVENING WINE APPRECIATION COURSE

Come along one night a week, for four weeks and have your taste buds dazzled by the array of flavoursome wines and learn more about the appreciation of fine wine. Each night you will have the opportunity to try between 13 and 15 masked wines. Dinner is also included in the cost. To conclude the course we will complete the National Wine Educators Certificate Exam and a Master of Wine Tasting Paper. 

For you to keep, you will receive a bound wine information workbook. The course is suited to those who want to pursue an ongoing knowledge of Wine and want to pursue a career in the Wine Sales & Marketing Industry. It is also beneficial to enthusiasts who wish to learn and research as the course unfolds. The course is particularly 'hands on', offering tasting and smelling exercises along with information on the state of the industry, statistics, current trends and consumer behavior. A detailed insite on faults in Wine & Winemaking, Oak usage and closures are also covered.

This course consists of four Monday or Tuesday evenings held from 6:00-9:30pm.
Course Cost AUD $ 330.00 Cheque/Direct Deposit & $340.00 Credit Card

FOUR EVENING INTERNATIONAL COURSE

Tasting and Talking about wine – Internationally. An Intermediate level wine course which concentrates on how Australian Wines fit in the World Wine Scene. 60% of wines tasted during the four night course are not Australian.

Approximately 50 wines are tasted through the course – mostly from classic wine regions around the world. There is also a session on palate calibration. Recognition of quality, judging standards and styles are explained. Comparative tasting’s of important varieties from around the world is a feature of this course.

This course includes a bound workbook and Dinner each evening.
Course Cost AUD $ 399.00 if paying by credit card or $389 for Direct Deposit/Cheque.

2012 Classes

Date to be advised.

Contact Paula for further details 0412 158 425 or 3870 2555

The WSET Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits

to be held in Brisbane CBD, March 2012

Attached enrolment form can be completed, however the course will be held in March 2012 over a two week period. 

Dates will be available in late August.