Check out Mimi's Interview in FOODday

Want to know more about Greek wines? Check out Mimi Martin's (Wine & Spirit Archive owner) interview in the Oregonian's FOODday section.

WSA Alumni Party

On Saturday, April 4 we celebrated our second annual WSA Alumni Party - this time at Anne Amie Vineyards. It was a great chance to catch up with past students and to introduce students from different classes to one another. It didn't hurt that the weather was sunny, warm and near perfect, allowing us to open up the doors to Anne Amie for a gorgeous view of the valley and several different AVAs.

Each alum brought a "secret" bottle of wine, wrapped or decanted, and we spent the evening trying to guess what was in each bottle. The wines were a tasty, interesting and sometimes weird mix, hailing from Franken to the Finger Lakes and everywhere in between. Some delicious bottles were even made by students.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated. See you next year!

Wines of Austria Class - April 16

Join WSA co-owner, Adam Rhynard as he takes us on a tour of the Wines of Austria. We'll begin with a discussion of the terraced-hillsides above the Danube River, tasting the area's mineral-rich Rieslings and savory, complex Grüner Veltliners, but the delicate reds of Burgenland and botrytized sweet wines of the Neusiedlersee will not be neglected. After this course, it will be easy to see why Austria is considered one of the finest wine producing countries of the world.

This class is part of our 2009 Wine Passport Series; sign up for multiple classes and save!

Fill Your Wine Lovers Toolbox - Join us for the Introduction to Wine Series

Ready to get a strong foundation in wine tasting basics? Then our three-part Introduction to Wine Series is for you.

In this fun and interactive series, we'll guide you through the world's major wine styles and will fill your toolbox with the wine terminology you need to confidently understand any wine list. This is a tasting-focused class, so come prepared swirl, sniff and spit. By class end students will be able to identify major grape varieties by taste, to describe wines using classic descriptors (such as grassy, oaky, buttery, etc.), and to distinguish between "old world" and "new world" wine styles.

We hope you'll join us!

http://www.wineandspiritarchive.com/classes/introductiontowine.html

Wines of Piedmont Class - Saturday, February 28

Everyone at WSA is looking forward to our upcoming Wines of Piedmont Class scheduled for next Saturday, February 28.  The class will be taught by Darryl Joannides, owner of cork: a bottle shop and formerly chef/owner of Assagio Restaurant.  

Class Description: 

Piedmont's rolling hillsides, nestled at the base of the Alps, provide ideal growing conditions for some of the world's most prestigious wines.  The variations in slope, aspect and soil found in these hills support a broad range of grape varieties and wine styles.  The most famous wines of Piedmont are certainly the elegant and age-worthy Nebbiolo-based wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, but the region supports other charming and distinctive varieties as well including Barbera, Dolcetto, Freisa, and Grignolino.

This class is part of our International Wine Passport Series, so sign up for one of our "frequent flyer programs" and save!