As young professionals continue to navigate the world of business, entertaining and networking, a little wine know-how can come in handy. Even if you’re not an avid wine drinker, wine knowledge is a must in everything from dates and client dinners to hostess gifts and company team-building exercises. Over the past few weeks, the experts at Apothic Wine (a favourite with the YP set) have provided a few simple tips on what to do in the most common wine scenarios as part of our exclusive four-part series. So, you’ve learned a little about the sometimes intimidating art of ordering wine, starting a wine collection and giving wine as a hostess gift.
Perhaps you’d like to learn even more. If you’re looking to sharpen your wine knowledge and skills further, there are numerous resources to get you started – it isn’t as daunting as you may think. In this, our final article, our friends at Apothic leave us with some suggestions to further expand our wine expertise.
The Situation: You Want to Learn More about Wine.
Attend a Winemaker’s Dinner
A great way to learn pairing tips and first-hand advice is from the winemaker him or herself. Not to mention, this makes for a memorable meal and an evening out with your significant other that goes above and beyond the typical dinner date.
Winemaker dinners are typically organized in advance, so visit your favourite winery’s website to find out the schedule of events
Another way to keep track of upcoming winemaker dinners is to review local event listings in your newspaper or online and to sign up for local food, wine and lifestyle newsletters (like Notable) to keep you informed of what food and wine events are happening in your city.
Visit a winery
A perfect place to draw inspiration is from a winery itself, offering a relaxing and informative way to sip and savour the day away.
A day spent at a winery provides a sometimes-needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the city – for a day or even a weekend. There are 200 wineries in BC, over 70 award-winning wineries just over an hour away from Toronto in the Niagara Region, and over 30 wineries in Quebec located in five distinct regions. Take a guided tour (usually complimentary) to get a first-hand experience with each of the stages from vine to bottle.
Plan a “wine vacation”
Better yet, plan your next vacation around wine. California, for example, is full of wine tour destinations throughout the state, from Napa Valley to Sonoma County, to the Central Coast.
Visit great sites such as Napa Valley Tourism, Sonoma Valley Visitor’s Bureau or Visit California for help in planning your next trip.
Take a wine class
Check your local wine store for courses they may be running, or even check out organizations such as the Opimian Society, which sometimes holds sessions. Tidings Magazine and Local Wine Events both have extensive Event Directories that list great opportunities for anyone to sign up and learn more. If it sounds intimidating, bring a friend or your significant other (SO).
There are also ample opportunities for wine tasting events in cities across the country, with everything from gourmet wine and food shows to wine tasting mixers geared toward the young professional (which Notable.ca will obviously keep you in the know about). Wine knowledge is something you can continually expand on; it can become a passion, hobby or even a career choice down the road.
Keep trying out new wines and tasting whenever the opportunity presents itself and, above all, have fun with learning about wine!