Local Class: Wine Education at Rice

The Rice Glasscock School of Continuing Studies is offering a class called "Tasting and Enjoying Wine," taught by Houston wine expert Bear Dalton, who has been the head wine buyer for Spec's for over 16 years.  The class is open to the public and will be held on 5 Monday nights, from October 15 through November 12, from 7 - 9pm.  The cost is $295.

Here's the course description from the Rice School of Continuing Studies website:

Join wine expert Charles M. Bear Dalton in an introduction to non-European wines. Learn about and experience exciting wines such as Sonoma Zinfandel, Napa Cabernet, Australian Shiraz and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; under-discovered treasures such as California Petite Sirah, Texas Tempranillo, New Mexico bubbly and Australian Grenache; and great values such as Chilean Cabernet and Argentine Malbec. Mr. Dalton will survey these wines by country and region, discussing the varieties of grapes and how they got where they are today as well as how the wines are made, how they have evolved and where they are headed. Participants will learn how to pair these wines with food, what to look for and buy for home consumption or in restaurants and which wines offer the best value. The class will taste wines typical of each country and region, and two appropriate cheeses will be served during each class. The first session will include a brief discussion of tasting.

Regions to be covered include:

California: The North Coast (Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino)

California: The Bay Area and points south

Texas, Oregon and Washington

Australia and New Zealand

Chile and Argentina

For more information or to register, click here.

I've heard a lot about this class, and I'm excited to be taking it.  You can expect a full review when it's finished!