Introduction to wine tasting with Christopher Cooper

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Introduction to wine tasting with Christopher Cooper

By The Guardian Masterclasses

Date and time

Wednesday, April 15, 2015 · 6:30 - 9:30pm GMT+1

Location

The Guardian

Kings Place 90 York Way London N1 9GU United Kingdom

Refund Policy

Contact the organizer to request a refund.

Description

Train your palate and learn to appreciate wine in a way you never thought possible, in just one evening

Wine snobs might not want you to know this, but learning to appreciate a fine vintage is something anyone (over 18) can enjoy. In just three hours, this course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the theory – and more excitingly, the practice – of tasting and analysing wine.

Expert tutor Christopher Cooper has been a head sommelier at the Connaught, Savoy Grill and Soho House Group among others. Well known in the industry for eschewing flowery prose in favour of plain-English descriptions of the qualities of a wine, he's the perfect guide for your first steps into this formerly mysterious world. This course aims to introduce wine appreciation novices to the basic principles of how to taste wine, with advice on decoding what to look at; what you're smelling, and what you can taste.

Perfectly accessible for beginners, but suitable for more established enthusiasts, this egalitarian evening demystifies the language and rituals of this exclusive domain to enable anyone to cultivate an informed appreciation for – and opinion of – wine. To help you develop your palate for future wine tastings, Christopher will provide tailored feedback throughout the evening, discussing both your tasting notes and tasting ability to help you build on your new skills. You'll also learn the basics of where wine comes from, how it's made and why it tastes the way it does, as well as elements of food and wine matching, which should make poring over the restaurant wine list a lot more rewarding.

This course is for you if...

  • You enjoy drinking wine and would like to enhance your knowledge of its history, culture, aromas, textures and flavours
  • You have found a previous wine tasting session off-putting or intimidating

Course description

This informal three-hour course covers the theoretical and practical aspects of tasting wine, and teaches you how to analyse its merits and/or faults. There will be an extensive tasting session, plus plenty of time for discussion and Q&A with Christopher Cooper. Topics covered at the event include:

  • A brief history of wine
  • The basics of wine – what is it and how is it made?
  • Why does wine taste like it does?
  • The flavour game – what should we be expecting?
  • How to taste and analyse wine
  • Tasting notes explained
  • The tasting session
  • Drawing your own conclusions

Tutor profile

Christopher Cooper is London's fresh and revitalising wine and drinks consultant, providing refreshing guidance and commentary for hospitality, the drinks industry and the media. Chris' quirky and witty approach to wine and the broader spectrum of consumable liquids is well respected within the industry. The former head sommelier of Soho House Group, he has previously worked at restaurants including the Connaught, Savoy Grill, Wolesley and Clos Maggiore among others. Read more about Christopher on his website.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website

Organized by

Welcome to Guardian Masterclasses – a unique programme of learning embedded within one of the world's most forward-thinking media organisations.

We offer a broad range of short and long courses across a variety of disciplines from creative writing, journalism, photography and design, film and digital media, music and cultural appreciation.

Harnessing the expertise and specialisms within the organisation, our courses are led by first class and award winning guardian professionals whilst also drawing on the skills and expertise of other leading figures at the forefront of the creative and digital industries.

The programme is aimed at anyone interested in personal or professional development whether that be refining your skills, focusing your ambition or simply broadening your mind and gaining inspiration.

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