VINIDA: Understanding wine - a systematic wine (tasting) course in six chapters

Wine educator, chemist and Danish blind wine tasting champion Domen Prešern will guide you through the world of wine over six structured sessions. You will learn how to systematically taste from a blind-tasting perspective (no prejudices allowed!) and cover all the theory typically covered by wine courses - and more - at a fraction of the price of an industry wine-course.

Based on feedback from more than 20 VINIDA wine tastings, there is one request that keeps showing up time after time: A more systematic and comprehensive overview of the wine world and wine tasting.

Based on the positive feedback and the consistently high level of interest expressed in our wine tastings over the years, we are now offering this unique opportunity to expand your wine knowledge!

The course have six wine tasting from October 23rd through November 17th. Materials and handouts will be send out on October 1st (or when you signup thereafter).

You will receive:

• 6 guided tasting sessions - 48 wines total;
• A set of glasses and a spittoon;
• Extensive written material covering key aspects of the wine world and wine tasting, optimised for people with a STEM background used to learning. The course notes go beyond what will be discussed during the sessions and afford opportunity for additional learning in your own time and will serve you as a reference handbook for years to come;
• Extending your network of wine interested peers in IDA.

You will taste 48 wines selected to systematically cover the world of wine and key styles, including:

• Several wines from each of the key grape varieties (e.g. Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah);
• Wines of regionally important grape varieties (e.g. Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Gamay, Sangiovese);
• Still wines made in a wide range of styles and quality levels; and
• A handful of sparkling and fortified wines defined by their winemaking.

Through tastings, you will learn how to:

• Systematically taste and describe any wine;
• Assess quality and ageing potential of a wine;
• Write useful tasting notes - consistently communicate about wine;
• Understand other people’s (e.g. wine critics’) tasting notes, read wine labels and better predict what a wine is really like when reading about it; and
• Deduce a wine’s identity from what you can smell and taste.

A better theoretical understanding of wine
This is your chance to get the whole picture of wine - something not covered at regular VINIDA tastings! This will include:

• Influences of natural factors, viticultural and winemaking decisions on a wine;
• How chemical composition of a wine relates to your perception;
• Characteristics of 50 key grape varieties and blends across more than 100 winemaking regions;
• Limitations of human senses of smell and taste; and
• How to leverage all these in the context of wine and food pairing.

Through interactive guided tastings, you will learn how to connect the theoretical aspects with what you smell and taste in the glass, identifying the “what” as well as answering the “why?” at every
step.

Is this course for me?

This course is for anyone interested in expanding your wine horizons. Regardless of how much experience with wine you have. If you have previously attended VINIDA tastings with Domen you have had a small taste of how far the wine world stretches. Everyone will leave with a solid foundation, able to confidently explore the world of wine. By the end of the course, the average particpant should be confident in attending the qualifying heats in DM for blindtasting.

All sessions will be taught in English by Domen Prešern DipWSET of Roots Vin (domen@rootsvin.dk). If you have any questions, feel free to contact Domen or IDA board member Benjamin (benji.johansen@gmail.com) 

NB: The course starts on the 1st of October with preperation work in the form of a booklet send out to read before attending the first session.

The physical sessions will fall every Thursday from October 23rd through November 27th between 18:30 and 21:15