AWS’s Wine & Travel Editor, Greg McCluney, cruises through Oregon’s rambling wine country to find out what’s new in the land of luxury Pinot Noir. Follow his photo-journalistic adventure through King Estate Winery, Domaine Serene, Sweet Cheeks, Van Duzer and more.

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The Romans are credited with the expansion of wine across Europe, but no where was the influence as strong as in the South of France. Their wine legacy lives on, as France was and still is the world's number one producer of fine wine. But wine is not the only thing with a living foot-print. Architecture, like amazing aqueducts and bridges still stand as testament to their quality and utility.
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WE TAKE CARE OF THE TRADE! Do you make your living in a wine-pouring capacity--as a server, banquet manager, or within the wine distribution chain? If so, we have preferential pricing on all of our events & courses for YOU! Please contact us and state your professional affiliation for a promotional code you can use anytime.

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School Nights @ Park Tavern: Down Under Thunder
Monday, February 18th (The Piedmont Room @ Park Tavern)
Speaker: Scott Carter of Fosters

What's happening in Australia? Reception wine is a Pinot Grigio, then in the tasting we roll into a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a red blend, Shiraz, Cabernet, and finish with a Port!
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Sexy & Seductive Pinot Noir
Wednesday, February 20th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Presenter: Michael Bryan

Pinot Noir's feminine textures and characteristics has compelled many to fall prey to this beguiling vino-vamp. Alluring and tempting, Pinot Noir is at once athletic and crisp, and at other times velvety, rich and opulent. >>>> More Info

My Big Fat Greek Wine
Wednesday, February 27th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Presenter: Paul Kelly Wheeler

Greek wine is experiencing a revival. Join us to explore the wines and culture of this ancient region. We'll be tasting whites, reds and dessert wines.
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Make Your Own Wine Program
Saturday, February 23rd (1st Meeting at Vineyard/Winery)
Hosted by: Mary Ann & Sonny Hardman of Persimmon Creek Vineyards

Be one of sixteen people who will forever know what it means to say "Vintage 2008." That is because sixteen people will be making Cabernet Franc wine in 2008. If you have soil under your nails...if you picked grapes today...if your hands have a slight purple tannin stain...then you're a winemaker. Live it next year. More Info

School Nights @ Park Tavern: Merlot is NOT a Dirty Word
Monday, March 3rd (The Piedmont Room @ Park Tavern)
Instructor: Beth Nowak of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines

It's convenient to pick on the #1 selling wine in America. This tasting will remind you why that is the case! >>>> More Info

Wine & Chocolate
Tuesday, March 4th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Presenters: Jane Garvey and Chef Lydia Olson

We bring you a special tasting of hand-crafted Belgian chocolates and wines. For many this combination is a match made in heaven, but there are some guidelines when pursuing the "best" pairings. 8 wines paired with 8 chocolates.
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Artisanal cheeses are no less labors of love than their wine counterparts. Location of pastureland, seasonality of milks, and aging all weigh heavily on the final taste experience. Join us for 8 pairings of wine & cheese. Like all classes...learning via tasty entertainment! >>>> More Info

Jane's Monthly Dozen: Bubbles & Baubles
by Jane Garvey

Looking for something significant for that significant other for Valentine's Day? Most people think about chocolate or Champagne and other sparkling wines. I favor celebrating the day throughout the month, requiring a few more wines than just one or two.

Of course, bubbles come to mind first. A good Champagne—that is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France—is a top-flight choice, but don't assume it will go with caviar. If you want Champagne and caviar, get a good osetra caviar and an austere, crisp, clean style of Champagne, not a rich, yeasty one. California sparklers typically don't handle caviar very well at all, leaving a metallic fishy taste on the palate. A more austere style of Champagne or sparkling wine also does supremely well with cold, raw oysters. (But please bag the cocktail sauce, Tabasco and horseradish in favor of a simple squeeze of lemon or a mildly acidic mignonette.)

To pair sparkling wines with foods, consider acidity and the seasoning of the dish. Acidity, which is usually high in sparkling wines, allows them to be used as palate cleansers. Roederer Estate sparkling wine from California does well with pickled herring, for instance. That may be surprising, but the wine operates as a palate cleanser. A rich full-bodied wine can go with a steak; try the Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs (white made from black grapes—Pinot Noir in this instance—with steak. Or Roederer's California L'Ermitage with something as rich as Creole-style French onion soup. Boy is that good! In fact, sparkling wine does very well with soups as a general operating principal, provided other balance issues are maintained, such as weight. So use a light sparkler with a light soup, and a fuller bodied one with a richer soup, as the above example does.

Some sparklers are great with chocolate, the supposed no-no of food and wine pairing. Codorniu's lovely sparkling Pinot Noir is good with dark chocolate, but that shouldn't be surprising as Pinot Noir does well with dark chocolate. Another good slightly sparkling choice for dark chocolate and red fruits is any Brachetto d’Acqui.

White grape-based (blanc de blanc) and non-rose Champagne and sparkling wine do well with salty foods. A friend adores tete de cuvee Champagne (the top of the heap) with boiled peanuts. Yes, he’s a good ole South Carolina boy, but he's on to something. Not fond of boiled peanuts (and why not?), try pistachios. They're magic with Gosset’s Celebris Blanc de Blancs or the Argyle brut from Oregon. Another fun thing: French onion dip (remember that old chestnut?) with lightly salted really good potato chips and a good brut Champagne or sparkling wine (but not rose) creates quite a surprised stir.

Most people prefer these wines very cold, about 45F, but I think they get more interesting as they warm up to about 50-55F and open up in the glass. And about that glass: make it a thin, tall, tulip-shaped vessel that closes slightly at the top (rather than flaring out), not the saucer-shaped one that was an 18th-century preference. Why the change? Because the flat, saucer-shaped glass allows the bubbles to dissipate, as was preferred then through as late as the early 20th century. Today, we want to keep the bubbles lively, a condition best accomplished in the tall tulip-shaped glass. The edge should be straight and thin, not rolled, and if you think I'm being fussy, try the two glasses some time simultaneously, and compare for yourself.

For sweet wines, choose a wine that still has a good bracing backbone of acidity, or you’ll have the sensation of drinking a liquefied lollipop. Not fun. Acidity, even in sweet wines, cleanses the palate between sips and helps the wine go with food.
Not that sweet wines have to go with food. Indeed, they may easily serve as dessert, not necessarily with dessert. Pairing sweet wines with dessert can be tricky, as you have to be sure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. So when in doubt, go with a simple cookie or pound cake. Sweet wines also may (not all sweet wines) be traditionally served with foie gras or silky-textured liver mousses or pates, rather than courser-textured terrines.

Serve sweet wines slightly chilled. Most, although not all, are high in alcohol, and serving at cooler temperatures will temper the alcohol and enhance the fruit. In any case, cooler temperatures will enhance fruit flavors. Consider serving some with savory foods. A classic pairing, for example, is blue cheese and Sauternes. The sweet against the sharpness of the cheese is compelling, to say the least.

For sweet wines, especially those high in alcohol, use a small tulip-shaped or white wine glass. Avoid the temptation to fill the glass to the rim. In fact, if you don’t have anything but those silly thick eyewash glasses, use a small white wine glass or even a martini glass. The latter is, to be sure, a desperate measure, but preferable to the eyewash style in any case. Go easy on the pour if the alcohol is high, or your romantic evening could come to a soporific end. Two to three ounces is a sufficient pour when alcohol is at a robust 17-18%. If the alcohol is lower, say 12%, by all means be more generous.