Al Fresco Wines
Eating outdoors, or Al Fresco, is one of the reasons (I believe) people live for Fall & Spring in Atlanta. The evening temperatures are enjoyable and more approximate what one experiences in Europe. Firepits, fireplaces and chimineas are all worthy companions to a balanced red wine served with cheese plates and chocolate. Here are some spectacular wines to enjoy outside!
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2008 Calendar
Want to see the ALL the remaining courses in 2008? Download a schedule.

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Certified Specialist of Wine Training Program
Sunday, October 12th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Get the confidence that comes with having a "wine expert" credential. Includes 18 hours of training sessions, 250-page Study Guide, online study modules, quizzes, and exam. Almost 100 enthusiasts have gained this credential through us since November 2007. >>>> More Info (Discounts for Trade Personnel)

For Beginners ONLY
Wednesday, September 10th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

Sure you can drink it, but can you pair it? Can you speak it? Come to terms with it in a special tasting that helps you express yourself in the world of wines. Don't be left standing there holding the bottle--get more confidence and find more pleasure in every sip.

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Jane's Monthly Dozen Tasting: Top Wines Under $20
Tuesday, September 16th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Hosted by: Jane Garvey

We'll be tasting the eight (8) top scoring wines from the August Wine Review along with some food selections chosen to compliment the wines. All of these wines are under $20 suggested retail, and all taste more expensive!

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Wines & Cheeses (featuring Artisanal/Farmstead Cheeses)
Wednesday, September 17th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Michael Bryan

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.
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World of Reds ~ A Share Our Strength Course
Monday, September 22nd (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
Instructor: Paul Kelly Wheeler

This is one of our first formats that we coined in 2004 and it just gets better and better. Nine (9) specially selected reds hailing from global destinations. You'll hear things like "man, I didn't know Australia made Pinot Noir like that" or "did you see the quality of that South African Cab for the money?!" >>>> More Info

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

For Beginners ONLY ~ A Share Our Strength Course
Wednesday, September 24th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)

Sure you can drink it, but can you pair it? Can you speak it? Come to terms with it in a special tasting that helps you express yourself in the world of wines. Don't be left standing there holding the bottle--get more confidence and find more pleasure in every sip.

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Bring your own music (CD or iPOD) and enjoy eight (8) yummy wines & heavy appetizers. >>>> More Info

Introduction to Wine, Level I
Monday, September 29th (AWS Wine Room, Roswell)
This is the last Intro Course in 2008

Text book, tasting guide, riveting interactive lectures, and six to twelve wines to taste per class. This course takes the wine curious and creates wine enthusiasts!

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• Roy's Restaurant 20th Anniversary Dinner with Roy Yamaguchi, September 23rd, 2008
  Roy's Atlanta GM Joshua Fan let us know about a very nice 5-Course Dinner for this special occassion at $100/guest. Joshua mentioned to make the reservations directly through him, so he can be sure to get Roy over to your table to meet you. The 20th Anniversary Culinary Tour is a celebration of two decades of Chef Roy’s unique and award-winning contribution to the culinary arts, known as Hawaiian Fusion® Cuisine. Chef Roy holds the distinction of being honored early in his career with the prestigious James Beard "Best Pacific Northwest Chef" award – making him the first award recipient from Hawaii. RSVP: Josh at 617-335-5022
• The Truth Behind Wine Spectator's Coveted Awards of Excellence for Restaurants
  Wine Spectator, one of the most influential wine magazines state-side, was caught unawares--BIG TIME! Wine writer Robin Goldstein decided to see just how easy it would be to pay the $250, create a fake restaurant, a mock Italian wine list (using LOW scoring Italian wines), and see if Wine Spectator would choose him for an Award of Excellence. They did! One of the most embarrassing moments this year.
  Read the whole interesting story
• Like We Say in Every Class, "Good Wine Can Be Made Anywhere"
  Time Magazine's Joel Stein found out there was at least one winery in every state. But unlike most people, Joel decided to visit them all. Unfortunately, the ONE wine he chose from Georgia, the ONE which he used to sum up his entire vino-perspective of Georgia wine, was made by a place for which wine is, well shall we say diplomatically, "less economicly important than the Spa services & Golf." >> More
• Interesting Connection Between Women's Use of their Noses (and how it helps them find men)
  I've read before the assertion that the most sensitive nose (and hence palate) is a female under the age of 30. I've never contested it, and in class, it is more often a woman who ferrets out the wine aromas over men still swirling and trying. This writer has some suggestions for why this might be so. >> More
• Get Ready Retailers--Amazon.com is Jumping into Wine
  They've done it before back in 2005, but that was more of a "test the waters" move; and besides, the quagmire of interstate shipping has improved dramatically since then. Imagine the largest inventory of wine in the world, always up to date, with free shipping. >> More
• You Knew Someone Would Do It--Red State and Blue State Wines
  Although, with California, Oregon and Washington as "blue" states, it is hardly a contest! >> More
• Here Comes China
  We first made the statement a few years ago that in the near future all of us would be seeing "Made in China" on wines available in the store. In that time, China has moved to being the world's sixth largest producer of wine, surpassing Germany, Australia, and South Africa. Their rate of consumption is 20x that of the world average and it's not slowing down. >> More

Jane's Monthly Dozen: Al Fresco Wines
by Jane Garvey

Heat factors are becoming more tolerable outdoors, leaving us able to enjoy our patios and other outdoor living circumstances without having to mop our brows. The insect population is getting reduced as summer recedes into fall, and our opportunities for being outdoors without getting chomped at the elbows and ankles increase.

In casual circumstances, we want wines that don't cost us a king's ransom but that still deliver plenty of flavor. We find this the perfect time to enjoy lighter-bodied white wines (forget those butter-oak Chardonnays), like roses, and lighter red wines.

The sample of white wines below is just a starter set. I would add to the collection wines made from Gruner Veltliner, a grape from Austria; Godello and Albarino, two grapes from northwestern Spain; Verdejo, from Rueda, Spain; Soave (made chiefly from Grarganega), Italy; Verdelho, from Australia; Sauvignon Gris, one of the sleeper grapes from Chile (look for Casa Silva and Cousino Macul); Torrontes, from Argentina (but preferably those from Mendoza rather than Salta, which I find too flowery and overwhelming); plus the well-known Pinot Gris and its cousin Pinot Grigio (although from Trentino Alto-Adige, preferably) and Pinot Blanc. Slightly spritzy Moscato d'Asti is lovely with poached, chilled fruits. All these are able to support the lighter foods of summer.

Roses--especially the dry ones--are ideal for this time of year, not only because of the weather but because of the foods they ably accompany. I like roses so much I'll happily drink them in a blizzard if I wish to so long as they go with the foods I'm serving. Sparkling brut rose is especially pleasant at this time of year with summer foods, and remains my favored form of sparkling wine at any time of the year.

Do you steer clear of red wines when it's warm outside? Don't do that. Enjoy them. But give them a bit of a cooling down to say cellar temperature, or about 55-60F/13-15C. I oppose chilled glasses for any beverage, whether wine or beer, as this nefarious practice tends to kill the flavors. But I'll do it if there's no other way to get a glass of red wine at a proper temperature in a restaurant. People are still surprised when I recommend cooling red wines, but doing so enhances the fruit and tempers any alcoholic heat. Serve that red wine too warm, and all you get is enhanced alcohol.

Look for a nice Lambrusco, moderately chilled, to enjoy with your next batch of fried or barbecued chicken, and tell me that's not a stellar experience. Just put your wine snob cap on a hook in the closet, and you'll actually have FUN with this wine. Look for Ca' de' Medici (Quality, $11).

Pick up a good Beaujolais--especially a Cru Beaujolais--and cool it down before you have your next barbecue, and you'll find a new pairing that will delight and surprise you. Grilled chicken; grilled flank steak; grilled sausages--a whole plethora of summer foods--will do well with a proper Beaujolais. Unfortunately, Atlantans don't do much with Beaujolais, made from the Gamay grape, and the wine deserves more respect than it gets.

Bardolino, made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, is lighter than its cousin Valpolicalla, mostly because it typically includes more Rondinella than the heavier-bodied Corvina. Both the red wines and the rosato (rose'), called Chairetto, are great for summer sipping.

Classic Southern barbecue will do nicely with a wide assortment of red wines, including these choices. I love it with St. Chinian, which is Syrah-based, but that's getting hard to find. Choose wines that show soft tannins and ample fruit to embrace the assertive flavors of barbecue and the accompanying sauces. And go for lower alcohol levels in this heat--Riesling always is a good choice for this reason--so you don't find yourself prone by the side of the pool at the end of the party.