Defining Quality: What Makes a Wine Good? with Tonya Rawe DipWSET

1 1/2 hours, $95

This class demystifies the key building blocks of wine and how they shape what’s in your glass. We’ll explore acidity, tannin, body, alcohol, and aroma/flavor, along with common winemaking techniques such as oak use and blending. You’ll also learn why wine is so deeply tied to place, and how climate change is influencing the character of many wines today. To round things out, we’ll introduce the principles used to assess wine quality—balance, length, intensity, integration, complexity, and concentration—giving you practical tools to taste, describe, and better understand any wine you encounter.

We will taste 10 wines (list below subject to change based upon availability and quality upon opening):

Knappstein Riesling (Clare Valley, Australia)
Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Bernkasteler alte Badstube Am Doctorberg Riesling Spatlese
Villa Maria Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Private Bin
Blanchet Pouilly Fumé Les Champs (Pouilly Fume, Loire, France)
Amici Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast, CA)
Domaine Anny Derain Givry -or- Domaine Laurent Dufouleur Mercurey Chateau Mi-Pont
Ken Wright Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) -or- Cambria Julia’s Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley, CA
Gordon Estate Cab Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington)
Amadieu Romane Machotte Gigondas (Gigondas, Southern Rhone, France)
Josh Cellars Family Reserve Lodi Red Blend -or- Daou Paso Robles Pessimist Red Blend

This tasting is in person only at the Capital Wine School.

Please note that the building in which we are located does not have an elevator, and there are several sets of stairs to navigate to get to our classrooms on the second floor.

To ensure a quality experience for all participants, each class or course requires a minimum number of registrations. If this minimum is not met, we may need to cancel the session. In such cases, registered students will be notified as soon as possible and provided with options for rescheduling or a full refund.

By purchasing your ticket(s), you agree to our payment, refund, cancellation, and reschedule policy.