Tag Archives: WSET

Ode To Terrior and Tasting Notes

Posted on November 18, 2010 by

  I hate tasting notes. Okay, maybe that’s too harsh. I dislike tasting notes – intensely. Actually, I’ve written hundreds of tasting notes. I’ve written them on restaurant coasters, on the back of business cards, on program guides, and on … Continue reading →

Posted in Emile Peyaud, Tasting Notes, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Litte Bit About Grenache

Posted on November 3, 2010 by

You gave to feel sorry for poor Grenache. It has an identity problem and very rarely gets any billing.This grape is a little wild and some times you don’t even know when you are drinking it. Grenache Noir, as it … Continue reading →

Posted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Garnacha, Grenache, rhone wines, wine tasting, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wine, Romantic Encounters, and WSET

Posted on April 14, 2008 by

I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly – sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom … Continue reading →

Posted in Jancis Robinson, Oxford Companion to Wine, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crazy for Spanish Wines: Tempranillo Meets Toro

Posted on August 29, 2007 by

We have both been busy lately – a little too busy actually and, regretfully, not much of it to do with wine. The wine shelves are almost bare, dirty laundry piling up, and unanswered emails clogging our inboxes. However, somewhere … Continue reading →

Posted in Society of Wine Educators, Spanish wines, Tempranillo, Wine Academy of Spain, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ode To Terrior and Tasting Notes

Posted on May 4, 2007 by

I hate tasting notes. Okay, maybe that’s too harsh. I dislike tasting notes – intensely. Actually, I’ve written hundreds of tasting notes. I’ve written them on restaurant coasters, on the back of business cards, on program guides, and on god … Continue reading →

Posted in Emile Peyaud, Tasting Notes, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Chip Off the Old Barrel

Posted on April 28, 2007 by

I’ve been doing a lot of reading about barrels lately – varying amounts of toast, using radar to plot flavor profiles, and technical specs from various cooperages. Okay, so it’s part of my WSET training, but it also reinforces some … Continue reading →

Posted in barrels, oak | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Celebrating British Columbia’s Wine Industry

Posted on April 6, 2007 by

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you probably already know both Frank and I are big time fans of the BC Wine Appreciation Society (BCWAS). Now more than 140 members strong, BCWAS brings together a diverse, vibrantly eclectic … Continue reading →

Posted in BC Wine Institute, BCWAS, VQA, west coast wines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

Posted on April 2, 2007 by

We’ve done it. We’ve survived the 29th Annual Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Three delicious days of swirling, sniffing, sipping, and savouring. We’ve made some new friends, re-connected with several old ones, and, as is the tradition of this annual … Continue reading →

Posted in australian wines, Playhouse Wine Festival, VQA, WSET | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Required Reading

Posted on March 23, 2007 by

My bank account, the wine cellar, and I sat down this afternoon and took a long look at the required and suggested reading lists for my WSET Diploma and CSW from the Society of Wine Educators. I plan to write … Continue reading →

Posted in Society of Wine Educators, sommelier, wine books, WSET | Tagged | Leave a comment

Surviving the WSET Exam

Posted on March 16, 2007 by

The exam is over. Done at last. It’s difficult right now to tell whether I’m experiencing pure relief at the thought I can actually sleep later than 6:00 am this Saturday morning without becoming overwhelmed by stabbing pangs of guilt … Continue reading →

Posted in wine books, WSET, WSET Exams | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s D Day

Posted on March 13, 2007 by

6:30 am. Today is D Day, the day I sit the final exam for my Advanced WSET. I was wondering if like a hockey player before a big game, I would go unshaven today. This evening will be the end … Continue reading →

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Magnetic Millions

Posted on March 13, 2007 by

It was probably the strangest tasting Frank and I have ever attended. A room full of 50 wine aficionados, each one of us given ten wines, pen and paper, and crackers to cleanse the palate. Sounds normal enough. Then James … Continue reading →

Posted in Masters of Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Countdown to Exam

Posted on March 7, 2007 by

Tonight was Frank’s final class before his WSET advanced level exam. Swirl, smell, sip, repeat. Six wines later, his instructor says, “you really need to drink more red wine.” Ah ha, some small measure of vindication for my love of … Continue reading →

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Missing in Action?

Posted on March 3, 2007 by

I know Frank is still alive. At least, I’m pretty positive he is. We’ve even managed to have a few semi-conversations over the past few weeks – mostly punctuated by a look that’s a cross between shell shock and “oh … Continue reading →

Posted in Jancis Robinson, WSET, WSET Exams | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Olé: Spanish Wines Explained

Posted on February 24, 2007 by

I was reviewing the text for my WSET today – again. That exam is coming up way too quickly. Spain was the area I chose for this study session which lead, naturally, to Tempranillo. However, it seems the Spaniards cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Tempranillo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment