Conversations on Wine
Wine is a topic of conversation that can draw the interest of everyone from wine neophytes to wine connoisseurs. I have done many presentations on wine, from the classroom to the party or special event, public and private, where wine can add a special sparkle. A veteran presenter and entertainer, my focus is providing useful information in a humorous and entertaining light. Below are summaries of some of the topics I’ve covered. Below are examples of two presentations I do frequently. As always I can customize a presentation to the client’s requirements. All presentations are done in PowerPoint and I do have a video projector and screen. Handouts and tasting notes are also included.
Name that Wine! (60 minutes +)
How do sommeliers determine a wine’s identity, knowing the grape, the year and the wine region from blind tasting? Learn the secrets of the masters and become a wine detective!
Jim demonstrates the Deductive Tasting Method (DTM) all sommeliers must learn. “It’s elementary my dear Watson,” as Sherlock would say, and indeed the great detective would have applauded this method of determining a wine’s identity. It is based on the traditional method many wine lovers have learned, but more focused and relevant.
Each participant will analyze a white and red wine chosen by Jim. Typically these are single grape varietals such as Chardonnay or Syrah, rather than blends to ensure that they exhibit standard grape characteristics. The participant that comes closest to identifying each wine receives a bottle of wine or other suitable gift.
The approach most wine drinkers take is to sniff and taste and decide if they like the wine. Seldom do they check the color, which provides many clues to a wine’s identity. Checking the wine’s nose most drinkers will note the strength of the bouquet but not pick out the various aromas the wine exhibits. Tasting the wine they seldom focus on the mouthfeel, but often decide if it is too sweet or too dry for their palate,
All of these steps are subjective with the object of deciding if it is a wine worth drinking. However, there is so much more to learn within each stage that reveals a wine’s character. The DTM permits the wine lover to focus more accurately and quickly and choose the right wine for them. And of course one can become a wine detective and amaze their friends.
This program can be stand alone or accompanied with wine and food pairings after the initial detecting exercise is completed.
Hollywood & Vines: How Hollywood Represents Wines (90 minutes)
Movies have always been a great influence on all aspects of our culture. This can be dramatically shown by the impact of the movie, Sideways (2004) on Pinot Noir wines and those based on Merlot. After the movie was released, Pinot sales rose significantly while Merlot sales tanked. There are still many wine drinkers that avoid Merlot as if Miles (Paul Giamatti) was looking over their shoulder in the wine shop.
This presentation covers the movie industry’s checkered past in how it represented wines from Casablanca (1942) to Bottle Shock (2008) with clips of key scenes within each movie, Each movie clip is accompanied by a 1 oz pour of a representative wine from the movie and a tapas-like taste to pair with it. Little know facts and misrepresentations are explained and insights into the movie or the wine topic it espouses are defined. And always with the idea of entertainment, much like the movies themselves.
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