The Wines of Italy is a 5-week course designed for the beginner wine-enthusiast looking to develop their knowledge and understanding of Italian wine - with food!

Class will be held Sunday evenings 4-6pm, March 30, 2025 to May 4, 2025 (skipping Easter Sunday).

The course is developed by Heather Rankin (co-owner, Sommelier) and led by Heather and Junior Sommelier, Audrey Turcotte. The menu is created by Chef Kyla Bautista.

We will cover wine sensory and theory fundamentals including winemaking basics, tasting techniques, core grape varieties, classification systems, regional breakdowns, help with labels, buying tips, wine and food pairing principles, and more!

You will taste 25 wines (5 wines per class) with custom food pairings designed with this course in mind. As well, a comprehensive course manual will be provided for you to keep.

A general outline is detailed below:

Class 1: Sun, Mar 30 4-6pm: Introduction & The Piemonte
Overview of Italy; History of Italian Wine; Quality Designations: The DOC System; Introduction to Italian Wine Terms; Piemonte

Class 2: Sun, Apr 6 4-6pm: The Rest of the Northwest & Northeast
Valle d'Aosta; Liguria; Lombardy; Trentino-Alto Adige; Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Veneto

Class 3: Sun, Apr 13 4-6pm: Tuscany
Chianti; Montelcino; Montepulciano; Super-Tuscans & Sassicaia

Class 4: Sun, Apr 27 4-6pm: The Rest of Central Italy
Emilia-Romagna; Le Marche; Umbria; Lazio; Abruzzo 

Class 5: Sun, May 4 4-6pm: The South & The Islands
Campania; Molise; Puglia; Basilicata; Calabria, Sicily & Sardegna