Tasting Classes in Chicago, IL

If you've been looking to learn more about wine, look no further! With my 2 decades of professional wine experience and your thirst for... knowledge... we'll go on a journey through the world of wine together. We’ll begin with learning how to taste wine in proper fashion and then delve into the individual varieties. We’ll discuss prominent...

Become the master of your own home bar! We will kick off with learning bar tools (and substitutions!) and key skills, then move on to how to master a few classic cocktails. Special skills you will learn include how (and when) to use egg whites, alcohol infusions best practices, how to choose the appropriate base spirit, and more! We will learn...

Learn how to make delicious cocktails from a Master Mixologist who knows how important it is to start with the classics- like the Martini and Manhattan, so you can move on to the craft cocktail realm- perhaps a Key West Sunset or Lavender Lemontini. During this course, important details about liquor, cocktail recipes and mixers pair with fun and...

Bring a taste of NYC to your kitchen: learn to make bagels! Make, shape, then boil and bake this tasty brunch treat along with our chef instructor. We’ll even make a roasted garlic-chive cream cheese to schmear on a bagel at the end of this two-hour class. You Will Learn To: Make bagel dough Roll bagels into their bagel-y shapes...

Join our chef to make dumplings, or 餃子, with two different fillings: pork & celery, and mushroom-veggie. We’ll start with the two-ingredient dough from scratch, make our pork and veggie fillings, shape the dumplings, and then cook them! The chef will guide you through the process, from kneading to shaping, then we’ll cook...

The San Francisco Bay Area is under order to Shelter in Place through April 7th. During this time, all in-person classes will be conducted in live webinar format unless otherwise indicated.  All webinar participants will receive pdf handouts, suggested wine lists, and a calendar invitation to attend the webinar with login details.  No live...

Travel the world of Syrah... Explore the power, elegance and versatility of Syrah/Shiraz and its potential to challenge Cab & Pinot as king of CA reds. Learn its origins, other homes and characteristics. Discover how Syrah varies based on climate, soils and traditions in various international regions through a guided tasting of 5-6 wines....

The Greatest Wines of France French wines serve as the foundation for most people trying to understand the wines of the world. After all, the French created the first nationwide appellation system that has since become the model for the European Union. Credential seekers can check out our French Wine Scholar program, but everyone will enjoy Intro...

This is the Whisky Ambassador Program, the World’s first accredited Whisky training Program that will make each participant very comfortable choosing, enjoying or speaking about whisky afterwards. Whisky by numbers, history, geography Production from raw material to bottle Whisky diversity, business approach Nosing and tasting principles –...

The Greatest Wines of Italy Italian wine is hot in the USA & is a global powerhouse. Credential seekers can check out our Italian Wine Scholar North & Italian Wine Scholar South programs, but everyone will enjoy Intro to Italian Wines! Piedmont's Barolo & Tuscany's Brunello surely make our list but come find out our other picks. Join us as we explore...

This class will take place online. Registered students will receive login instructions. Historical bartenders and modern mixologists have long used a great variety of herbal and botanical ingredients to add flavor, body, and visual flair to drinks. Go beyond the garnish to explore the world of oleo-saccharums, infusions, simple syrups, and tinctures...

Can you create perfect pairings or are you paralyzed by the rules? Learn pairing theories and exceptions and the progression of flavors in multi-course meals. Come play with your food and wine as we taste 36 combinations and discuss each student's impressions and preferences. Challenging food ingredients will also be reviewed and how to overcome the...

Cataluña is home to cava, Spain’s traditional method sparkling wine. Utilizing local Macabeo, Xarel.lo, and Parellada grapes, Cataluña has put a very Spanish accent on this classic winemaking process. Did you know that the prototype of the gyropalette was developed here! The cooperative concept was also given a brand-new image here! Dubbed “wine...

Learn about the physiology of taste and how to evaluate acidity, tannin, residual sugar (RS) and other structural elements of wine. Start building your wine description vocabulary.  Attend this fun session to gain confidence in knowing what kind of wines you like and how to describe them. Or use this as the start of your journey in preparing...

Discover the major wine denominations of Central Italy’s Toscana region or as many say in English, Tuscany. Explore the famous appellations of Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Bolgheri, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione and much more.  Learn where they're located, what grape varieties they're made from, their styles and...