February 2023

You could pay a fortune to see one of Mark Oldman’s famous, “five-star” (Food & Wine), “wildly popular” (Aspen magazine) live seminars at the nation’s top food festivals or you can take Bevinars virtual wine classes for a fraction of the cost and from the comfort of your own living room. In his trademark style that Bon Appétit calls “winespeak without the geek,” award-winning author and renowned speaker Mark Oldman covers four essential wine topics.

If you’ve ever been to one of Mark’s presentations, you know it is brimming with humor and his trademark “nuggets” of useful insider information that you won’t find anywhere else. Moreover, class video recordings are available for those who miss a class or want to review.

The four classes of The February 2023 series are:

1] EXPLODING WINE MYTHS: FEBRUARY 1, 2023, 7pm ET / 4pm PT

The greatest impediment to wine appreciation are the endless myths – so much fake news! — surrounding wine. We are going to take a critical and often humorous look at a breathtaking number of untruths, half-truths, and outmoded notions standing between wine and your enjoyment of it. Many of these misconceptions will surprise you, and some of them the wine industry would rather you not know about.

The featured wines are:

-No or low-oak Chardonnay (from anywhere)

-Lighter-bodied red wine (such as Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, Bourgueil, or Etna Rossa)

-Red blend (such as red Bordeaux or a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend) from Australia

-Sauternes from France

2] SECRETS OF CHILE: FEBRUARY 8, 2023, 7pm ET / 4pm PT

The original South American success story in wine, Chile has long been famous for its wallet-friendly and approachable bottles. But as gifted winemakers upgraded technology and developed cooler climate regions, the country is also becoming known for wines of depth and nuance.

We will start with Sauvignon Blanc and how this grape stands apart in Chile’s Pacific Ocean-cooled vineyards. We then shift to Pinot Noir, which is finding success in the country’s cooler climate growing zones. Next comes Carmenere, Chile’s signature grape and a wine of immense likability if you know where to look. Finally, we alight upon Cabernet Sauvignon, the country’s bread-and-butter grape and often a key ingredient in the country’s top wines.

In addition to the featured wines being presented, Mark will clue you into a slew of other tempting Chilean choices, from Syrah to Carignan to the native Pais.

And we will cover tasting techniques, decoding the label, new trends, and food pairings — including hearty winter fare and regional favorites such as pan batido con palta (mashed avocado on bread), humitas (a kind of tamale), beef empanadas, and stews.

The featured wines are:

-Sauvignon Blanc from Chile

-Pinot Noir from Chile

-Carmenere from Chile

-Bordeaux-style blend or Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile

3] OUTWITTING THE WINE LIST: FEBRUARY 15, 2023, 7pm ET / 4pm PT

It is the nerve center of wine anxiety: the restaurant, with its inflated prices, impenetrable lists, sometimes clueless servers, and public-speaking pressures. Relax: we’re going to cover concrete ways of maximizing your wine dollars in restaurants and demystify the tasting ritual. We are going to discuss a slew of wine types which are safe to order and which ones to avoid. We will also explore fail-safe strategies of conversing with a sommelier so that you can order wine without a whiff of embarrassment. And we will cover one of the favorite solutions to overpriced wine lists: BYOB and how to do it gracefully.

The featured wines are:

-Non-Champagne French Sparkling Wine

-Assyrtiko or Moschofilero from Greece

-Etna Rosso from Italy

-Primitivo from Italy

4] SECRETS OF ARGENTINA: FEBRUARY 22, 2023, 7pm ET / 4pm PT

We will examine the country’s signature white dry wine, Torrontés, whose uniquely aromatic-but-dry charms may make it your new favorite white wine. And we will take a deep dive into the country’s marquee success, Malbec, discussing both everyday and special occasion versions that never fail to seduce the winter drinker. In addition to the featured wines being presented, Mark will clue you into a slew of other Argentinian beauties, from Bonarda to Cabernet Franc to Tempranillo.

And we will cover tasting techniques, decoding the label, new trends, and food pairings — including hearty winter fare and regional favorites such as gaucho steaks, empanadas, and chimichurri sauce

The featured wines are:

-Torrontés from Argentina

-Pinot Noir from Argentina

-Bonarda from Argentina

-Malbec from Argentina

MORE ON THE SERIES:

You are encouraged — but not required — to taste along with Mark. If you wish to buy the accompanying Wine.com wine kits listed below, please do so through these links as soon as possible after you register below. 

(OPTIONAL) TASTING KITS at WINE.COM

Exploding Wine Myths Kit at Wine.com

Secrets of Chile Kit at Wine.com

Outwitting the Wine List Kit at Wine.com

Secrets of Argentina Kit at Wine.com

The specific selection of wine, and its vintage, can vary depending on your location, but all bottles have been personally approved by Mark for their deliciousness and typicity.

If you do not purchase the wines online, you are free to ask a trusted local merchant for their recommendations for the wine types in the class listings above.

Registrants will be emailed the Zoom link and reminders prior to the class. The class fee is non-refundable.

MISS A CLASS, NO PROBLEM: Full series participants may access video recordings of the entire course for two months after the course ends, ideal for those who miss a class or want to watch again.

FREE GIFT WITH FULL 4-WEEK SERIES: Purchasers of the full series will be mailed a complimentary, limited-edition Bevinars wine glass polishing cloth. Custom-made for Bevinars, the cloth is extra large and made of plush microfiber, perfect for polishing your stemware to a fine sparkle.

Events in this Series

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