Secrets of Iconic Regions 2 (New - Jan/Feb)

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 this Bevinars virtual series 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 transports you to four of the world’s iconic wine regions: Tuscany, Piedmont, Oregon, and Washington State.

For each, you will learn and discuss the classic grapes and flavor profiles, how to decipher a label, food pairings, ageability, and more. But Mark’s presentations always have more: he fills each session with his trademark “nuggets” of useful insider information that you won’t find anywhere else.

1) SECRETS OF TUSCANY CLASS (Jan 19, 2022)

Tuscany: land of blue skies and undulating hills, a romantic whirl of vivid colors, scents, and rural beauty punctuated by olives, pines, and vines.  Escape with Mark for “Secrets of Tuscany,” an insider look at the paradisical region of central Italy known to locals as “Toscana.”

With red wines ruling the roost in Tuscany, we will be focusing on the categories of Chianti, Super Tuscan, and Brunello.  We will consider a range of important issues, including why Chianti is so misunderstood, whether Super Tuscans worth their price (and where secret values exist), and how to find quality in the sea of different wineries.

2) SECRETS OF PIEDMONT CLASS (Jan 26, 2022)

Italy’s most esteemed and gastronomic wine region, Piedmont is famous for its divine meat-focused dishes, hazelnuts, white truffles, and Barbaresco and Barolo, the last of which is commonly called “the king of wines and the wine of kings”. “Secrets of Piedmont” takes a discerning look at the wines of this picturesque and historically rich region in the northwest of Italy.

We will be focusing on Arneis, Barbera, and Barolo, as well as some of the most compelling lesser-known wine types flourishing in this area. We will delve into why experts consider Piedmont, which is just over the Alps from France, the “Burgundy of Italy”. And we will cover tasting techniques, decoding the label, agebility, food pairings (including truffles, bagna cauda, and other local favorites), and more.

3) SECRETS OF OREGON CLASS (February 2, 2022)

Despite its drenching rain, consistent cloud cover, and occasional frost, Oregon has established itself as one of the world’s great sites for wine, and especially for early-ripening varieties such as Pinot Noir. In fact, Oregon, and particularly its celebrated Williamette Valley, is the only major region outside of Burgundy that specializes in this grape.

We will closely examine Oregon’s elegant, fine-boned Pinot Noir and differentiate it from other manifestations of the variety around the world. We will also consider Oregon Pinot Gris, a uniquely refreshing white wine that deserves more attention, and we will also some of the most compelling lesser-known grapes flourishing in this land of verdant hills and family-owned wineries. And we will cover tasting techniques, decoding the label, agebility, food pairings (including the region’s justly famous salmon), and more.

4) SECRETS OF WASHINGTON STATE CLASS (February 9, 2022)

Perched in the far Pacific Northwest, at about the same latitude as that of France’s Bordeaux region, it is no surprise that Washington State is home to superlative wines of elegance and purity.

We will take an insider look into what accounts for Washington State marvelous and often fairly-priced renditions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while also considering its bright and crisp whites such as Chardonnay and Riesling. We will also discuss some of the most compelling lesser-known grapes flourishing in what is the country’s second largest wine-producing state.

MORE ON THE COURSE:

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

Class 1: Bevinars Tuscany Wine Kit at Wine.com

Class 2: Bevinars Piedmont Wine Kit at Wine.com

Class 3: Bevinars Oregon Wine Kit at Wine.com

Class 4: Bevinars Washington State Wine 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.

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

DISCOUNT FOR FOUR-WEEK COURSE:  You can take individual classes, but if you register below for the full, 4-week Secrets of Iconic Regions 2 (Jan-Feb), you will receive a 20% discount on the course fee plus a FREE GIFT (see below). The cost for four classes is $176 per household.

Miss a Class, No Problem: Full course participants may access video recordings of the entire course for eight weeks after the course ends, ideal for those who miss a class or want to watch again.

Free Gift: Purchasers of the full course will be mailed a coveted, limited-edition Bevinars matchbook. Professionally designed and custom-made for Bevinars in Germany, this little gem is the world’s first matchbook designed specifically for wine lovers, with each individual match stem printed with a wine bottle type.