Secrets of Paso Robles

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 a Bevinar virtual wine class 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: the Rhone Valley, Paso Robles, Australia, and New Zealand.

PASO ROBLES CLASS

Equidistant between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles – a sunny land of rolling hills, steep mountainsides, and rugged coastline – is one of America’s most exciting wine regions. Less commercial than Napa Valley and blessed with an incredible diversity of growing climates, it is a must-know destination for high-quality, fairly-priced American wine.

We will explore Paso in depth, looking at how temperature swings and the coast influences the region’s microclimates, how both Bordeaux and Rhone styles prosper here, the effect of “new wave” Californian vintners on Paso’s growing scene, and more.

We will consider a wide range of Paso pleasures, focusing first on its Rhone-inspired white wines. Then we will shift gears to two of Paso’s longtime sweet spots, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. And we will cover tasting techniques, decoding the label, agebility, and food pairings.

Moreover, 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.

The cost of the class is $55 per household, and if you want to taste along with Mark, an optional 3-bottle Bevinars wine kit is available to purchase at Wine.com. 

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

The featured wine types are:

• Rhone-style White from Paso Robles
• Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles
• Zinfandel from Paso Robles

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 three wine types listed above.

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

FOUR-WEEK COURSE: The Secrets of Paso Robles class is part of the four-week Secrets of Iconic Regions 3 (April-May) course. Register below for the full course (4 classes) and receive a 20% discount on the course. 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 two months after the course ends, ideal for those who miss a class or want to watch again. Individual class registrants may request a link to the recording of the relevant class.