Welcome to the world of wine!  As culinary students, or just someone who eats to live, your palate is one of your most valued tools.  Unfortunately, for most of us, we are not exposed to a whole category of tastes and flavors and their interactions until we reach the age of 21.  Almost everyone has a flavor reference for foods, but for wine, that is a different story. 

This course is designed to introduce you to the tastes and flavors in wine.  We will discuss what is the source of those flavor components, and we will learn a systematic method for evaluating a wine for quality, for age or for pairing potential.  The approach will be grape varietal based, meaning we will be examining wine based on the main grape that provided the juice.  We will tour the world, visiting important regions as we move from grape to grape.

This course is merely an introduction.  There are hundreds of regions, with hundreds of producers, making several different wines each.  And next year, it will happen all over again.  This course should “whet your palate” for wine, and allow you to continue your own wine journey after the class ends.  Learning about wine is the ultimate example of lifelong learning.

The only requirement for this course, besides being 21 years old, is an open mind.  This course is not only about the information regarding grapes, locations, styles, and pairing, but also about training your palate to taste a wine deductively, and to assess it based on the information you have learned.  There is no prerequisite to having tasted wines before, or to even like wine.  This course will give you tools and reference points to make decent wine decisions.

Important Dates

Classes begin on August 16, 2023.  There will be work each week online to prep for class, and there will be in-person meetings on Wednesdays, from 6:10p - 8:00p, at the Ocean Campus, Statler Hall, Chef's Table Restaurant.  You must complete the first week assignments to avoid being dropped from the course.  If you do not contribute for 2 weeks, you may be in jeopardy of being dropped from the class as well.

August 30, 2022: Last day to drop FULL-TERM credit course work in order to qualify for 100% full refund of CA resident enrollment fees, international and nonresident student tuition and capital outlay fees.

September 1: Last day to add Full-Term credit courses in-person and online using myRAM Portal

Last day to drop credit classes without a 'W', no notation will appear on the student's permanent record

November 2: Last day to request P/NP option for grading (non-CAHS students only).

December 22:  Final Exam

Course Syllabus