The Top Five Wines for Raw Oysters
The brine and sweet fragrant flesh of a shucked oyster is an essential tribute to the summer. The wines served alongside should reflect a bit of sunshine and refreshment, too. Here …
Wine School
Dealing with Racists while Drinking Nicolas Feuillatte’s Palmes d’Or
Back in 2010, the Wine School ran a Champagne event featuring a vertical tasting of Nicolas Feuillatte’s Palmes d’Or at the old Four Seasons. Alas, I fear that objectivity may not …
Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 Garnacha, Catalyud
The Wine School is pouring a Garnacha these days that is flat-out charming me: The Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2005 from Catalyud, Spain. Not only is it fabulously fresh with …
A Career in Wine?
This article was written in 2007 when the school was still very young. If you are interested in working in the wine trade, we have an article on wine careers. If …
Studert-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2005 Riesling Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Anyone who’s been to a Wine School class knows that we’re big on that whole petrol-y thing that good riesling has. And this bottle possesses it in spades, and then some: …
Marnie Old, an embattled sommelier?
In the Daily News (many years ago) a much-talked-about gossip column pointed out that longtime Philly sommelier Marnie Old was battling a budding restaurateur.The owners of the Union Trust steakhouse have …
Private Wine Events
In 2009, the Wine School started offering private wine events. This was the press release we sent announcing this new venture. This was a very successful program, which we still run …
Center City Wine School
The Wine School of Philadelphia was originally located in the Fairmount neighborhood. Our first foray downtown was the second floor of a then-new restaurant. This is the press release that announced …
Turkey Flat 2005 “Butcher’s Block Red,” Barossa
This classic Rhone-style blend of Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvedre is custom-made for dry-herb-rubbed lamb chops. Or, frankly, just for sipping on its own. There’s a reason Turkey Flat has long been …
Bestest Day Ever
Oh POOP, this is GREAT! I rolled into the school late today, expecting a rather boring day in the office. The usual: need to file a UC report to the state, …
The Top Ten Truths of Tuscan Tourism
The Wine School of Philadelphia took our show on the road the first week of June, converting the Villa Giusterna in Chianti into our Tuscan campus. Instead of boring everyone with …
A Sideways Blast into the Past
Just going through some old files on the wine school‘s web server when I found an old promo for a yet-to-be-released movie called Sideways. The school had been given about 20 …
Hot Hot Hot
I preach this to the Wine School’s students every chance I get, but since there are readers of the School’s blog who I haven’t yet had the chance to meet, it …
Louis Latour 2007 “Duet” White, Languedoc
I do have a bit of a man-crush on Mr. Latour, ever since he visited the Wine School (yeah, you missed that because you didn’t sign up for our wine club …
Muga 2004 Rioja Reserva, Rioja
Muga is a perennial favorite here at the Wine School, and for a good reason: Its wines, from the value-priced white Rioja to the majestic Torre Muga, are, quite simply, delicious. …
Smackdowns, Boots and Hexagons, and the Future of the Human Race
Tomorrow evening, the Wine School‘s resident Italian-wine expert, and I will do battle in a Smackdown for the ages. Planetary polarity may shift. Weather patterns could run amok. Children and grown …